It’s hard to give natural remedies because any attack could become severe and life threatening. Your friend needs professional care. Meanwhile, get a straight backed chair and sit backward on it to ease breathing. You can try other positions, such as sitting in a chair and leaning forward, arms resting on a table. Avoid cold air, that makes it worse. A good shot of adrenaline works wonders, but you’ll need medical care for that. Does your friend see a doctor for asthma? A nebulizer may work better for him than an inhaler.

There are lots of preventative things you can do but figuring out what triggers it is key. Cats? Dog dander? Food allergies, dust, mold.. cold is actually a big one. If the attack gets worse after exercising or being outside in cold air, that could be it. It’s always best to get medical care in these cases.