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Hard to breathe

Critical

⚠️ Check: Is the area safe for you to approach?

Call 112. Sit them upright. Loosen tight clothes. Watch until help arrives.

DEVELOPMENT FIXTURE — Do NOT lay them flat if sitting up helps — support the best position.

DEVELOPMENT FIXTURE — Do NOT give food, drink, or sedatives.

DEVELOPMENT FIXTURE — Do NOT tell them to "calm down and breathe normally" if they cannot — this adds panic.

DEVELOPMENT FIXTURE — Do NOT drive a severely breathless person alone — ambulance has oxygen and monitoring.

DEVELOPMENT FIXTURE — Call 112. Say: "Person struggling to breathe. Cannot speak full sentences. Lips blue: yes/no."
DEVELOPMENT FIXTURE — Mention known conditions — asthma, heart disease, recent illness.

Any sudden or worsening difficulty breathing needs emergency evaluation.

DEVELOPMENT FIXTURE — Sudden or worsening breathlessness always needs emergency care — oxygen and advanced treatment may be required.
DEVELOPMENT FIXTURE — If they stop responding or breathing, start CPR immediately — do not wait for ambulance to arrive first.

This helper does not contact emergency services. You must call yourself.

Hard to breathe — Do This Now | AidNow