If you have asthma, you know how scary the condition can be. After all, with little or no notice, an asthma attack can cause your breathing to become virtually impossible. This is because asthma causes your airways both to constrict and to fill with excess mucus.
Part of managing your asthma is knowing what triggers your flare-ups. Unfortunately, even if you avoid pollen, smoke, perfume and other known triggers, you may suffer an asthma attack during or shortly after a slip-and-fall accident.
Emotional triggers
Many individuals who have asthma do not realize emotions can bring about attacks. According to the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America, though, experiencing strong emotions may force you to reach for your rescue inhaler. The emotions and behaviors that can initiate an attack include the following:
- Anger
- Excitement
- Fear
- Crying
- Yelling
- Laughing
Slip-and-fall accidents
If you slip, trip or fall, you may expect to suffer physical injuries, such as whiplash, broken bones and even internal injuries. Nevertheless, you should not forget about your emotional response to a slip-and-fall accident. Put simply, if your accident is an exciting or stressful event, an asthma attack may be imminent.
Your pulmonary health
It can take some time to learn how to recognize the warning signs of an asthma attack. If your diagnosis is fairly new, you may not realize your pulmonary health is in critical danger. Therefore, you should always carry a rescue inhaler with you to ensure you can use it after a slip-and-fall accident if necessary.
Severe asthma attacks may not be treatable with either rescue inhalers or your daily medication. Ultimately, by getting medical treatment as quickly as possible, you are likely to improve your chances of surviving a fall-related asthma attack.
