It is clear that one’s lungs are important and asthma can hinder their condition and one’s life gravely. However, asthma doesn’t mean you have to give up on being healthy or having fun. There are many ways asthmatics can stay healthy and live a normal life. In the following paragraphs, you’ll find suggestions on how to deal with your asthma.
Avoid anything that can trigger your asthma. Certain outdoor areas may be off-limits because they cause allergies to flare up. For others, certain physical activities may be the trigger. You should know what causes asthma, so you can stay away from these things.
Avoid anything that is known to trigger your asthma. Asthma triggers will vary greatly between individuals. If you have allergy related asthma, you will want to avoid pollen and dust. Or, you may need to avoid certain activities that overexert your body. Try and figure out what gets your asthma started so you know what to avoid.
You may be unaware that certain medications you might be on could cause asthma symptoms. Some of these include aspirin and NSAIDs. You should also pay attention to heart medications you may take, or ones that treat abnormal blood pressure. If you have any of these conditions along with your asthma, make sure you tell your doctor.
If you are an asthmatic who also has allergies, injected allergy medication may be just the thing you need to get relief. Ask your allergist about omalizumab, an antibody drug that can reduce the severity of asthma symptoms and the frequency of attacks.
Make proper use of your inhaler. Move to a quiet area, and then simply follow manufacturer’s instructions. You can inhale all you want, but it’s useless if the medication doesn’t make it to your lungs. Spray the required dosage into your mouth while inhaling air. Hold your breath at least ten seconds, so that the medicated mist can fill your lungs.
If you have asthma, it is imperative that you stay away from smokers. When you inhale smoke, especially in close quarters, lung functioning is decreased, and it can trigger an attack.
Be sure you and your family members get a yearly flu vaccination. If you are afflicted with asthma, avoid getting any infections if possible. The easiest way to start is by performing routine hand-washing, limiting your touching of surfaces while in public places, and getting vaccinations recommended by your doctor.
It is best to use products that are unscented in the home with someone who is asthmatic. Scented products should be avoided, such as air fresheners, perfume, and incense. These can increase the amount of air pollution in the home and even trigger an attack. Fresh paint and new carpeting give off odors that can irritate sensitive airways. Aim to keep the air as fresh as possible indoors.
Vitamins E and C are beneficial to anyone with asthma. There is some evidence that these two vitamins can improve breathing and lower the frequency of asthma attacks. Many foods have these vitamins in abundance, but you can also use a supplemental pill. The vitamins can help to boost the immune system, which will help you to stay healthy and less ill, which means you will have less asthma attacks.
If someone in your home has asthma, make sure to keep a clean house, especially their bedroom so that the risk of an attack is reduced. Keep food consumption to the kitchen and the dining room, and never allow anyone to smoke in the house. Air the house out thoroughly after cleaning and avoid the use of bleach and other harsh chemicals indoors.
There are certain types of household cleaning products that can trigger asthma attacks, and using multiple products is particularly dangerous. Organic products are preferable to more chemically loaded, commercially produced cleaning products.
If you’re suffering from a cold or allergies, you should talk to your doctor about taking additional asthma medication. Make sure your doctor prescribes a fast acting inhaler for emergency situations. Your doctor may choose to also add an additional treatment until the illness gets better.
Those who have asthma should avoid down pillows. The feathers contained in these pillows can aggravate asthma symptoms and reduce lung function. The same goes for bedding – try to buy a comforter and sheets that are made from hypoallergenic materials.
If your home is damp, it can encourage the growth of mildew and mold. These substances are prime triggers for asthma attacks. Try, then, to ensure your home is dry. When you are heating your home during the winter months, a dehumidifier can be used to control the humidity. In the summer, use an air conditioner to maintain dry air.
Humidity in your home causes an environment where mildew and mold are more likely to grow. Asthma attacks are easily triggered by these substances. A dry home will help you out a lot more. During winter, use a device to dehumidify in the winter, and air condition in the summer.
Asthma is a medical condition that tends to slowly develop over time, and the symptoms are not always that obvious. There have even been cases where people die from the first asthma attack they had, without knowing they had the condition. If you have any trouble breathing or are coughing a lot, you need to see a doctor to determine what it is and if you need any medication or treatment for asthma prevention.
In the winter, prevent attacks by wearing shawls, mufflers and scarves that cover the nose and mouth. This lets the air warm slightly before you breathe it in. In multiple studies, breathing cold air is linked to increased asthma attacks. This link is especially pronounced in younger children.
Bed Linens
It’s a very good habit to use your asthma inhaler as a daily preventative, although the drug residue can cause issues for your gums and teeth. To prevent complications from using a preventative inhaler, brush your teeth immediately after using it and use mouthwash as well.
Allergens and asthma triggers, such as dust and pollen can cling to your bed linens. You can cut down on these irritants or eliminate them altogether by washing your bedding and pillow cases in very hot water once a week. Sleeping with fresh bed linens will ensure you can breathe easy when you sleep.
Monitor your weekly inhaler use and tally how many times you need to use it to control an attack. If you use it more than two times, your asthma might not be well-controlled or you may have unusual occurrences causing those frequent attacks. If you have to use your inhaler a lot, you will know that you should more closely monitor your surroundings.
Know how to properly use your inhaler if you’ve got asthma. It isn’t as simple as spraying your mouth with it and lightly inhaling air. Every time you spray the inhaler, be sure to breathe the mist in deeply and hold it for a a few moments. The medicine will not be able to do its job if you aren’t taking the time to take it the right way.
Avoid smoke if you want to prevent asthma. The inhalation of smoke can easily trigger an asthma attack. So do whatever you can to stay away from vapors, chemical fumes and smoke from cigarettes. Exposure to these substances can worsen your asthma considerably. If you know someone who smokes, politely ask that they do not smoke in your presence.
If you use your inhaler over two times a week, talk to your doctor about changing your medicine. Increased reliance on your inhaler may be an indication that the medication is no longer working well enough. Also, if you have to refill your inhaler more than twice in one year, then a visit to the doctor for a medication change is also in order.
Bed linens often collect asthma aggravators, such as pollen, dust and allergens. You may cut down on these potential inducers of an asthma attack by cleaning your sheets and pillows in hot water each week. Clean bed linens that are washed frequently will help you breathe easier every time your head hits the pillow.
Do all you can to educate yourself about asthma. The more educated you are about your asthma, the more proactive you can be about your treatment. Keep up on what the most effective treatments are and ensure you are receiving the best treatments possible. The best way to ensure this is to know as much as you can about asthma and your options for treatment.
People with asthma should not smoke. A lot of people know that smoking is bad for you, but if you have asthma it is far worse. Your lungs could become very irritated if you smoke, and you should avoid being around others that are smoking.
If you are planning on painting a room in your house, buy a mask in advance to protect you from breathing in fumes. Paint can trigger asthma-related issues, but wearing a mask will provide a protective barrier to circumvent these issues. In general practice, in fact, it is best to avoid fumes that will likely trigger an attack.
Any time that pollen counts go up, anyone suffering from asthma would be wise to keep their outdoors time to a minimum. Asthma is in no way an allergy, but a lot of the same burdens that bother allergy suffers also affect people who suffer from asthma. The air quality information should be used to find out when it is better to stay indoors to avoid irritants present in the air.
Know what your triggers are to safeguard yourself against asthma. Think about using a journal to write down the things that you think might be triggering an attack, and talk about your notes with your health care professional. Many people have success controlling their asthma by eliminating known asthma triggers.
If you do have an asthma attack, make sure to stay calm. You should use your inhaler immediately upon the first signs of an attack. Once you have used it, use it again 30 seconds later. If the attack gets worse, then seek help immediately. Call an ambulance or have someone present drive you to the nearest hospital. To calm yourself on the drive, bring a paper bag and breathe into it, as this will slow your breathing.
Remain watchful toward allergy attacks and change your medication if you experience more than two attacks per week. Asthma attacks are often preventable; there is no reason for anyone to have more than one attack per week, if any. These attacks can be fatal, so you want to reduce them as much as possible.
If you have asthma, you must know how to use your inhaler properly. You should not just stick it between your lips and spray. Every single time that you spray the inhaler into your mouth, you must, for a couple of seconds, breathe deeply. Failure to properly use your inhaler can lead to deadly effect.
Your doctor and this article can provide some good ideas to help battle with asthma. Your asthma can be under control, but at the same time you can be on the look out for new, more effective treatments.
Eat more foods that contain vitamin B6. This vitamin, which is sometimes called pyridoxine, offers many benefits, including reducing the overall frequency of severe asthma attacks. Pyridoxine improves the flow of blood and oxygen to your bronchial tubes. You can find good reserves of vitamin B6 in bananas.