Asthma
Did you know that 1 in 9 Australians are living with Asthma. It is one of the highest rates in the world.
Asthma is a serious respiratory condition that leads to the death of nearly 400 people in Australia every year. The airways become narrowed making it more difficult to breathe. Think of breathing through a straw all the time. This is what it can feel like for some people, especially during an attack.
Symptoms:
Cough, Wheezing, Short of Breath, Chest Tightness, Feeling Tired, Increased Heart Rate, Becoming sweaty.
Not everyone will experience the same symptoms, and they can range from mild to severe. Symptoms tend to be worse at night and early morning.
Asthma Triggers can come form your environment, lifestyle or the quality of the air you breathe, and will be different with each individual. These could include: pests, animal and pet dander, flooding and mould, thunderstorm asthma, trees plants and gardening, gas appliances, dust and dust storms and food.
Asthma First Aid:
Dial 000 immediately if: they are not breathing, they suddenly become worse or not improving, they are having an asthma attack and no reliever is available, unsure if it is asthma
Sit the person upright: remain calm and reassuring, do not leave them alone
Give 4 separate puffs of a reliever puffer: shake puffer, put one puff into spacer, take four breaths from spacer, repeat 4 times
Wait 4 minutes: if after 4 minutes there is no improvement or they are getting worse, give four more puffs of a reliever as above.
Continue until emergency services arrive.
To have the confidence to identify and treat Asthma, enroll into one of our first aid courses today.
Click below for your free Asthma first aid chart. Collect all charts and keep in your first aid kit.