Apnea and attacks of suffocation at night. Treating asthma attacks at night

For example, asthma begins with a sharp feeling of lack of air. The person begins to choke. Breathing is a human need necessary for life, therefore, at the slightest disturbance, the body begins to signal danger, which leads to panic and an acute fear of death. It should be noted that outside acute attacks Asthma, breathing problems are not observed in sick people. Asthma can be cardiac, it occurs due to problems with pulmonary circulation, it can be bronchial, it can be acute disorder bronchial obstruction, or mixed, which develops due to myocardial disease or pathologies of the bronchial tree.

Non-allergenic asthma attacks also occur, although they occur much less frequently. In this case, an attack of asphyxia is caused by brain injury or serious hormonal disorders.

Signal to action

Choking may be caused by pneumothorax. This is a condition in which a small amount of air accumulates in pleural cavity due to sealing problems or damage chest wall. Spontaneous small pneumothorax can occur on its own. But a serious pneumothorax can potentially cause collapse, which can lead to serious consequences. In this case, medical intervention is required.

If you have an attack of suffocation, call an ambulance. Try not to panic.

A sudden attack of suffocation may indicate a myocardial infarction. It occurs when a broken blood clot enters the coronary arteries, sealing them. Blood from such an artery stops flowing

Often this symptom threatens a person’s life. Choking cannot occur without a good reason, so if this symptom occurs, you should immediately contact a qualified doctor.

What is suffocation (asphyxia)?

Choking is an acute lack of air, invariably accompanied by the fear of death, panic attack– which is quite understandable. A person is simply unable to take a breath.

Causes of suffocation

The cause of this symptom is always some serious illness:

• anaphylactic shock;
• swelling of the larynx;
• diphtheria;
• pulmonary edema;
• bronchial asthma;
• myocardial infarction;
• obstructive chronic diseases lungs;
• pneumothorax;
• lung cancer;
• carcinoid syndrome;
• hyperventilation syndrome;
• traumatic asphyxia;
• foreign body entering the respiratory tract;
• asphyxia in newborns;
• panic attack for neuroses, VSD, etc.;
• epileptic attack with tongue retraction or seizure;
• when drowning.

For convenience of classification, the listed reasons are divided into into three groups:

1 - suffocation occurred due to a serious illness (lungs, heart, cancer);

2 - suffocation occurred as a result of any allergic reaction (edema of the lungs or larynx, anaphylactic shock);

3 - as a result of a foreign body or a traumatic situation.

First aid for an attack of suffocation

You must immediately call " ambulance" It should be remembered that your excitement and panic will only aggravate the victim’s condition, so you must act calmly and clearly. Goal: make it as easy as possible mental condition to the victim. It is imperative to explain what and how you will do now in order to alleviate the condition of the person in need of help. If the cause of suffocation is a foreign body, then before the ambulance arrives, you need to try to remove it. To do this, you need to firmly grab the victim from behind, while the patient must stand.

If the victim is in unconscious, then you need to lay him down with his stomach down, bending him over his knee or a suitable object (chair). One palm must be clenched tightly into a fist and thumb press on the stomach area, from the waist, upward. The second hand should be placed on top of the fist, pressing strongly and sharply upward and deep inward, into the hypochondrium area. All these actions must be performed clearly, quickly, but carefully. It should be remembered that if the shock is too strong, cardiac arrest may occur.

If the choking victim is a child, then he should be laid upside down and patted sharply on the back, but not too hard. If a child is under three years old, then he must hold his head, as strong movements can break the cervical vertebrae.

If the cause of suffocation is the retraction of the tongue during an attack, then the victim must be laid on his back and his head turned to the side. In this case, the tongue must be pulled out and secured in any way to the lower jaw.

If the victim is unconscious, has no palpable pulse and is not breathing, it is necessary to immediately begin closed cardiac massage and artificial respiration.

If the cause of asphyxia is an asthma attack in the patient, swelling of the larynx (as a result of allergies) or pulmonary edema, then the first step is to ensure access fresh air. It is necessary to open the window and unbutton the collar of your clothes, remove your tie, etc. If this allergic reaction, then you should put drops in your nose vasoconstrictor drops to provide breathing, to give antihistamine. Give plenty of fluids ( warm water), in order to quickly remove the allergen from the body. Taking any sorbent is also justified, but only at intervals with taking an antihistamine for at least thirty minutes.

Treatment for suffocation

It must be remembered that treatment must be carried out by a qualified doctor, since only a doctor can determine the cause of this serious symptom. Often this treatment is carried out in a hospital setting.

Video about self-exit from suffocation.

Tips to prevent suffocation in asthmatics.

Partial or complete cessation of breathing during sleep is frightening because of its suddenness. The person becomes helpless and cannot wake up. The lack of air takes your breath away, panic begins, and discomfort occurs in the neck and throat. People who have experienced night suffocation wake up from the fact that they cannot breathe and are afraid of suffocating. There is a feeling that someone is choking you at night, pressing on your throat, chest.

Night suffocation occurs due to low oxygen in the body and excess carbon dioxide in the blood. This condition is manifested by shortness of breath, muscle tension, a sharp spasm in the throat, and pale skin. During a prolonged attack, the patient develops cold sweat, the skin turns blue. Normal breathing is physiological need person. Systematic nightly attacks of suffocation signal problems. Shortness of breath and lack of air during sleep occur due to lack of oxygen in the blood and pathological reactions in organism.

A single attack can be caused by heavy physical exertion or severe stress.
If breathing periodically stops, or there is not enough air, you need to contact a specialist. Choking in a dream indicates the presence of diseases of the lungs, respiratory tract, and cardiac system.
If you notice that you are short of breath at night, contact a specialist.

A person is unable to take a full breath.

• The first phase of asphyxia is characterized by increased activity of the respiratory center. The frequency and depth of breathing increases, blood pressure rises, the heart contracts more often, and the head becomes dizzy.
• In the second phase, breathing movements become rare, heart contractions slow down, fingers and toes, lips, and the tip of the nose turn blue.
• In the third phase, disruptions in the functioning of the respiratory center occur. Holding your breath during sleep lasts from a few seconds to 2-3 minutes. Reflexes fade, blood pressure decreases, convulsions and hyperkinetic syndrome (involuntary muscle movement) may occur.
• During the fourth phase, severe rhythm disturbances are observed - rare short or deep respiratory movements, convulsive, intense inhalations and rare exhalations.

This is how patients describe their condition: “I’m suffocating at night, I can’t wake up, I’m afraid of suffocating, it seems that I forget to breathe in my sleep and I’m going crazy.” Some say: “Breathing stops during sleep, and there is a real feeling that someone is strangling. I don’t know what to do, I’m afraid to die and I can’t move or call for help.”

Diagnostics

A preliminary diagnosis is made after examination based on complaints and identified syndromes. The doctor examines the factors that could lead to sleep apnea.
To clarify the diagnosis, the following is prescribed:

• Analyzes, allergy test, spirography;
• Cycloflowmetry (determines peak expiratory flow);
• X-ray (detects areas of compaction, changes in lung tissue);
• Tomography (to study the lungs and bronchi);
• Bronchoscopy (to diagnose the bronchi for the presence foreign bodies, tumors);
• Thoracoscopy (examination of the chest from the inside);
• ECG (to determine the condition of the heart);
• Polysomnography (to assess the functioning of the body during sleep).

Causes of sleep apnea

Sometimes attacks of suffocation at night can be observed in healthy people because of nervous overstrain; intoxication with drugs that depress breathing and disrupt the functioning of the respiratory muscles; pollen indoor plants which caused an allergy.
Unlike pathological asphyxia, relapses do not occur after such attacks.
But more often, the causes of sleep apnea are reactions that occur in the body under the influence of a pathogenic factor:

• Infectious and inflammatory processes;
• Vascular cerebral crises;
• Tumor processes;
• Acute heart failure;
• Disorders of the nervous system;
• Pathologies of the heart and lungs.

Many people stop breathing when falling asleep. There is not enough air for a few seconds, and breathing is restored on its own. In this condition, waiting syndrome may occur. A person is afraid to fall asleep for fear of dying from suffocation.

The most common diseases that cause sleep disordered breathing

First aid for choking

You should always call a doctor.
It is necessary to calm the patient to eliminate panic. Help sit down and provide fresh air.

During an attack of bronchial asthma, when breathing stops during sleep, it is recommended to put mustard plasters on the chest, apply a heating pad to the legs, and give the patient Euphilin.

If you have sleep disordered breathing due to allergic edema larynx needs to take a solution calcium chloride and any antihistamine that you have at home (Diphenhydramine, Fenkarol, Clarotadine, Diazolin).

In case of heart failure syndrome, the patient needs to be given a semi-sitting position, given Nitroglycerin or Validol, make a warm foot bath, apply mustard plasters to the calves, and adjust the pressure.

With diphtheria, sleep apnea in adults and children occurs due to blockage of the airway lumen by a fibrinous film. The patient needs to be given a sitting position and his legs warmed.

Moderate attacks of choking in the throat occur in children with sore throat and pharyngitis. The child must be woken up and calmed down. In an upright position, the work of the muscles involved in breathing is facilitated.

If a person does not breathe in a dream, it is necessary to force him to wake up, help him take vertical position, make you breathe through your nose. Pregnant women may suffocate in their sleep later when the fetus presses on the diaphragm. A pregnant woman may experience severe shortness of breath. If an attack of suffocation occurs in a dream, it is necessary to open the window and sit the woman on a chair. It is advisable to have an oxygen inhaler at home.

Note!

Don't let us drink. The pharynx and throat are tense. A sip of water can provoke a new attack of suffocation. Make sure that the patient's tongue does not sink.

Make sure that the patient's tongue does not sink. Relatives should know about the disease and have medications on hand to help.


Breathing may stop due to drug overdose, gas poisoning, depression, metabolic disorders. If you wake up at night because you are suffocating in your sleep, contact a specialist. In every special case appointed different treatment. Be careful about your health. A somnologist will help. In most cases, it is possible to prevent the development of sleep-related diseases.

List of used literature:

• Shimkevich V. M., Dogel A. S., Tarkhanov, Ostrovsky V. M.,. Heart // encyclopedic Dictionary Brockhaus and Efron: in 86 volumes (82 volumes and 4 additional). - St. Petersburg, 1890-1907.
• Nikolin K. M. Sleep apnea syndrome (lecture for doctors). - St. Petersburg, 2005 - 08 s.
• Pustozerov V. G., Zhulev N. M. Modern methods diagnosis and treatment of sleep disorders: tutorial. - St. Petersburg: SPbMAPO, 2002. - 5 s.

Choking attacks when coughing are quite dangerous and severe symptom, and sometimes even fatal. Choking is characterized by severe lack of air, severe acute pain in the chest area and shortness of breath. Medical name This condition is called “asphyxia”.

Mechanism of suffocation

The causes of suffocation and the mechanism of its development may be different. In any case, under the influence of any factor leading to breathing problems, there is a change in the composition of the blood, an increase in the level of acetylcholine and histamine in it - factors that provoke a sharp strong contraction of smooth muscles. At the same time, the tone of blood vessels decreases and the permeability of their walls increases, which leads to tissue swelling. In some cases, the secretion of mucus by the bronchi also increases, along with an increase in the level of histamine, which causes an active influx of eosinophilic granulocytes into the allergy site. Muscle spasm and swelling of the mucous membranes lead to difficulty breathing and other symptoms of suffocation. Regardless of the cause, the patient experiences a violation of gas exchange and normal ventilation of the lungs.

Causes of asthma attacks when coughing

There is such a definition as “cough asthma”. This condition can occur in people who smoke, after significant physical activity, at various diseases, for example, such as flu, sinusitis, rhinitis, pharyngitis, etc. Attacks of suffocation when coughing can begin at any time, but more often this happens in the evening or at night.

Another common cause attacks of suffocation when coughing becomes an allergy. This attack is accompanied by the following symptoms:

• severe continuous cough;
• swelling and redness of the laryngeal mucosa;
• itchy skin and rashes;
• heavy difficulty breathing;
• signs of lack of air, etc.

This condition can develop under the influence of various allergens: household chemicals, plant pollen, dust; animal fur, medicines and other things. The onset of an attack is sudden and sharp in most cases. Breathing quickly becomes harsh and labored. The patient begins to have a dry cough, which may produce white sputum. Then the cough intensifies, and an attack of suffocation develops. It may be accompanied by shortness of breath and swelling of the larynx varying degrees expressiveness.

Sometimes attacks of coughing and choking begin at night against the background of complete health. The reasons for this may be: chronic heart failure, some types of arrhythmia, overweight body, bronchial asthma, thyroid disorders and other pathologies.

Another cause of attacks of choking and coughing can be severe nervous experiences and stress. Breathing disorders, a feeling of lack of air and panic can occur with psychosis, severe phobias, severe stress or nervous feelings. At the same time, the patient begins to have a dry cough, breathing becomes difficult, becomes whistling, and an attack of suffocation develops.

Main signs of suffocation

The main signs of suffocation include the following:

1. Dyspnea. It can appear against the background of allergies caused by various allergens: animal hair, dust, plant pollen, perfumes and household chemicals, and others. Before an attack of severe coughing with suffocation begins, a person usually experiences sudden shortness of breath, which quickly intensifies and turns into a lack of air.
2. Cough. Dry cough is especially dangerous. In this case, a person cannot cough up; sputum may be released, but, as a rule, it is very scanty.
3. Wheezing in the chest. During an attack, strong wheezing may be heard during breathing.
4. Increased breathing. An attack of suffocation is characterized by the inability to inhale and exhale air, a feeling of holding one's breath. All this can lead to panic, which aggravates the situation.
5. External changes. As a rule, during an attack of suffocation the appearance. The face turns pale, lips turn blue, speech becomes difficult or impaired.

Therapeutic measures

First aid for an attack of suffocation at home is as follows:

1. Call an ambulance.
2. Freeing the throat and chest area from constricting clothing;
3. Ensuring air flow.
4. Monitoring the patient’s condition: his temperature, respiratory rate, heartbeat.

Therapeutic measures are selected together with the doctor and may include physical therapy, drug treatment and traditional medicine.

Physiotherapy

Physiotherapy in the treatment of diseases associated with severe cough and attacks of suffocation, it is used quite often and gives good results.

During exacerbations of the disease, inhalations may be prescribed. They allow you to enter medicines the patient directly into the respiratory system. The most effective are electroaerosols and preparations generated by ultrasound. Using inhalations helps improve the condition respiratory system and prevent recurrent attacks.

To restore normal functioning respiratory system, the doctor may also prescribe magnetotherapy, electrophoresis, phonophoresis, ultrasound. Sometimes the patient is prescribed speleotherapy, aerosol therapy, electroanalgesia or electrosleep.

Drugs

To stop an attack of suffocation, doctors most often use Adrenaline. His drugs are considered first aid for anaphylactic shock, in a state of shock, severe suffocation. The drug is administered subcutaneously, the dosage depends on the patient’s weight. If there is no improvement, adrenaline is reintroduced. The effectiveness of this drug increases if asthmalysin is administered along with it.

Ephedrine is also used as a first aid remedy for suffocation in the form of subcutaneous or intramuscular injections. The time before the onset of action for this drug is half an hour, and the duration of action is 3-4 hours. To prevent an attack from developing, you can take ephedrine tablets twice a day. However, we must remember that it can cause such side effects as increased blood pressure, increased heart rate, increased excitability and increased sweating.

Eufillin is widely used in the treatment of diseases accompanied by coughing and attacks of suffocation. Its action is aimed at relaxing the muscles of the bronchi, contracting the diaphragm and improving the functioning of the respiratory system. In addition, this drug reduces vascular tone, lowers blood pressure and generally has a beneficial effect on the condition of the cardiovascular system.

In addition to the above drugs, the doctor may prescribe glucocorticosteroids: Flixotide, Pulmicort, Bekotid, Nasobek, Aldecin and others. IN complex treatment cough and asthma attacks must include vitamins: ascorbic acid, pyridoxine, tocopherol, vitamin B12 and others.

Folk remedies

For attacks of choking and coughing, you can try using folk remedies:

1. Warm foot bath. The patient's legs are lowered into a basin of water, the temperature of which is about 40-50 degrees. You can add mustard powder to the water. You can also place mustard plasters on the patient’s chest and calves.
2. . During attacks of coughing and choking, you can take infusions and decoctions of herbs that help thin sputum and relax the muscles of the respiratory system, and also have anti-inflammatory, antibacterial and expectorant effects. Such plants include: lungwort, wild rosemary, thyme, oregano, coltsfoot, elecampane, peppermint and others.

Possible complications

The consequences of an attack of suffocation are:

• breathing rhythm disturbance;
• oxygen starvation muscles and tissues;
• increased heart rate;
• increased carbon dioxide levels in the blood;
• deterioration of the respiratory system;
• convulsions, confusion and loss of consciousness are possible.

Possible complications of suffocation can be divided into two groups: complications from the respiratory system and general complications.

The first group includes the following pathologies:

• pneumothorax;
• atelectasis;
• status asthmaticus;
• emphysema;
• hyperinflation of the lungs and so on.

Extrapulmonary complications may manifest as dysfunction digestive system, functioning of the brain and heart and other pathologies.

Preventive measures

TO preventive measures to prevent diseases and asthma attacks include:

1. Regular wet cleaning and ventilation of premises.
2. Regularly change bed linen and get rid of items that collect dust.
3. Balanced proper nutrition, avoidance of foods that cause an allergic reaction.
4. Use of air purification, humidification and ionization systems.
5. Gymnastics, physical education and walks in the fresh air.
6. Prevention of viral and colds.
7. Timely treatment of diseases.

Choking – serious condition, which is characterized by lack of air and fear of death. In medicine, this condition is called asphyxia. Pathology can develop based on dysfunction of the respiratory center, mechanical obstruction to the flow of air into the lungs, or damage to the respiratory muscles.

To get rid of the feeling of suffocation in the throat, the patient needs urgent health care, regardless of the type and form of the disease. A few minutes after the onset of oxygen starvation, the patient may die. Therefore, in the treatment of this pathology, it is important to quickly provide assistance.

Etiology

The causes of suffocation can be very diverse. Etiological factors also depend on the age of the patient. Since the disease develops in both adults and newborns, the reasons are slightly different.

Asphyxia in an adult develops under the influence of the following factors:

• compression of the respiratory tract;
• ingress of foreign bodies or water;
• inflammation in the respiratory tract or lungs - swelling, burns, ;
• abuse of certain drugs;
• influence of toxic elements;
• some ailments – , ;
• prolonged convulsive state.

In newborns, suffocation has other causes - obstetric pathologies, ailments of the umbilical cord and fetus, dysfunction of the placenta.

Doctors divide all the causes of the disease into three groups:

• foreign bodies and injuries, tongue retraction, drowning;
• allergies;
• other pathologies.

Doctors often diagnose this condition when serious illnesses respiratory tract, cardiac system and lungs, such as: tumors of the larynx, trachea and bronchi, . Diseases of the cardiac system include disorders of the heart.

Classification

Based on the speed of development of the disease, doctors identified acute and subacute forms of asphyxia. According to the mechanism of pathology formation, they are divided into 3 types:

• mechanical – the disease is caused by compression, obstruction of the tracts;
• toxic – influence chemical substances on the respiratory center or bronchial muscles;
• traumatic - due to damage to the chest.

According to the following classification, the feeling of suffocation is divided into three types - from squeezing, from closure and asphyxia in a confined space.

The doctors also identified two more characteristic forms suffocation:

• amphibiotropic – develops against the background of cardiac pathologies. The cause of the disease is a heavy load on the heart, high pressure;
• autoerotic - compression of the neck begins at the moment before the feeling of orgasm. Artificially induced oxygen starvation can provide partners with additional sensations, but this effect leads to disability or death.

Symptoms

The disease develops in 4 characteristic stages, which occur with special symptoms. Signs of suffocation appear at stage 1 in the following indicators:

• excitement and fear;
• strong;
• darkening of the eyes;
• turning blue skin;
• rapid pulse;
• high performance blood pressure.

The second phase, which is characterized by depletion of the body’s compensatory functions, manifests itself in the following clinical picture:

• dyspnea;
• decreased breathing rate;
• rare pulse;
• decreased blood pressure;
• increased bluishness of the skin.

At stage 3 of the development of the disease, when a temporary cessation of respiratory activity occurs, more severe symptoms develop:

• episodic respiratory arrest;
• significant reduction blood pressure;
• and development of coma.

The fourth stage is characterized by the onset of agonal breathing. During this phase, the patient is diagnosed with the following symptoms:

• convulsive sighs;
• body cramps;
• Blood pressure and pulse are difficult to measure and determine.

If the patient died from suffocation, then pathological symptoms may indicate this. They manifest themselves in facial cyanosis, conjunctival hemorrhage, specific bluish-purple spots and ecchymoses, too liquid blood, stagnation of blood in the right parts of the heart, blood supply to other organs, etc. With cervical strangulation, the patient has a noticeable strangulation groove from a compressive loop and fractures of the cervical vertebrae are detected.

Quite often, the phenomenon of choking is accompanied by spasms in the throat. It often manifests itself as a reaction to various irritations and inflammation. Spasms in the throat manifest themselves in the following symptoms:

• muscles cervical region tense;
• problematic swallowing of food;
• the skin turns pale;
• stands out.

In mild stages of the disease, the patient’s symptoms quickly disappear and relief occurs. But in difficult phases of formation, convulsions, foam at the mouth, and loss of consciousness appear.

Diagnostics

The doctor conducts an initial examination of the patient. At the first meeting you need to identify clinical picture and collect anamnesis. To do this, the doctor prescribes the patient to undergo basic diagnostic methods:

• pharyngoscopy;
• endoscopy and fibroesophagogastroduodenoscopy;
• palpation;
• radiography;
• tomography;
• biopsy.

Diagnosis must be carried out quickly, as the disease can progress rapidly.

Treatment

If a person begins to choke, he needs emergency support from specialists. First aid for suffocation consists of providing the following measures:

• call a doctor;
• eliminate panic in the patient;
• First aid for choking for a child consists of laying the baby head down and patting him on the back. For young patients under 3 years of age, it is advisable to support the head so as not to break the neck;
• if the tongue is retracted, the patient should be placed on his back and the head should be turned to the side;
• artificial respiration And indoor massage heart - if the patient has lost consciousness, there is little perceptible breathing and the pulse cannot be felt;
• if an asthma attack is detected, the patient needs to take off tight clothes, a tie and open the windows for fresh air;
• If you have an allergy, you need to eliminate the allergen, give an antihistamine, and apply vasoconstrictor drops to your nose.

First aid for suffocation consists of minimal actions that will help maintain the patient’s life until the doctor arrives. It is advisable not to give any specific medications so as not to worsen the patient’s condition.

Treatment of suffocation during sleep or during the day is prescribed only after diagnosis and determination of the cause of the development of the pathology, since each ailment of the respiratory or cardiac system requires an individual approach.

During respiratory failure against the background of hemodynamic disturbances, cardiac glycosides are administered to the patient. They serve as a relaxant for the bronchial muscles.