Are you a privileged member of the group of millions who suffer the challenges of asthma every day? The article below contains simple tips to help you manage your asthma symptoms.
Figure out what type of asthma you are suffering with. Before you can develop a self-care plan for your asthma symptoms, you need to know the specific cause of your symptoms. For instance, people with exercise-induced asthma would do well to carry an inhaler in their gym bag! Treating asthma is less difficult if you and your physician are aware of the triggers that bring on an attack.
If you are an asthma patient, do not expose yourself to vapors, fumes and cigarette smoke. Stay far away from any tobacco products. You should also consider where you work, as factories may expose you to harmful vapors or smoke.
Never smoke around a child with asthma, or you could kill them! Secondhand smoke is one of the leading culprits that causes asthma. Keep your child away from cigarette smoke and any other kind of fumes.
Smoking should never be done around children, especially a child who suffers from asthma. Secondhand smoke is a trigger for asthma attacks, not to mention the myriad of other diseases it can cause. You should take care to also make sure your child does not get exposed to other environments where people might be smoking.
When you have asthma, it is vital that you avoid cleaning products. Many chemicals contained in common cleaning products can aggravate your asthma, triggering an attack. If you’re the one that cleans your home, try organic or natural cleaning solutions that are much less risky to your health.
Cleaning Products
There are some medications out there that you could be taking which will actually trigger your asthma symptoms. Some anti-inflammatory drugs, such as aspirin or ibuprofen, can flare up asthma symptoms. There are some beta blockers that are given to those trying to control their heart disease or who have high blood pressure that may be harmful to an asthmatic, as well. If you suffer from any of these conditions along with your asthma, make sure you tell your doctor.
If you suffer from asthma, stay away from the fumes of household cleaning products. Cleaning products are often full of chemicals, and breathing those chemicals in can irritate your lungs. If you have the job of cleaning your house, you should safer, natural products.
If you’re having an asthma attack, a great way to handle this is to immediately evacuate the air from your lungs. Breathe out aggressively, as hard as you can. This will force the air from your lungs. Inhale for three quick breaths, and then take one deep breath so that you can allow your lungs to fill with air, and then force the air out again. This will create a rhythm and will help you be aware of the way you are breathing. It also keeps air flowing out of the lung,s so that you can refill them. 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.
There are some medications out there that you could be taking which will actually trigger your asthma symptoms. Some NSAIDs and aspirin might do this. There are some beta blockers that are given to those trying to control their heart disease or who have high blood pressure that may be harmful to an asthmatic, as well. Make sure your doctor knows if you are taking such medicine and also have asthma.
If you’re in a room that has a lot of dust in it, don’t turn on a fan. The fan will cause the dust to circulate through the air, which can cause you to suffer an asthma attack. If possible, open a window to increase the flow of air into the room.
If you are suffering from asthma, stay away from any type of cigarette smoke. If you don’t smoke, don’t start. If you do smoke, stop. Do not breathe in the vapors or any other chemical fumes. This can aggravate your asthma and it might not stop. If you find that you have people smoking around you, get yourself out of that area rather quickly.
Talk to your doctor about getting a leukotriene inhibitor if you have asthma. These inhibitors can prevent leukotrienes. Leukotriene, a chemical substance, can provoke an inflammation that causes an asthma attack. The inhibitor will prevent leukotrienes, which can decrease the amount of asthma attacks that you have.
You might want to purchase a dehumidifier to use at home if you have asthma. By bringing down the humidity level, it will reduce dust mites and reduce asthma flare-ups. Dehumidifiers eliminate your home’s humidity, leaving dry air.
If you have asthma and cannot get health insurance, see a social worker. Asthma medications are never cheap, but it’s vital that you receive them and that is the social worker’s goal. He or she will deal with the clinics directly in efforts to remedy the situation.
Asthma attacks have been found to be more likely in homes where four or more different cleaning products are in use. Organic products are preferable to more chemically loaded, commercially produced cleaning products.
You should understand what triggers your asthma attacks in order for you to avoid these causes or prepare yourself for managing your symptoms. Asthma sufferers generally have different triggers in common like pollen, pet dander and smoke. Whenever you can, avoid the things that trigger your asthma.
If you suffer from asthma, don’t expose yourself to secondhand smoke. 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.
Your home is where most asthma triggers are located. These include dust, mold and spores. Have an inspector who focuses on allergens and irritants come into your home once a year to help you detect what you have and learn how to remove it. Furthermore, thorough and frequent cleaning will ensure that allergens and other possible triggers do not accumulate in your home.
Avoid pillows with feathers if you have asthma. The feathers contained in the pillow could trigger the symptoms related to asthma and it could prevent your lungs from functioning efficiently. Also, make sure your other bedding is made with hypoallergenic materials.
Mold and mildew can thrive in a humid home environment. Both of these allergens can be contributing factors in asthma attacks. So, it makes sense to keep dry air in your home. During winter, use a device to dehumidify in the winter, and air condition in the summer.
Asthma Attacks
If you suffer from asthma, avoid being around smoke. Cigarette smoke will often trigger an asthma attack. Avoid triggers like vapors, chemical fumes, and cigarette smoke as much as you can. Exposing yourself to these pollutants can have a significant effect on your asthma symptoms. If you live with or near a smoker, find a way to politely ask that they not smoke around you or your living spaces.
Some common catalysts of asthma attacks regularly occur in the home. These triggers inside the home are usually spores, mold and dust. To ensure health and reduce the potential for asthma attacks, have a yearly inspection for the presence and removal of these hazards. Regularly cleaning your house can also contribute to preventing buildup of these substances.
Do not smoke. People know that smoking is dangerous, but it is even more dangerous to those with asthma. Smoke is extremely irritating to the already sensitive asthmatic lungs, so care should be taken to not only smoke, but also avoid being in the presence of other people who are smoking.
Asthma is a disease that can develop slowly over time, making it sometimes difficult to spot the symptoms. There are actually many people that have passed away from an asthma attack without ever knowing they were even at risk. Because of this, persistent respiratory problems need to be checked out by a doctor, who may prescribe medication to treat existing symptoms or prevent new ones from appearing.
You should visit your doctor regularly throughout the year, so they can keep you apprised on the status of your asthma. Your physician needs to evaluate how you are right now, and decide if any changes need to be made. It is up to you to be proactive about your health and set up regular appointments with your asthma doctor to allow him or her to work with you to keep you healthy and feeling well.
Inhalers are important to use every day, but be aware that inhalers have been known to cause infections near the teeth and gums. Prevent these unnecessary side effects by gargling and brushing your teeth right after you use the inhaler.
Vitamin B6 intake should be increased in order to help control asthma. Vitamin B6, known as pyridoxine, reduces the risks of getting an asthma attack. Pyridoxine improves the flow of blood and oxygen to your bronchial tubes. You can find good reserves of vitamin B6 in bananas.
Keep notes on how often you are compelled to use your inhaler each week. If you are utilizing your inhaler more than two times per day, you might not be controlling asthma as well as you think you are! If you notice an increased use in your inhaler, reexamine your management plan and check for any changes in your surroundings that may be triggering the asthma.
Avoid allergens and consult your doctor if your current medication fails to limit your asthma attacks to less than three each week. Doctors and nurses alike are in agreement that if you suffer from two or more attacks per week, you are at unnecessary risk.
Being around animals should be avoided. Even if they are not allergic to the animals, the pollen and dust that animals attract can trigger an asthma attack.
Attempt to build strength, and capacity in your lungs, gradually. Avoid attempting a strenuous workout if you know that it will likely trigger an asthma attack.
Refrain from smoking. Smoking is one of the worst things a person with asthma can do. Sensitive asthmatic lungs are easily irritated by smoke, so they need to avoid smoking and to avoid situations where there are people who smoke.
If your child suffers certain asthma attack symptoms, you should be prepared to rush him to the emergency department as soon as possible. Some signs of an attack that is very serious include blue-ish or gray fingernails and lips and increased medication use with diminished or no effect. Children in the midst of a serious asthma attack may have trouble communicating their condition.
Watch the pollen counts and adjust your activity accordingly to protect yourself from seasonal asthma issues. A lot of the same things that can bother people with allergies will bother people with asthma as well. The air quality information should be used to find out when it is better to stay indoors to avoid irritants present in the air.
Look for signs of an allergic reaction to food in your children. If your child develops hives or a breathing difficulty after eating certain foods, make an appointment for an allergy test with their pediatrician. Food allergies are often a sign that a child may develop asthma.
If you are suffering from an asthma attack, try to remain calm and do not panic. Use your inhaler, wait 30 seconds and use it again. If your attack worsens, call for help. Gesture to someone to call 911 if you can’t speak, or have them drive you to the nearest hospital. You can slow your breathing by placing a paper bag over your mouth and nose to slow your breathing until you get medical attention.
Be aware of the signs of an asthma attack, if you have an asthmatic child less than 5 years old, in order to know when professional medical care will be necessary. This includes: gasping, difficulty speaking and sucking in air beneath the ribcage in an effort to breathe freely. These signs mean that your child needs medical attention right away.
Be sure you know exactly how to properly use your inhaler if you do have asthma. Spraying it into your mouth and then inhaling doesn’t work. When you spray the inhaler, be sure to breathe in as deeply as you can for two to three seconds. Holding it in will allow the medicine to open up your bronchial passages and relieve your attack.
You can properly deal with asthma attacks by coming up with a plan on how to handle them once one starts. It is vital to be as prepared as possible to deal with your asthma better.
The article you have just read contains an assortment of helpful tips that you can use to control your asthma. However, the biggest factor will be how determined you are to apply them. Asthma symptoms can return if you neglect triggers and signs for even a small period of time. Use this advice to help you keep it under control.
Dust is the enemy of the asthmatic, so keep your home environment as clean as possible. Frequent vacuuming is an important part of controlling the allergens that occupy a home. If you do not have a vacuuming system that blows the particles outside of your home, you should invest in a good vacuum that has an airtight container to trap in the irritating particles.