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When my son was barely six months old, I recognized he was having trouble breathing. When he exhaled, there was a wheezing sound. As he struggled to breathe, I noticed that his chest look larger than normal. I knew something was wrong and rushed him to the hospital. It was then that I learned he had a respiratory condition called asthma. I was familiar with this term and condition as it runs in my family. Still, I was surprised and dismayed that he had it as well.
Through many trips to hospitals, seeing respiratory specialists, and spending three years back and forth to McMaster Children’s Hospital, I learned a lot about asthma, its signs and symptoms, prevention and, if necessary, administering life-saving medication.
What is Asthma?
Asthma is a respiratory condition that narrows and constricts the air passages and makes it difficult to breathe. A person may also experience anxiety or feel frightened because they labor to breathe. Asthmatic symptoms can occur at any time, several times a day, or with specific triggers.
During an asthma attack, the muscles around the walls of the airways narrow and tighten. The lining of the airways develop a sticky mucus and as the airways continue to narrow and tighten, the person has difficulty getting air in and out. The severity of the symptoms varies from person to person. When a person has recurrent symptoms, it can result in reduced activity levels, absenteeism both at work and school, sleepiness, and fatigue.
What Causes Asthma?
Asthma is more commonly found in children and young adults. The strongest risk factors for Asthmatic is genetic, such as being born into a family with a history of asthma. External exposures such as pollen, weather changes (both cold and hot), insect bites or stings, or an allergic reaction to foods or medications can also trigger asthma. A person experiencing Emotional distress may also have difficulty breathing.
What Can Trigger Asthma?
Any number of things can trigger an asthma attack both external and internal. Knowing your triggers can help you prevent, control, and even avoid an asthma attack. I often recommend a person who experiences asthma to keep a journal and write down which triggers may have played a role in their breathing emergency. Common triggers include:
How to Help Someone Use their Life-Saving Medication?
When assisting a person with their inhaler, it is important to follow these steps:
Special Considerations
One thing I learned through my son is that in the region I reside, September is the most active month of the year for asthma attacks. More people go to the hospital in September than any other month. April is the second most active month. While controllable, asthma is a serious respiratory condition that can result in fatalities if left untreated.
Through journaling, I was able to track his peak times and begin a dialogue of prevention with my family physician and pharmacist. We have made dietary changes, kept our activity moderate during peak months and bad weather days.
Asthma inhalers need to be stored properly (between 15 to 30 degrees Celsius). This means they shouldn’t be stored in hot or cold environments (for example the glove box of your vehicle). I also learned that using a spacer with an inhaler provides the greatest level of effectiveness for the medication to reach the lungs and begin working. Further, once an inhaler has reached its expiration date, it drastically reduces effectiveness. As my son has grown into a young adult and through a rigorous prevention game plan, thankfully, he hasn’t had an asthma attack in almost five years.
When in doubt or unsure of what to do, speak to your doctor, respiratory specialist or pharmacist to better understand your medications, triggers, and create a prevention plan. Attending a first aid course will also help you and your family to familiarize yourself with recognizing an emergency, staying safe in the scene, assisting the person with their life-saving medication, and when needed, to upgrade care to emergency responders.
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Jodi is an authorized Red Cross Training partner who worked her way through school and graduated from the University of Waterloo with a degree in English, focusing on documentation and writing. She has written articles, edited books, created leadership best practices manuals, provided content to websites and created end-user guides. She was even a content provider for magazines such as Reps! Magazine, Status Magazine, Oxygen and Muscle Magazine. A long-term community supporter and local volunteer, she joined the Canadian Red Cross in 2011 and found her passion for facilitation; specializing in first aid instruction, safety and prevention. After writing an article on the world's strongest firefighter, she was inspired to take on a new challenge and in 2013 graduated from Conestoga College with a diploma in firefighting. Straight out of college, she became an authorized provider and Red Cross Training Partner, pooling all her previous experiences and expertise into her small business, Baxter Safety. In 2015 she became a Red Cross Instructor Trainer and joined the Emergency Response Team with Disaster Management, supporting both small and large-scale disasters. Having a strong background in communication and facilitation skills, she became a Psychological First Aid Instructor and expanded her expertise to include Respect Education, Violence and Abuse Prevention. Jodi maintains a small training business providing courses within Ontario focusing on first aid, safety and prevention. She continues to increase her education and experience within the community and volunteers actively in disaster management.
More articles by the writer
When my son was barely six months old, I recognized he was having trouble breathing. When he exhaled, there was a wheezing sound. As he struggled to breathe, I noticed that his chest look larger than normal. I knew something was wrong and rushed him to the hospital. It was then that I learned he had a respiratory condition called asthma. I was familiar with this term and condition as it runs in my family. Still, I was surprised and dismayed that he had it as well.
Through many trips to hospitals, seeing respiratory specialists, and spending three years back and forth to McMaster Children’s Hospital, I learned a lot about asthma, its signs and symptoms, prevention and, if necessary, administering life-saving medication.
What is Asthma?
Asthma is a respiratory condition that narrows and constricts the air passages and makes it difficult to breathe. A person may also experience anxiety or feel frightened because they labor to breathe. Asthmatic symptoms can occur at any time, several times a day, or with specific triggers.
During an asthma attack, the muscles around the walls of the airways narrow and tighten. The lining of the airways develop a sticky mucus and as the airways continue to narrow and tighten, the person has difficulty getting air in and out. The severity of the symptoms varies from person to person. When a person has recurrent symptoms, it can result in reduced activity levels, absenteeism both at work and school, sleepiness, and fatigue.
What Causes Asthma?
Asthma is more commonly found in children and young adults. The strongest risk factors for Asthmatic is genetic, such as being born into a family with a history of asthma. External exposures such as pollen, weather changes (both cold and hot), insect bites or stings, or an allergic reaction to foods or medications can also trigger asthma. A person experiencing Emotional distress may also have difficulty breathing.
What Can Trigger Asthma?
Any number of things can trigger an asthma attack both external and internal. Knowing your triggers can help you prevent, control, and even avoid an asthma attack. I often recommend a person who experiences asthma to keep a journal and write down which triggers may have played a role in their breathing emergency. Common triggers include:
How to Help Someone Use their Life-Saving Medication?
When assisting a person with their inhaler, it is important to follow these steps:
Special Considerations
One thing I learned through my son is that in the region I reside, September is the most active month of the year for asthma attacks. More people go to the hospital in September than any other month. April is the second most active month. While controllable, asthma is a serious respiratory condition that can result in fatalities if left untreated.
Through journaling, I was able to track his peak times and begin a dialogue of prevention with my family physician and pharmacist. We have made dietary changes, kept our activity moderate during peak months and bad weather days.
Asthma inhalers need to be stored properly (between 15 to 30 degrees Celsius). This means they shouldn’t be stored in hot or cold environments (for example the glove box of your vehicle). I also learned that using a spacer with an inhaler provides the greatest level of effectiveness for the medication to reach the lungs and begin working. Further, once an inhaler has reached its expiration date, it drastically reduces effectiveness. As my son has grown into a young adult and through a rigorous prevention game plan, thankfully, he hasn’t had an asthma attack in almost five years.
When in doubt or unsure of what to do, speak to your doctor, respiratory specialist or pharmacist to better understand your medications, triggers, and create a prevention plan. Attending a first aid course will also help you and your family to familiarize yourself with recognizing an emergency, staying safe in the scene, assisting the person with their life-saving medication, and when needed, to upgrade care to emergency responders.
Vlad Magdalin
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