Asthma is hard to live with. It can affect your ability to participate in even the most basic of activities, such as going for a short walk. To make matters worse, there is no cure for asthma, and it can be hard to control. Follow the tips below to prevent asthma attacks and manage your symptoms.
Never take medications without getting your doctor’s approval so you don’t wind up taking one that has a side effect of exacerbating asthma.. Some NSAIDs and aspirin might do this. You can also use beta blockers, which will help you manage blood pressure. It is important for your doctor to know your complete medical history, including any medications you are currently taking, so they can best treat your asthma.
If you suffer from asthma, don’t smoke or expose yourself to smoke, fumes or vapors. Decrease the effects of asthma by wearing a protective mask when pollution levels are especially high.
If you have mild to moderate asthma attack, breathe out forcefully to get every bit of air out from your lungs. Exhale as quickly as possible, expelling air forcefully out of your lungs. Forcefully push the air out from your lungs. Take three short breaths, and then take a fourth, deeper breath to fill your lungs comfortably; then, breathe out with force again. This gives your breathing a rhythm, which makes you aware of how many breaths you take. It will also help to get the air to come out of the lungs so more can come in. You may cough or generate sputum, this is okay, your main goal is to get your breathing back on track again.
Do you know which type of asthma you suffer from? Being aware of your particular asthma condition can help you to effectively treat it on a daily basis. People who suffer from exercise-induced asthma should consider carrying an emergency inhaler in their bag. Knowing your symptoms’ patterns can help you avoid big problems.
Consider a leokotriene inhibitor if your asthma is not controlled by other methods. There are modern medicines that are highly effective at blocking leukotrienes. A leukotrienes is a type of chemical that causes inflammation, which leads to asthma attacks. Taking an inhibitor blocks the receptors that leukotrienes normally interact with and leaves your throat less inflamed and attack-prone.
If your child or another loved one suffers from asthma, you should be sure to never smoke cigarettes when you’re near them. One leading cause of issues in children who have asthma is that people smoke around them. Any place where smoking is allowed should be avoided if you have a child with asthma.
Consider buying a dehumidifier for the home if you have asthma. Decreasing the humidity in the house decreases dust mites, which decreases asthma flare ups. Dehumidifiers reduce humidity and keep the air in your home dry.
If you have mild to moderate asthma attack, breathe out forcefully to get every bit of air out from your lungs. Breathe out fast and hard. It can’t be said too strongly: you must force the air out! Then take three small breaths in, followed by a deeper breath to fill your lungs comfortably. Next, exhale forcefully again. This technique develops a breathing rhythm, allowing you to notice the breaths that you take in. It also pushes the air out of your lungs, so that more air can come in. You might start coughing, and some sputum may come up, but this is no problem and your focus is to get back into a relaxed, rythmic breathing pattern again.
If you have asthma, avoid people who are smoking. Tobacco smoke causes your lung function to decrease, increasing the risk of a very severe attack, especially in enclosed rooms without much air flow or ventilation.
If you are dealing with asthma, make sure you take lots of Vitamins E and C. These vitamins can help improve your lung function, ultimately controlling asthma. These vitamins can be easily obtained, either through your diet or a supplement. Loading up on these vitamins will energize your immune system, aiding your body in preventing the illnesses that worsen or trigger asthma.
Receiving a flu shot annually is very important if you or a loved one are asthmatic. You can ward off a great number of these infections by having annual vaccinations.
Tobacco Smoke
Consider joining a support group, either on or offline. Asthma can be severe enough to keep you away from social activiites. As science marches on, new medications and treatments for asthma become available, and you can keep abreast of this progress through a good support group.
Stay away from any tobacco smoke, even people that are smoking tobacco. When you inhale tobacco smoke, you are severely increasing the likelihood of an asthma attack. This is especially true in small, confined areas with little to no ventilation.
A lot of the main causes, and triggers, of asthma may exist right in your home. These include dust, mold and spores. To stay healthy and reduce the chance of asthma attacks, you should have an inspector visit your house yearly to remove these harmful agents. Additionally, cleaning your home on a regular schedule prevents these unwanted visitors from taking residence en masse.
People suffering from asthma should stick to unscented products. If you are using scented products like perfume, incense, or air fresheners you should up the level of air pollution in your home. In addition, paint that is fresh or carpet that is new release odors that can cause breathing irritations that lead to an asthma attack. Keep the air inside your house as fresh as you can.
Do not allow mold or mildew to grow in your home, because they can be extremely dangerous for asthma sufferers. These substances can easily trigger asthma attacks. So try your best to make your home as dry as possible. In the winter months, use a dehumidifier in order to get rid of moisture. Your air conditioner will keep it dry in the summer.
Pay attention to your symptom triggers. The more aware of your triggers you become, the easier it will be to avoid them and reduce the number of attacks you suffer. Some common asthma triggers include pet dander, pollen, and cigarette smoke. Avoid these things when you can to breathe easier.
You should definitely use your preventative inhaler on a daily basis. However, you should be warned that the drug can also cause infections in your mouth, particularly near your teeth and gums. Immediately brush your teeth followed by a quick gargle after using your inhaler. This is a great way to prevent any kind of complications in your mouth.
Keep all your doctors appointments even if your asthma symptoms aren’t bothering you. Flare-ups can occur at any time; plus, your doctor may have a new medication that he or she can offer you that will make your treatment safer and more effective.
If you are cleaning, you should use a mop that is damp instead of a dry broom. Those particles that can trigger asthma attacks are stirred up when you sweep. You can greatly reduce this by using a wet sponge, damp rag, or moist cloth instead of your old-fashioned feather duster.
A handful of primary initiators of asthma, and its attack triggers, lie right in your residence. Some triggers include spores, dust and mold. If you want to prevent and manage these sources of asthma attacks, have regular home inspections by a professional, and get identified harming agents cleaned out. Cleaning the house on a regular basis will also help prevent the buildup of these hazardous substances.
Stay away from smoke if you have asthma. Sometimes smoke can cause an asthma attack. Stay away from all types of fumes as well as cigarette smoke. Exposure to these substances can worsen your asthma considerably. If you in the company of someone who smokes, politely ask him to refrain when you are near.
Mold and mildew grow in a home due to the humidity that creates a friendly environment for them. They are a nuisance for people with asthma; the asthma attacks they trigger require you to eliminate them. Therefore, it can benefit you to ensure your home stays as dry as possible. One way to control the humidity in the house is to employ a dehumidifier to pull out the excess moisture.
Being around animals should be avoided. While an allergy to animal hair or dander is a possible asthma complication, even those sufferers free of such allergies can experience an asthma attack caused by the dust and pollen all animals tend to carry along with them.
In the winter, prevent attacks by wearing shawls, mufflers and scarves that cover the nose and mouth. This warms the air before you bring it into your lungs. In multiple studies, breathing cold air is linked to increased asthma attacks. This link is especially pronounced in younger children.
Allergens, pollen and other irritants can collect in your linens and aggravate your asthma. You can avoid this by making sure to wash your bed linens in hot water at least once a week. The freshly laundered linens will make it easier for you to breath when you are sleeping.
A preventative inhaler should be used every day, but you should know that this can cause infections near the teeth and gums in your mouth. Always clean your teeth and rinse your mouth after you use your inhaler.
Smoking is particularly bad for people with asthma. People know that smoking is dangerous, but it is even more dangerous to those with asthma. Smoke irritates the lungs of an asthma sufferer, so avoid the presence of people who smoke if you have asthma.
Avoid Cigarette Smoke
If you are suffering from an asthma attack, try to remain calm and do not panic. You should immediately use your inhaler and use the inhaler again 30 seconds later. If your attack worsens, get help. Go to the hospital. If the attack is particularly bad, have a friend take you or call 911. Try breathing into a paper bag in order to slow down your breathing while on the way to the hospital.
If you’d like to avoid asthma attacks, avoid cigarette smoke as much as possible. Smoke can trigger an asthma attack. You should avoid cigarette smoke, vapors, and chemical fumes as much as possible. Any one of these things can aggravate asthma symptoms and cause an episode. If someone smokes around you, ask them politely if they could smoke when you are not around.
Be sure you know exactly how to properly use your inhaler if you do have asthma. In order for the inhaler to work, you must carefully follow the directions. Every time you take a puff, hold in your breath for at least three seconds and then exhale. Using the inhaler in a proper manner can make all the difference for those who deal with asthma.
Bed linens tend to collect asthma triggers like pollen, dust and other allergens. You can avoid this by making sure to wash your bed linens in hot water at least once a week. These fresh, regularly washed linens can help you breathe easier when sleeping.
You shouldn’t have to take inhaled medication on a frequent basis. Talk to your doctor about changing medicines if you have asthma attacks two or more times per week. If you need to use your inhaler that often, the medicine in it isn’t working as well as it should. This same advice also goes for those who must refill their inhalers more frequently than every six months.
Consider using more than just one doctor. While your asthma treatment should start with your primary care doctor, visiting one or two asthma specialists can make a real difference in how well you understand and manage your condition. You’ll want to visit an asthma center, or consult with a pulmonologist to get additional help improving your lung function. In addition, you should get tested for allergies so that you can avoid allergic reactions that trigger asthma attacks.
If repainting a room is in your future, purchase a quality mask first to protect your lungs from paint fumes. Paint chemicals are a powerful irritant that can cause an asthma attack if inhaled without a mask. Take similar steps to avoid any chemical or other substance that tends to trigger your asthma attacks.
Prevent Asthma Symptoms
You need to identify your particular triggers so that you can prevent an asthma attack. A journal is a good way to identify what has triggered an attack and provides you with a simple way to keep your doctor informed. Take active steps to minimize coming into contact with elements that trigger your asthma, to help reduce your attacks.
As was previously stated, asthma is a condition whose affects should not be taken lightly. Prevent asthma symptoms and attacks whenever and however possible, and if your symptoms spiral out of control then see a doctor immediately. Use these suggestions to help you prevent asthma symptoms all of your life!
Asthma is caused by environmental factors, genetics, or sometimes both. If anyone in your family suffers from asthma, beware of any symptoms that are suggestive of asthma in you or your children. Asthma sufferers need to be especially careful to avoid smoke, dust mites, extremely high air pollution levels and allergens.