Asthma is an inflammatory condition that can cause your airways — including your throat and windpipe — to swell and make it hard for you to breathe.

Most episodes of asthma aren’t life threatening. However, severe asthma attacks may require emergency measures, such as using a rescue inhaler or calling emergency services like 911.

Read on to learn more about how to perform first aid with an inhaler or without an inhaler — and learn about some of the most frequently asked questions about asthma attacks.

When to call 911

Call 911 if you or someone else is experiencing an asthma attack with any of the following symptoms:

If someone has stopped breathing due to an asthma attack and you have CPR training, you can start rescue breaths and CPR until paramedics arrive.

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Here are the steps that you should take immediately when you or someone else begins having an asthma attack and has their inhaler nearby:

  1. Sit upright with something to lean back on, such as a chair or couch. This can help make it easier to breathe by giving your lungs space to expand.
  2. Use your inhaler to relax the muscles in your airways. This can help you catch your breath and keep yourself from losing oxygen and passing out.
  3. Remove any asthma triggers from your environment (or remove yourself from the environment), such as cigarette smoke, air pollution, or strong fragrances. Reducing your exposure to triggers can help prevent another asthma attack from happening.
  4. Stay calm to help make sure stress or anxiety don’t trigger another asthma attack. Put on some music, meditate, or focus on something you enjoy.
  5. Breathe slowly and steadily once you catch your breath. Use a technique like diaphragmatic breathing to reduce your symptoms.

If your symptoms are still severe or difficult to manage after following these steps, call 911.

Here’s what to do if you’re having an asthma attack but don’t have your inhaler handy. Many of the steps are similar, but you may need to adjust the order depending on how severe your symptoms are:

  1. Sit upright to help yourself breathe more easily.
  2. Remove your asthma triggers to help reduce the severity of your symptoms. Or remove yourself from your triggers.
  3. Try to stay calm and focus on breathing exercises.

If you start to feel pain when you breathe or feel like you’re going to pass out, call 911 immediately.

Here are some of the most important and frequently asked questions about asthma attacks.

Can you use someone else’s inhaler during an emergency?

No. It’s not recommended to use someone else’s inhaler during an emergency.

Inhalers contain different medications that are specific to a person’s needs, so using another person’s inhaler can be dangerous.

What can trigger asthma attacks?

Some of the most common triggers of asthma attacks include:

  • allergens like pollen, dog or cat dander, or inflammatory foods
  • physical stress or exercise
  • respiratory triggers like smoke from cigarettes or particles in air pollution
  • anxiety
  • commonly prescribed medications like ibuprofen or beta-blockers
  • infections in your respiratory tract, such as colds or the flu
  • dry or cold air that irritates your airways

How can you prevent asthma attacks?

Some of the most effective ways to prevent asthma attacks include the following:

  • Take medication for your asthma symptoms regularly to manage and control your symptoms, such as inhaled corticosteroids or bronchodilators.
  • Keep your inhaler with you where it’s easily accessible and use it whenever you start to feel your asthma symptoms getting worse.
  • Develop an asthma action plan that details your asthma triggers, your medications, and your overall health so that your family or close friends know what to do in case of an asthma attack.
  • Let people around you know what your asthma triggers are so that they can help reduce your exposure to common triggers like cigarette smoke, artificial fragrances, or indoor allergens.

Asthma attacks can be dangerous or life threatening when symptoms are severe, especially if you don’t have your inhaler nearby.

Knowing how to quickly perform first aid for an asthma attack can help keep your symptoms from getting worse or save your life.