Managing asthma attacks

Kathryn Hawley

What triggers an asthma attack in one person may be very different from another. The most common triggers include outdoor air pollution, mold, tobacco smoke, smoke from burning wood or grass, dust mites and cockroach allergen.

Witnessing someone experiencing asthma symptoms such as coughing, shortness of breath, chest tightness or wheezing can be alarming, especially if action is not taken to reduce these symptoms. Having an asthma action plan can be very important to successful outcomes.

Medical management and care is important to reduce emergency room/Urgent Care visits and it is recommended to see your doctor routinely so that your asthma is under control. Using an inhaler or a metered dose inhaler is used to help with asthma type symptoms. It is important to use your inhaler correctly. For a visual with instructions see https://www.cdc.gov/asthma/inhaler_video/default.htm .

To see how asthma is treated, what asthma is and how to tell if you might have asthma, go to https://www.cdc.gov/asthma/faqs.htm.