1. First Aid Learning for Young People East Africa facing hunger
Asthma attack
First Aid Learning for Young People
East Africa facing hunger
Full lesson plan from redcross.org.uk/education 1

2. Helping someone who has an asthma attack
When someone has an asthma attack it is difficult for them to breathe. This is because the muscles in the airways tighten and become narrow.

3. Step 1: The person is wheezing and finding it difficult to breathe.
The person may also be unable to speak or cough. They may appear distressed and anxious.

4. Step 2:
Help them to sit in a comfortable position and take their medication.
Their medication will relax the muscles, allowing the airways to open and ease their breathing.
They may also have a spacer device which can be fitted to their inhaler to help them breathe in their medication more easily.

5. Step 3:
Reassure them and stay with them until they feel better. If the attack becomes severe, call 999 or get someone else to do it.

6. Watch this video to see how asthma affects the lungs.
Animation script: When someone has an asthma attack, their airways narrow, making it difficult for them to breathe in and out.
Using an inhaler relaxes their muscles, allowing the airways to expand. This helps the person to breathe more easily.
Watch this video to see how asthma affects the lungs.

7. Ready to test your knowledge?
Take the asthma attack first aid quiz.

8. Photo credit ©Anna Gordon, British Red Cross Important legal note
This photograph is fully protected by copyright. Schools and other educational organisations are free to use it for educational use. The licence does not extend beyond this use. This means that anyone wishing to put the image on a website, crop or edit it, or use it in any other way, must first contact the copyright holder and negotiate a licence for the use they require.
This resource and other free educational materials are available at
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