Asthma attack symptoms: what to notice and when to act

Symptoms can begin suddenly or build gradually. A person may breathe faster, struggle to finish a sentence, feel frightened, or find that their usual reliever medicine is helping less than expected.

During an attack, muscles around the airways tighten while the airway lining becomes inflamed and mucus may narrow the passage further. Moving air through these narrowed tubes takes more effort, producing tightness, noisy breathing, cough, and shortness of breath.

Wheezing is not required for an asthma attack. Very limited airflow may produce little sound, so the person's ability to speak, walk, and stay alert matters more than whether a wheeze can be heard.

Stop the activity, sit upright, and try to stay calm. Follow the person's written asthma action plan and use the prescribed reliever inhaler with a spacer if the plan calls for it. Do not lie flat or rely on steam, caffeine, or breathing exercises instead of prescribed treatment.

Move away from smoke, dust, strong fragrance, or another obvious trigger when this can be done safely. Keep the person accompanied and observe whether breathing, speech, and alertness improve.

Call UAE emergency services immediately if the person is gasping, cannot speak comfortably, becomes drowsy or confused, has blue or grey lips, collapses, or is getting worse despite following the action plan. Continue prescribed reliever treatment as directed while help is coming.

Arrange prompt medical assessment after an attack even if symptoms settle, particularly when attacks are becoming more frequent, waking the person at night, limiting normal activity, or requiring more reliever medicine than their plan allows.

Ask which early changes are most useful for you to track, how to recognise a severe attack, and whether your inhaler technique and spacer use are correct. Request a written action plan that states which medicine to take during worsening symptoms and when to seek urgent care.