Asthma attack

How would you describe having an asthma attack to a person who doesnt have asthma but wants to know?

How would you describe what asthma feels like to someone who doesnt have asthma but wants to know?

How would you describe what things can limit you when your asthma is bad to someone who does have asthma?

These are the things i have been asked to do and i would like some ideas or suggestions on what to say people please. I do not mean the information booklet style i mean our personal thoughts on it like elephant sat on lungs etc.

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>>How would you describe having an asthma attack to a person who doesnt have asthma but wants to know?<<

Like trying to breath just, and for more than a few seconds, through a pair of drinking straws (Starbucks thicker straws if it's not the most severe attack, those really thin ones when it's much worse) - and no cheating by breathing through your nose allowed!

In severe attacks - like your lungs are already full and you can't empty them of the air in them to get new oxygen in - that's terrifying.

And frightening, especially if your reliever does not work immediately or people are crowding you trying to 'help'.

>>How would you describe what things can limit you when your asthma is bad to someone who does have asthma? <<

Do you mean does or doesn't? Either way, trying to do the 'normal' things, whilst breathing through the straws and carrying that bliddy elephant around with me - it doesn't work. I think of it as a balance - I have to choose what I do as there could be a price to pay in terms of not being able to do something else - as opposed to when I'm well controlled and I don't even have to think about that choice, let alone make it.

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One that I sometimes use:

Take a deep breath in. Then, without breathing out, try breathing in a little bit more. Then, again without breathing out, try breathing in a little bit more.

That can help convey the feeling a bit too, as well as using drinking straws.

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An attack for me feels as though my lungs have shrunk to the size of a clenched fist, they feel tight like that as well. The air you so desperately need gets stuck in the tight fist, and can't get out again, for more to get in. It sometimes feels as though my lungs are on the brink of exploision. I hate it and the panic that comes with it, rational thoughts like this will pass with some salbutomal are hard to believe and when it doesn't work the panic makes the tight fists even tighter!