What to Do When You're Having an Asthma Attack

If you suddenly found yourself in the middle of a full-blown asthma attack, would you know what to do? The answer to that question could be the difference between life and death.
If you've been diagnosed with asthma, you've probably worked with your doctor to develop an asthma action plan that provides important steps to help you prevent and treat this chronic respiratory condition. Most asthma action plans also include a list of warning signs that can alert you when you're heading into an attack so you can respond right away. This plan can be crucial in an emergency because it spells out exactly what to do and when.
Some of the common signs of an asthma attack include coughing, wheezing, trouble breathing, and extreme tiredness. If you use a peak flow monitor to follow changes in your breathing, you may also find that your lung capacity drops by about 50 percent.
As soon as you notice any asthma attack symptoms, respond immediately. Some steps your doctor may recommend for treating a mild asthma attack include: Using your fast-acting relief inhaler to try to open up the tight airway muscles to let air flow freely again. Waiting for a minute and see if you feel any better. Repeating the inhaler dosage if you still feel symptoms.Calling your doctor right away if the discomfort persists.
While many asthma attacks can be effectively managed at home without ill effects, if you're prone to life-threatening asthma attacks or find yourself suddenly experiencing more severe symptoms, it's crucial to call 911 to summon emergency medical care right away.
Some warning signs that can signal a life-threatening asthma attack include:
A peak flow reading that continues to drop even after using your fast-acting relief medication.Blue fingernails or lips.Trouble talking.Difficulty taking a breath.Pulling in your neck, chest, or ribs when you try to breathe.Nostrils flaring with each breath.
Remember that if left untreated, an asthma attack can be fatal. By working closely with your doctor and taking the proper precautions to prevent and treat the symptoms, you should be able to effectively manage your condition and keep it from getting out of hand.
Sources:
"Asthma." National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute. US Department of Health & Human Services/National Institutes of Health, n.d. Web. 30 March 2011.
"Asthma Attack." Mayo Clinic. Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research (MFMER), 6 Jan. 2011. Web. 30 March 2011.
"Asthma: Learning to Control Your Symptoms." American Academy of Family Physicians. Familydoctor.org, Jan. 2011. Web. 4 April 2011.
"What to do in an Asthma Attack. Winning with Asthma." Steps to a Healthy Minnesota, n.d. Web. 30 March 2011.

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What to Do When You're Having an Asthma Attack

If you suddenly found yourself in the middle of a full-blown asthma attack, would you know what to do? The answer to that question could be the difference between life and death.

If you've been diagnosed with asthma, you've probably worked with your doctor to develop an asthma action plan that provides important steps to help you prevent and treat this chronic respiratory condition. Most asthma action plans also include a list of warning signs that can alert you when you're heading into an attack so you can respond right away. This plan can be crucial in an emergency because it spells out exactly what to do and when.

Some of the common signs of an asthma attack include coughing, wheezing, trouble breathing, and extreme tiredness. If you use a peak flow monitor to follow changes in your breathing, you may also find that your lung capacity drops by about 50 percent.

As soon as you notice any asthma attack symptoms, respond immediately. Some steps your doctor may recommend for treating a mild asthma attack include: Using your fast-acting relief inhaler to try to open up the tight airway muscles to let air flow freely again. Waiting for a minute and see if you feel any better. Repeating the inhaler dosage if you still feel symptoms.Calling your doctor right away if the discomfort persists.

While many asthma attacks can be effectively managed at home without ill effects, if you're prone to life-threatening asthma attacks or find yourself suddenly experiencing more severe symptoms, it's crucial to call 911 to summon emergency medical care right away.

Some warning signs that can signal a life-threatening asthma attack include:

A peak flow reading that continues to drop even after using your fast-acting relief medication.Blue fingernails or lips.Trouble talking.Difficulty taking a breath.Pulling in your neck, chest, or ribs when you try to breathe.Nostrils flaring with each breath.

Remember that if left untreated, an asthma attack can be fatal. By working closely with your doctor and taking the proper precautions to prevent and treat the symptoms, you should be able to effectively manage your condition and keep it from getting out of hand.

Sources:

"Asthma." National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute. US Department of Health & Human Services/National Institutes of Health, n.d. Web. 30 March 2011.

"Asthma Attack." Mayo Clinic. Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research (MFMER), 6 Jan. 2011. Web. 30 March 2011.

"Asthma: Learning to Control Your Symptoms." American Academy of Family Physicians. Familydoctor.org, Jan. 2011. Web. 4 April 2011.

"What to do in an Asthma Attack. Winning with Asthma." Steps to a Healthy Minnesota, n.d. Web. 30 March 2011.

View the original article here

10 Signs You're Having a Stress Headache

You're burning the candle at both ends, working as hard as you can and now this...another headache. You wonder, "Is it a migraine?  Am I getting sick or is the tension is just getting to me?"  How do you know when you're having a stress headache? You don't need an x-ray, lab test or special testing to diagnose a stress headache.  Just read the signs.

Stress headaches (or tension headaches) are the most common kind of headaches adults experience.  Millions of people get stress headaches as often as 15 times in a month; any more than that and they're called "chronic" headaches.  Most, however, only get stress headaches once-in-a-while. They might last a half hour or less, or they might go on for hours.  While there's no singular cause for stress headaches, they often occur when the body is literally "under stress" like when you're tired, worried, hungry, over-stimulated, working too hard or just fed up. 

You know you're having a stress headache when:

1. You have no other visual, auditory or other sensory symptoms.  Migraine headaches often start with a telltale "aura."  That's a sign (usually a change in vision, hearing or sense of smell) you're about to have a migraine. Migraine headaches are also often accompanied by nausea. 

2. You aren't oversensitive to light or sound.  Bright lights and loud noises may not exactly help your headache, but they don't make it a lot worse either.  Migraine sufferers are usually extremely light and sound sensitive. Stress headaches only cause mild light and sound sensitivity

3. Your headache feels like a dull throbbing pain on the top, sides or front of your head.  Or, it may feel like you have a tight band around your head at the level of your forehead, ears and crown.

4. Your headache affects both sides of your head.  Migraine sufferers tend to feel pain only on one side of their head.

5. Your headache usually starts in the afternoon or evening, after the stresses of the day have added up.  Migraines can happen any time.

6. You feel other signs of stress like irritability, muscle aches, jaw, neck or back pain, insomnia or a short temper.

7. Your headaches frequently occur when you're short on sleep, missed a meal, over done it on a workout or pushed your physical limits in some other way.

8. Your head bothers you, but you don't feel sick like you would with a cold or flu.  You don't have a fever, congestion, body aches or an upset stomach. 

9. Your headaches go away when you follow these guidelines (provided by the American Academy of Family Physicians):

Put a heat pack or ice pack on your head or neck.Take a hot shower.Get enough rest or sleep.Take time away from things that are stressful. This could mean doing anything from taking a brief walk to taking a vacation.Get regular exercise of all types. Work up to exercising for 30 to 60 minutes, 4 to 6 times a week.

Your headache usually goes away with over-the-counter medications like aspirin, Tylenol or ibuprofen.  Migraines often require stronger pain medications or migraine-specific medications.  Chronic stress headaches may need to be treated with anti-anxiety, anti-depressant, muscle relaxant and/or prescription-strength pain medications

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