Asthma Attack Jonah

Many children with asthma are too scared to play in case they suffer from a severe asthma attack. Feelings, such as fear, can affect the way we breathe, for example Jonah may breathe at a faster rate when he is scared about participating in PE, and he may take shallower breaths through his mouth. This means that the air has not been warmed in his nose which will then go into his lungs as cold air; this type of breathing could be an asthmatic trigger for Jonah. (Asthma UK, 2015). During an asthma attack, children rely heavily on people around them, to give them their medication and assess how they are; this may leave them feeling helpless and embarrassed. It is likely that Jonah has experienced these feelings, and the nurse could help Jonah overcome them. BY giving him confidence in his own ability to manage his asthma and to recognise when he needs his inhalers. For example, she could encourage Jonah to participate in the activities which the other children do. Or if Jonah does not have the confidence to participate in vigorous activities such as running, the nurse could suggest games such as walking football. …show more content…
This may be why Jonah has suffered from frequent asthma attacks and has needed to be in hospital. He could become so anxious about these asthma attacks; he could develop a panic disorder as they are more common in those with a chronic respiratory illness than the general population (Walker, 2012). The nurse could talk to Jonah about his feelings of asthma, and how he feels during an asthma attack, and she could offer some advice on how to cope with the psychological challenges related to asthma. She could suggest that Jonah tries to keep himself calm by sitting down, concentrating on his breathing and alerting someone as soon as