I had an asthma attack and my body became tight and stiff?
Author: I had an asthma attack last night and I couldn’t open my hands or barely move, even my face and stomach felt tight and my eyes wanted to close. I know its from lack of oxygen, but does this normally happen during asthma attacks?
shinier … says yes, b/c its happened to her and i dont doubt that. however what your describing is not common to all asthma attacks. some people can become so frightened by the attack (difficulty breathing, change in skin color, heart pounding, etc) that fear takes a hold of them in a paralyzing manner. the lack of oxygen is not really the culprit, but severe asthma attack does decrease ones oxygen levels. if this sounds like you (the fear) then i suggest you find this out of print book (its very short and to the point) and practice its breathing techniques. its called "science of breath" written by a yoga in the early 19th century.
let me explain. im not advocating the practice of yoga as it is described with prana, and centering, and chi. rather read the book and pay attention to the discussion of breathing through the nose. how to breath deeply and in a controlled manner. remember to breathe out longer then in. that’s about it. follow the book - its very informative . it parallels western medical thought, physiology, and anatomy in knowledge, while teaching you to take control of breathing functions. the main purpose is so when you have an asthma attack you will do the breathing exercises, breathing out longer then in, all in a controlled manner, hopefully overcoming your fear and staying on top of the attack. of course do your prescribed meds. like i said im not advocating learning all the yoga nonsense as much as the techniques for breathing