What to do when breathless is an emergency?

What to do when breathlessness is an emergency?

Most of the emergency calls are usually related to shortness of breath or dyspnea. It can occur due to an underlying medical condition or manifest due to other conditions such as strenuous activities like running or climbing stairs very fast. However, in such cases, breathing becomes normal after sometime and they doesn’t require any treatment.

When breathlessness is
an emergency?

Shortness of breath can be a sign of medical emergency if it occurs due to an underlying medical problem.   

• Asthma
• Heart
  attack
• Anaphylaxis
  or allergic reaction
• Respiratory
  or lung infections

Mild
shortness of breath can become normal after resting for a few minutes. However,
some people may experience the following symptoms:

• Blue
  lips or fingernails
• Chest
  pain
• Swelling
  of the face or tongue
• Palpitations
• Sweating
• Dizziness
• Nausea
  and vomiting
• Excessive
  drooling

Act fast if you experience breathlessness and above-mentioned symptoms. Visit a clinic near you or call 1066 immediately.

First-aid steps to be
taken when breathlessness is an emergency:

• Call
  for help and ambulance right away.
• Check
  the person’s airway, breathing, and pulse
• Begin
  CPR if necessary
• Monitor
  the breathing until emergency care arrives

If
the patient is responsive:

• Help
  the person to take any prescribed medicine, like using inhaler in cases of
  asthma or epinephrine shot in case of anaphylaxis
• Loosen
  the tight clothing
• Close
  or bandage the open wounds if any present
• Don’t
  give the person anything to eat or drink
• Don’t
  move the person if there is a neck or chest injury, unless necessary