Asthma is a serious respiratory complication that results in thousands of deaths each year. Nearly 3,000 individuals die of asthma attacks in the US alone. Asthma attacks can be frightening for both the victims and the family members.

If someone in your family suffers from asthma, it’s essential that you know how to help in case of a serious asthma attack. Here, we will provide three essential tips that will help you to offer assistance to a person who experiences an asthma attack.

1. Learn about Basic CPR and First Aid Skills

Normally, an individual collapses after an asthma attack due to lack of oxygen. The airways constrict in case of an asthma attack, preventing the individual to get enough oxygen. As a result, oxygen does not reach the air sacs, thereby causing the person to collapse. You should give mouth-to-mouth resuscitation to the victim to ensure that oxygen keeps circulating inside the body.

Continue giving mouth-to-mouth CPR until the condition of the patient stabilizes. You can learn about the correct and safe techniques by taking a CPR online class. You should use a barrier when performing resuscitation in case of offering assistance to a stranger. This is important to avoid the risk of an infection when performing the emergency procedure.

2. Follow an Emergency Plan

In case the victim has an emergency plan, you should consider following the instructions. The emergency plan may include using bronchodilators, rescue inhalers, or other anti-inflammatory agents. Make sure to read the directions regarding proper doses of medication.

3. Move to Another Location

Asthma patients suffer an attack in case of a trigger. If you know the possible triggers of the victim, you should get him or her moved to another location to get them away from the trigger. An asthma attack can occur due to pollen, dust, animal dander, mold, dirt, gases, and many other reasons. Some people even suffer an attack when they get excited. You should ask the person, if possible, about the possible trigger and move them to a safe location.

Consider taking a CPR online and first aid class to learn about skills that can help save the life of the asthma victim. In a CPR online class,  you will learn about the steps to provide assistance to a victim who is not breathing. With the online class, you can go beyond the basic first aid skills and learn about important lifesaving skills.

Make sure that you select the right CPR online class to learn about lifesaving skills. Apart from helping an asthma patient, you can assist people in different emergency situations when you know CPR and basic first aid. The skills learned in the CPR online class will allow you to help drowning, choking, and heart attack victims.