Asthma: Triggers and Symptoms

• Asthma is a prevalent chronic condition heightened by the stress of dental visits.
• Attacks cause airway spasms, chest tightness, inflamed airway linings, and phlegm production which obstructs breathing.
• Asthma can lead to fatalities and should be regarded seriously.
• Anyone with a prescribed inhaler should keep it on hand.

Common Asthma Triggers

• Many triggers exist for asthma attacks including individual triggers.
• Inflammatory factors include allergens, work, and respiratory infections.
• Irritants include strong smells, cold air, temperature changes, exercise, and emotional environments.
• Other triggers include pollutants, food additives, gastric reflux, tobacco, and medications.

Symptoms of Asthma

• A persistent cough, especially when at rest.
• A wheezing sound from the chest when at rest.
• Difficulty breathing (fast and with effort, using all accessory muscles in the upper body)
• Nasal flaring
• Inability to talk or complete sentences and possibly going very quiet
• Asthmatic patients report a 'tight' chest; young children may say they have a tummy ache during an attack.

Asthma Attack Procedure

• Call an ambulance immediately if patient appears exhausted, has a blue/white tinge around lips or is going blue, or has collapsed.
• Encouraging a patient to sit upright is generally helpful when dealing with breathing problems
• Sitting backwards on a chair may also be a good position.
• Do not take a patient outside for fresh air if it is cold, as cold air can worsen symptoms.

Spacers/Volumizers

• Using a spacer makes medication more effective and delivers more of it to the airways as opposed to the back of the throat.
• Spacers help those with asthma achieve better asthma control.
• Spacers come in different shapes/sizes, and not all spacers fit all inhalers.
• Some spacers for small children have face masks.
• Coordination is required to use an inhaler without a spacer and this can lead to increased stress and worsening of symptoms.
• Patients should always keep their inhaler and spacer together, available at all times.

Helping a Patient During an Attack

• The following guidelines are suitable for both children and adults
• Remain calm and reassure the patient.
• Help them take one to two puffs of their reliever inhaler (usually blue) via a spacer device.
• Have the patient sit down, with loose clothing, and encourage slow, steady breaths.
• If the patient does not improve, administer additional puffs from their reliever.
• Call emergency services on 999/112.
• Continue reliever inhaler administration (two puffs every two minutes).
• It doesn't harm patients to administer more than 10 puffs, but if there is no improvement after this time, call emergency services.
• If the ambulance does not arrive within 10 minutes, repeat the reliever administration steps.

Post-Attack Care

• Patients should make an appointment with their doctor or asthma nurse for an asthma review within 48 hours of an attack.
• People often have a variety of different asthma inhalers and medication to control their asthma - if they are having an asthma attack it is the reliever inhaler that they need.
• Reliever inhalers are usually blue.
• Steroid-based inhalers are also used in order to reduce their sensitivity to asthma inducing agents.