Asthma Attack First Aid: Helping With a Reliever Inhaler

Asthma is common in adults and children in the UAE, and dust, sandstorms, exercise and cold air-conditioning can all trigger an attack. The first aid course teaches you to help someone use their own reliever.

Signs of an asthma attack

• Wheezing, coughing, tight chest.
• Short of breath; difficulty speaking.
• Using shoulder and neck muscles to breathe.

Signs it is severe

• Unable to finish a sentence.
• Blue or grey lips.
• Exhausted, drowsy or confused.
• The reliever is not helping.
• A “silent chest” — very little air movement.

Helping with the inhaler

Shake the inhaler, attach the spacer, and let the person breathe through it as they have been taught. A spacer makes the medicine far more effective, particularly for children. Many people have a written action plan telling them how many puffs to take; follow it.

No inhaler?

Call 998, keep them sitting up, and stay with them. Do not lie them down.

UAE triggers

Dust and sandstorms, humidity, perfume and incense, and moving between hot outdoor air and cold indoor air. Encourage people with asthma to carry their reliever on dusty days.

At school and sport

See school first aid and sports first aid. If breathing trouble follows food or a sting, think anaphylaxis.

This guide summarises first aid for the public and does not replace training or medical advice. In an emergency in the UAE call 998 for an ambulance.

More First Aid guides: Emergency-by-emergency first aid

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• Severe Bleeding First Aid: Pressure, Tourniquets and Packing
• Burns First Aid: Cool, Cover, and When a Burn Needs Hospital
• Heat Stroke vs Heat Exhaustion: First Aid for UAE Summers
• Anaphylaxis First Aid: Recognising a Severe Allergic Reaction
• Heart Attack First Aid: Warning Signs and What to Do
• Stroke First Aid: The FAST Test and Why Time Matters
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• Low Blood Sugar First Aid: Helping in a Diabetic Emergency
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• Poisoning First Aid: Swallowed, Inhaled and Skin Exposures
• Bites and Stings First Aid: Scorpions, Snakes, Bees and Jellyfish
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• Eye Injury First Aid: Chemicals, Dust and Objects in the Eye
• Electric Shock First Aid: Make It Safe Before You Touch
• First Aid Kit Checklist for Home, Car and Workplace
• All First Aid guides, by topic

Other life support and first aid courses: BLS Course · ACLS Course · PALS Course · Training calendar

Frequently asked questions

What should you do in an asthma attack?

Sit the person upright and help them use their reliever inhaler, with a spacer if available.

When should I call 998 for asthma?

If they are not improving, cannot speak in sentences, have blue lips or become drowsy.

Should someone with asthma lie down?

No, sitting upright is easier for breathing.

What colour is a reliever inhaler?

Usually blue, but check the label.

Can dust trigger asthma?

Yes, dust and sandstorms are common triggers in the UAE.

Sources and further reading

What we teach follows the awarding body and the UAE health authorities. For the definitive position on a course or licensing question, these are the places to check.

• Heartsaver First Aid CPR AED — American Heart Association
• Abu Dhabi Public Health Centre — Abu Dhabi

Last reviewed 21 September 2026 by the training team at Safety First Medical Services, an American Heart Association training centre at Addax Office Tower, Al Reem Island, Abu Dhabi. Call +971 55 761 9841 or email training@safetyfirstmed.ae.