The most common is to take bronchodilator drugs: administered by inhalation, their brief and rapid action allows the bronchial tubes to dilate rapidly, and to relieve a coughing episode or an asthma attack in a few minutes. Their duration of action is 4 to 6 hours.
But your first reflexes should always be to:
- Sit upright to help open the airways and facilitate the flow of air into the lungs;
- Try to stay calm, as the body’s natural response to stress can make symptoms worse;
- Try to breathe slowly and deeply;
- Try not to make any physical effort: as breathing is difficult, it is important to avoid any action that may further impair breathing capacity;
- Loosen your clothes to make breathing easier.
Even if it is difficult, it is important not to panic as stress makes breathing difficulties worse. Breathe quietly, as normally as possible, inflating the abdomen on the inhalation and deepening it on the exhalation.
Alternative medicines can also help. As asthma is a chronic pathology, homeopathy is indicated as a basic treatment. A consultation with a homeopathic specialist will be necessary, who will choose medicines adapted to each asthmatic patient according to his personal and family history, his allergic or non-allergic terrain as well as the triggering factors of the attacks. In addition to homeopathy, there are many natural remedies that can be taken such as boswellia, curcuma, ginger,…
This home remedies treatments will reduce the frequency and severity of attacks, and can be associated with allopathic treatment, but will allow the use of lower doses, particularly for corticoids.