When it comes to respiratory distress, it is something that many want to avoid. Luckily, as long as the individual follows the recommendations by the doctor, he/she can keep the asthma under proper control. Nevertheless, since poor asthma control can eventually lead to respiratory distress, it is essential that you are familiar with all the indications.
Even if you are familiar with the symptoms of asthma, you might not be familiar with the indications of respiratory distress. The signs of respiratory distress are things that can be seen and observed.
A vital skill to develop if a family member has asthma is to identify scenarios where it is best to consult a doctor or simply bring him/her to the nearest emergency department. Remember that all the indications of respiratory distress point to poor control over asthma. Do not forget to review the asthma action plan with the doctor to determine what you can do at home, when to call a doctor and when to bring the individual to the hospital.
Signs of respiratory distress
- Rapid breathing or tachypnea – you can count the number of breaths in a minute. Among adults, anything over 20 breaths in a minute is considered rapid breathing. As for children, the normal rate is based on the age, thus consult a doctor for this.
- Changing color or cyanosis – this can be seen around the mouth and lips which can be considered as a troublesome indication of respiratory distress. This indicates that the oxygen levels are low and breathing assistance is required soon. Aside from cyanosis, the skin appears pale or gray as the oxygen level drops.
- Dyspnea or shortness of breath – if a child could not seem to get through a bottle without stopping every few seconds, he/she might be suffering respiratory distress. Likewise, if the child could not engage on a regular conversation without taking a pause to catch a breath also indicates distress.
- Nasal flaring – the nostrils are widely open during inspiration in an attempt to drive in more air into the lungs
- Grunting – this occurs during respiratory distress by partly closing the vocal chords upon exhalation. With the increase in the pressure in the lungs and slowing down the expiration, grunting allows more air into the lungs than from a normal breath
- Sweating – when breathing rapidly or struggling hard to breathe, extra energy is used. As a result, the individual will sweat significantly. There are also color changes and the skin feels cool to the touch
- Retractions – this is referred to as belly breathing since the belly pulls in as the child breathes in. This can occur in the neck or chest area as well.
- Wheezing – this is whistling noise is heard when breathing once the airways are constricted due to inflammation
Even though all of these are indications of respiratory distress seen in asthma, some conditions have similar symptoms.