Whether it impacts a child, an adult, or a senior, asthma can be a stressful condition for families and caregivers to navigate. Since asthma attacks can come out of nowhere and sometimes be severe, asthma caregivers may worry about making sure their loved one has the support they need to keep their condition under control.
If you’re providing care for a loved one with asthma, this article can help you better understand asthma as a chronic condition, how to manage asthma triggers, and what to do if your loved one has an asthma attack.
Understanding Asthma
Asthma is a chronic disease that causes inflammation and swelling of the airways, which reduces the amount of airflow that can go in and out of lungs. Typically, people with asthma experience symptoms like shortness of breath, tightness in the chest, or coughing and wheezing.
More than 23 million adults and nearly 5 million children in the U.S. have asthma. It's one of the most common and most costly diseases in the country, and it can be deadly if not diagnosed and treated properly. In fact, an average of nine people in the U.S. die from asthma each day, with adults being seven times more likely to die from asthma than children. Fortunately, nearly all asthma-related deaths are preventable with the right care.
What Causes Asthma?
Doctors and scientists don’t know exactly what causes asthma or how to completely prevent it, but there are factors that may contribute to developing asthma, such as:
- Family history
- Viral respiratory infections
- Exposure to certain dusts, molds, or chemical irritants
- Allergies
- Smoking or vaping (including second-hand smoke)
- Living in an area with heavy pollution
- Obesity
Types of Asthma
Asthma was once considered a single disease, but that’s no longer the case. Although medical authorities and scientific organizations agree that there are various kinds of asthma, they don’t always reference the same number of variations.
For instance, the American Lung Association identifies seven types of asthma (plus ACOS), while other health organizations may only recognize a few types. These asthma types are:
- Allergic Asthma: Asthma symptoms triggered by allergies.
- Exercise-Induced Asthma: Also called exercise-induced bronchospasm (EIB), triggered by physical activity.
- Cough-Variant Asthma: When the only symptom is a cough.
- Occupational Asthma: When airborne substances in the workplace lead to asthma development or trigger asthma attacks.
- Aspirin-Induced Asthma: Also called aspirin-exacerbated respiratory disease (AERD) or Samter's triad, this is more common in adults than in children.
- Nighttime Asthma: Sometimes called nocturnal asthma, symptoms occur at night and can make sleep nearly impossible.
- Steroid-Resistant Asthma (SRA): Characterized by a lack of response to corticosteroid therapy, meaning symptoms are hard to eliminate or they get worse.
There’s also Asthma-COPD Overlap Syndrome (ACOS), which is diagnosed when a person has symptoms of both asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder (COPD). ACOS is not a separate disease, but rather a way for doctors to recognize the mix of symptoms and select a treatment plan that’s best for both conditions.
While asthma is often associated with childhood, some people are diagnosed with asthma for the first time when they’re adults. This is known as adult onset asthma.
Common Asthma Triggers
People with asthma are more sensitive to things that cause inflammation of airways, such as air pollution, allergies, and other environmental irritants. While asthma triggers vary from person to person, some of the most common triggers include:
- Allergens, such as pollen, dust mites, or pet dander
- Airborne irritants, such as smoke, chemicals, or smog
- Exercise or physical activity
- Food allergies and anaphylaxis
- Medications, such as aspirin, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, or beta blockers
- Stress and other strong emotions
- Tobacco smoke and vaping
- Dry, cold air or changes in weather conditions
Even health conditions like sleep apnea, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), and respiratory infections (i.e., COVID-19, flu, pneumonia)— among others—can trigger asthma symptoms.
Keep in mind that this is not a complete list of triggers, so it’s best to talk with your loved one and their healthcare provider to identify specific triggers. It’s also important to note that sometimes reactions to triggers are delayed, which can make it more difficult to identify asthma triggers.
How to Manage Asthma
When a loved one has a chronic condition like asthma, the support of a caregiver can help minimize the impact of the disease on their daily life. Caregiver support can even save their life if a severe asthma attack occurs. Here are some ways you can help someone with asthma.
Know Their Needs
If you’re caring for an otherwise healthy and fully functioning adult, you may not be as looped into their medical needs as you are with a child or a senior. Be sure you understand what type of asthma your loved one has, what preventive medications they take, who their healthcare provider is, and what steps need to be followed should they have an asthma attack.
Track Their Triggers
Another way you can help your loved one with asthma is to keep track of the triggers that you know cause asthma flare-ups. Because symptoms don’t always occur immediately after exposure, this may require regular monitoring. Delayed asthma episodes may occur depending on the type of trigger and how sensitive a person is to it.
Plan Ahead
Anticipate potential triggers and work around them whenever possible. For example, if air pollution is a significant trigger, check the air quality before your loved one leaves their home. Resources like AirNow provide data on air quality for specific locations (through zip codes) and can be helpful in planning outings around triggers.
Other ways you can plan ahead for asthma triggers include keeping a kit with medications, asthma inhalers, and other necessary supplies nearby for your loved one.
What to Do During an Asthma Attack
The Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America (AAFA) recommends that people with asthma and their caregivers have an asthma action plan in place for ongoing care, trigger identification, and what to do in an emergency.
To prepare yourself for helping a loved one during an asthma attack, it’s important to learn the symptoms of asthma attacks and when to seek emergency medical attention.
Signs of an Asthma Attack
Symptoms vary from person to person, but the following signs could indicate that your loved one is having an asthma attack:
- Shortness of breath or gasping for air
- Worsening cough or wheezing
- Chest tightness or pain
- Inhaler not working to address symptoms
- Unable to eat, talk, or sleep
- Low peak flow readings
If your loved one is experiencing one or more of these symptoms, refer to their asthma action plan as soon as possible to determine if they need a quick-relief medicine (like albuterol), a quick-relief medicine and controller taken one right after each other, or a combination inhaler.
Monitor your loved one’s symptoms closely. If their symptoms don’t improve or they get worse, contact their healthcare provider.
When to Call 911
Per the AAFA, these are the asthma emergency signs and symptoms that require immediate medical care:
- Asthma gets worse quickly
- Quick-relief medicines aren’t helping
- Chest tightness or pain
- Severe shortness of breath
- Breathing is faster or slower than normal
- Breathing may be hard or shallow
- Trouble walking or talking
- Chest retractions (i.e., skin sucks in between or around the neck, chest plate, and/or rib bones when inhaling; this is rare in adults)
- Ribs or stomach moving in and out deeply and rapidly
- Expanded chest that does not deflate when you exhale
- Shoulders hunched over (“posturing”)
- Tissue color change on mucus membranes (tongue, lips, and around the eyes) and fingertips or nail beds that appears grayish or whitish on darker skin tones and bluish on lighter skin tones
Infants, toddlers, and children may have different symptoms than adults, such as:
- Nasal flaring where nostrils open wide and/or flare
- Failing to respond to or recognize parents
- Working harder to breathe (i.e., nasal flaring, skin is sucking in around and between ribs or above the sternum, or exaggerated belly movement or belly breathing)
- Tissue color change on mucus membranes (tongue, lips, and around the eyes) and fingertips or nail beds that appears grayish or whitish on darker skin tones and bluish on lighter skin tones
- Physical changes, such as bobbing head, grunting, or floppy body
- Mood changes, such as irritability, agitation, and/or lethargy
In these situations, give your loved one their quick-relief medicines as outlined in their asthma action plan (if you haven’t already), then call 911 or go directly to the emergency room/emergency department (ER/ED). Be sure to follow up with your loved one’s healthcare provider within two days of an ED visit or hospital stay.
BrightStar Care® Is Here for Family Caregivers
Providing care for a loved one can be overwhelming and can often lead to burnout for family caregivers. It’s important to take time for yourself to address your own needs. This is where BrightStar Care® can help.
At BrightStar Care®, we offer respite care services to provide family caregivers with temporary relief so that they can attend to their health, errands, and other responsibilities. In addition to providing in-home care for seniors and adults of all ages, our local agencies can also help you with pediatric nursing and in-home child care.
Our nurse-led caregivers and experienced local care team members are ready to help. Find a location near you, contact us online or call (855) 545-3006 to learn more about how BrightStar Care offers A Higher Standard®.