It has been reported that there has been an increase in asthma sufferers in the UK and asthma-related deaths. Asthma UK reports that 5.4 million people in the UK are receiving treatment for asthma and every 10 seconds someone has a potentially life-threatening asthma attack. And on average 3 people in the UK die from an asthma attack every day. However last year there were over 1400 asthma deaths.

These figures are staggering and given the magnitude of this condition, it is essential that we all know how to help someone in the event of an asthma attack.

What are the signs of an asthma attack?

It’s worth knowing that often an asthma attack can build over time (such as over a few hours or even days) and won’t necessarily happen suddenly. The tell-tale signs include:

• Cough, breathlessness, tight chest or wheezing which are getting worse
• The inhaler is not helping
• They are too breathless to speak
• Breathing is fast and they are unable to catch their breath
• Children can also complain of chest ache or stomach pains

How can you help someone who is having an asthma attack?

The best way to assist someone is to remain calm yourself and try to keep them calm too. You should support them in sitting upright, not lying down, and get them to steady their breathing into a slow and steady rhythm.

Assist them in finding their inhaler which is typically blue in colour as this indicates a reliever inhaler. It is advised that 1 puff should be taken every 30-60 seconds, although they shouldn’t exceed 10 puffs.

You should call 999 if the person’s condition worsens despite them using an inhaler or if they don’t have an inhaler with them.

Prevention and pre-planning

If you have a friend, family member or colleague with asthma it is useful to get them to share their personal asthma action plan so that you know how to support them. It is also useful to understand what might trigger an asthma attack for them so that you can assist them in reducing the risk of having an episode.