First aid for shortness of breath

 

First aid for shortness of breath

Shortness of breath can happen to anyone including healthy people, after engaging in strenuous workouts or climbing stairs too quickly, shortness of breath usually lasts for a few minutes and breathing returns to normal, however, sometimes shortness of breath can be an emergency, get acquainted with first aid for shortness of breath.

• First aid for shortness of breath

There are some first aid steps that you can use to deal with shortness of breath, try these steps for first aid for shortness of breath, at least until the ambulance arrives or until you can take the patient to the hospital:

1. Make the patient comfortable and loosen any tight clothing.
2. Have the patient sit, stand, or lie down, and ask him to raise his arms above his head to increase the expansion of the chest.
3. Let the patient use any of his own medications, such as an asthma spray or household oxygen, or epinephrine injections in case of an allergic reaction.
4. If the patient does not improve after two or three minutes of being in a comfortable position, call 911.
5. Let the patient relax, breathe deeply and slowly through his nose, exhale through his nose and mouth.
6. Let the patient breathe gently using the diaphragm and the lower chest muscles to breathe instead of the upper chest and shoulder muscles, and keep his shoulders and upper chest muscles relaxed.
7. Do not offer food or drink to the patient as long as he has shortness of breath. 
8. Do not move the patient if you find an injury to the head, neck, chest or airway, unless absolutely necessary. 
9. If the patient must be moved, take care to protect and immobilize the neck. 
10. Do not put a pillow under the patient's head to prevent airway closure.

• When do you call the emergency?

Resting for a few minutes can help with mild shortness of breath, however, call 911 when you notice any of the following:

1. Cyanosis of the lips or nails.
2. Dizziness and vertigo.
3. Coughing up blood.
4. Excessive drooling.
5. Inability to speak.
6. Chills.
7. Swelling of the face and tongue.
8. Rapid and irregular heartbeat.
9. Sweating.
10. Vomiting and nausea.
11. Whistling sounds.
12. Severe shortness of breath.

• What causes shortness of breath

Shortness of breath can be a sign of running too fast and therefore does not need any emergency treatment, but most often, people who experience shortness of breath have an underlying medical problem, and some factors that may cause shortness of breath include:

1. asthma.
2. Diseases affecting the lungs, such as emphysema and chronic bronchitis.
3. Heart attack.
4. allergic reaction.
5. Respiratory diseases, including whooping cough, acute bronchitis, and pneumonia.
6. My heart disease.
7. Fluid in the lungs.

If you have any of these medical conditions and are experiencing shortness of breath and chest tightness, see your doctor for proper diagnosis and treatment.