An asthma attack is a dangerous and rather frightening event to experience. With the right education, dealing with asthma and having a good quality of life is possible. Keep reading to discover ways you can manage asthma and live better for it.
If asthma is something that you are afflicted with, then don’t smoke or immediately quit. Smoking is horrible for people, it is really bad if asthma becomes worse and blocks oxygen to your body, you need oxygen to work and stave off asthma.
Do not smoke around your children if they have asthma. One leading cause of issues in children who have asthma is that people smoke around them. Try to keep your children out of environments that are smokey to ensure the health of their lungs.
There are certain medications that cause or exacerbate asthma symptoms. Not everyone knows this. Aspirin along with other NSAIDs can have this effect. This can also be caused by beta blockers, like medications that are used in managing high blood pressure or heart problems. Make sure your doctor knows if you are taking such medicine and also have asthma.
It is crucial for asthma sufferers not to smoke. Smoking isn’t healthy for anyone, but if you are afflicted with asthma, preventing oxygen from getting to your lungs is just begging for an attack.
Make certain that all members of your family get their annual flu shot. People who have been diagnosed with asthma should exercise extreme diligence in avoiding other respiratory conditions. Common method of avoiding illnesses can be very effective. Keep your vaccinations up to date and wash your hands frequently.
Keep away from any and everything that you know triggers your asthma attacks. For some people, it may be related to allergies, such as a reaction to dust or pollen. Others may have attacks that are triggered by physical activity. Try to see what cause your asthma so that you can avoid it.
Using more than four different types of cleaning products in your home has been shown to increase the risk of an asthma attack. Try using organic cleaning products that are not comprised of irritating chemicals.
Cigarette smoke and asthma do not mix. If you smoke, try quitting. Avoid breathing chemical fumes and vapors. This can trigger an asthma attack, which may be difficult to stop. Leave a room if people smoke, or ask them to stop.
If you have asthma, avoid people who are smoking. When you breathe in smoke, particularly in an enclosed area, your lungs cannot function as well, and it increases your risk of having an asthma attack.
Don’t turn on any fans if you see that your room is dusty. All this does is circulate the dust, which is an invitation to triggering an otherwise avoidable asthma attack. A fan will just blow around dust without providing fresh air, so opening a window is a better option as it brings in fresh air and ventilation.
Your asthma treatments will likely increase when you suffer from hay fever or a cold. A lot of illnesses can cause your asthma to flare up very badly, resulting in the necessity to increase asthma treatment. It is possible that your doctor will decide to modify your treatment, or even add additional treatments, until you are back on your feet.
Leukotriene Inhibitor Helps
Receiving a flu shot annually is very important if you or a loved one are asthmatic. Prevent those flu infections before they happen by getting a flu shot each year.
If you suffer from asthma, try seeing if a leukotriene inhibitor helps. A leukotriene inhibitor helps to prevent leukotrienes. The inflammation caused by this substance can trigger the symptoms of asthma. By blocking the effects of leukotrienes, a leukotriene inhibitor can reduce the frequency and severity of your asthma attacks.
Know what causes your asthma attacks, as this will enable you to work around them or prepare to treat the asthma attacks that result. The majority of individuals afflicted with asthma know there are common irritants like pollen, pet dander and smoke. Try to avoid these items as much as humanly possible so as to not trigger a full attack.
Contact a social worker if you have asthma but do not meet the eligibility requirements for health insurance. Affording asthma medication is important for handling the illness, and social workers can find places the offer the medicine at low costs.
If you suffer from asthma, it’s best to avoid pillows full of feathers. The feathers can make asthma worse and take away from your ability to breathe. The same it true for bedding, try purchasing sheets and comforters that are created from hypoallergenic materials.
Immune System
Avoid cold-induced asthma attacks by protecting your mouth and nose with a scarf. This will warm the air before it gets in your lungs. Cold air can be a nuisance and breathing it has actually proven to trigger asthma attacks. This is especially true for younger children who have severe or moderate asthma.
If you suffer from asthma, ensure you consume lots of Vitamins E and C. It is thought that these vitamins will help increase lung function and will help control asthma symptoms. You can gain vitamins from supplements or the old fashioned way, from food! Vitamins C and E are necessary for a healthy immune system. If your immune system isn’t healthy, it won’t be able to fight off illnesses that cause asthma attacks.
If you have asthma, clean your floors with a wet mop, instead of sweeping with a traditional broom. Sweeping can trigger an asthma attack due to the copious clouds of minute asthma-triggering particles it kicks up. Dust will adhere to a wet towel instead of being loose in the air like feather dusters do where it can aggravate your asthma.
Your home can be the cause of your asthma and its triggers. These include mold, dust and spores. To keep yourself healthy and avoid asthma attacks, you may need to hire an inspector to come out once a year to test your home and remove any irritants. In addition, cleaning the house regularly can greatly contribute to keeping these substances from building up.
Avoid aggravating your asthma condition while sleeping by covering your mattress and pillows with plastic before putting clean linens on. It is important to wash your bed linens at least once per week in very hot water if you want to reduce or eliminate the potential aggravators. The freshly laundered linens will make it easier for you to breath when you are sleeping.
Mold and mildew can thrive in a humid home environment. Both mold and mildew are associated with asthma attacks. Therefore, you should always strive to maintain a dry home. During the cold, winter months, a dehumidifier can help. In the summer, an air conditioner naturally takes out a lot of the humidity in the air.
If you have asthma and allergies and use a humidifier, make sure it is thoroughly cleaned as often as necessary. Bacteria can grow inside the machine because of the moist environment, and you will be releasing that right into the air if you are using it.
Wear a covering over your mouth and nose when you go outdoors in the colder weather. A shawl, scarf or muffler would work well. This warms the air before you bring it into your lungs. Breathing cold air can trigger severe asthma attacks. This is especially true for young children with asthma.
If asthma does strike, don’t lose your cool. You should use your inhaler immediately upon the first signs of an attack. Once you have used it, use it again 30 seconds later. Seek help if your attack gets worse. Have someone drive you directly to the hospital or call an ambulance for you. Try breathing in a paper bag to slow your breathing on the way there.
Asthma develops gradually, and its symptoms may not be very noticeable. Some people have even died from having an asthma attack, and they didn’t even know they had asthma. Discuss with your doctor if you are having problems trying to catch your breath or have had a persistent cough for a while. There is the possibility that you have developed asthma, and if so, your doctor can tell you what the best method to treat it would be.
Be sure you know exactly how to properly use your inhaler if you do have asthma. It is not as simple as spraying it into your mouth and breathing in. Every time you spray the inhaler, be sure to breathe the mist in deeply and hold it for a a few moments. Failing to do so will mean that the medicine will not be able to help open up your breathing.
Using a preventative inhaler is important, but you need to know the side effects it can cause such as mouth infections. You can prevent any of these mouth issues by brushing your teeth and gargling mouthwash as soon as you use the inhaler.
Learn everything you can about your condition. Knowledge is power, and enlightened proactive steps yield immeasurable dividends in your treatment and management regimen. Keep current with treatments and ensure you have the greatest possible care that you can have. You can easily know this information by further developing your knowledge about your condition, as well as, discovering treatment options.
Monitor how often, each week, you need your rescue inhaler. If your records start to show you need the inhaler more than two times weekly, your environment might be causing you problems or your asthma is not being controlled as well as it could be. 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.
Make sure that you protect yourself if you’re planning on doing anything like painting your home. You should purchase a protective mask to cut back on fume inhalation. Paint can aggravate asthma, but a mask can combat the irritation because it forms a shield between your nose and the environment. Do not go use certain chemicals that will make your asthma worse.
Anyone who has been diagnosed with asthma should strive to be knowledgeable about the nature of the condition. The more information that you can obtain about asthma, the less burdensome it is. Fortunately, asthma is not a mysterious condition; the tips and insight that you have just read will go a long way in demystifying it.
Attending asthma support group meetings, or even talking to a few chosen people with the condition, can do wonders for you. Your support group can give you some suggestions on how deal with certain situations, and help you to fight your asthma. Surround yourself with people who understand asthma and support your fight against it.