Asthma symptoms might be difficult to manage if they are left unchecked. An asthma attack can be dangerous, even fatal. Along with advice you get from medical experts, it is also important to do research on your own. There are simple ideas here that can aid you in getting your asthma under control, and manage your symptoms a lot better.
If you have asthma, you should definitely avoid smoking or being exposed to any kind of fumes or vapors. Decrease the effects of asthma by wearing a protective mask when pollution levels are especially high.
What triggers your asthma? If you identify your specific causes, you can be prepared to treat the symptoms when they appear during your daily routines. One example of this is exercise-induced asthma. This type of asthmatic will need to carry his inhaler with him when he goes for a run. Knowing when an asthma attack is likely to strike can help you avert disaster.
You need to avoid all of the asthma triggers that you know. Asthma triggers will vary greatly between individuals. If you have allergy related asthma, you will want to avoid pollen and dust. For others, certain physical activities may be the trigger. Try to see what cause your asthma so that you can avoid it.
Exhale Forcefully
Prescriptions and over-the-counter medications can actually trigger an asthma attack. Some of these include aspirin and NSAIDs. Beta blockers, such as those used to control high blood pressure or heart disease may also have this effect. If you have any of these conditions along with your asthma, make sure you tell your doctor.
If you have moderate asthma attacks, exhale forcefully, so that you force air from your lungs. Breath out as hard and fast as you can. Push that air from your lungs with all that you’ve got! Then take three small breaths in, followed by a deeper breath to fill your lungs comfortably. Next, exhale forcefully again. This gives your breathing a rhythm and makes you focus on your breathing. Expelling the air from your lungs in this fashion also allows you to breathe in deeper. It is okay to cough, even to generate sputum. Your ultimate goal is getting your breathing regulated.
Dust will make you have an attack, so keep the air calm in dirty rooms. Turning on a fan is going to cause the dust to leave its surface and begin filling the air of your environment. It is much better to open a window when you are in need of some air flow.
Though it should go without saying, do not turn on any fans or circulation systems when in a room containing visible dust that has yet to be cleaned. Otherwise, the dust will fly into the air and could give you an attack. It’s better to open the window if you’re in need of fresh air.
When you are dealing with asthma, try getting a lekotriene inhibitor. A leukotriene inhibitor is for the prevention of leukotrienes. Leukotriene is a substance that may cause inflammation. This can make a person have an asthma attack. Get the inhibitor to prevent the leukotrienes, and your asthma attacks may drop in number.
If your asthma attacks are severe, you may want to speak with your doctor about a long lasting injection of medication to control your symptoms. An antibody medicine under the name Omalizumab can be used to reduce these symptoms caused by allergies and might be prescribed by your allergist.
Proper knowledge of how to use your inhaler is necessary if you have asthma. Get to a place out of the way, and read the directions before starting. The only way the inhaler will work is if your lungs get the proper amount of medication. Breathe in through your mouth while you’re pressing the spray button. After inhaling, it’s important that you hold the medication in by holding your breath for 10 seconds at the least.
You may want to use a leukotriene inhibitor if your asthma is being particularly problematic. Leukotriene inhibitors work to prevent leukotrienes. A leukotrienes is a type of chemical that causes inflammation, which leads to asthma attacks. The inhibitor can prevent them and decrease your asthma attacks.
Stay away from cigarette smoke, even if it’s secondhand. When tobacco smoke is inhaled, especially in closed-in areas, your lung function can be drastically decreased, which can increase your chances of suffering from an attack.
You should ensure that every family member in your household gets a flu vaccine yearly. Do everything you can to avoid a respiratory infection if you have asthma. It is important to do things like hand washing and receiving proper vaccinations.
When you are traveling, make sure you have a rescue inhaler with you. Traveling causes extra strain on your already stressed body, which makes your body more susceptible to bothersome asthma triggers. Controlling your environment is harder when traveling, so this makes it much more probable that you experience worsening symptoms or an attack.
Regular flu shots are important if you or one of your children suffer from asthma. Keep yourself safe from these outbreaks by getting a yearly shot.
Keep all your regularly scheduled asthma appointments, regardless of how you are feeling. A new flare-up may be just around the corner, or your doctor may have news of a more effective new medication you can try.
Be certain you are aware of all your asthma attack triggers so you know both how to steer clear of them and also be ready to take care of your symptoms. Common triggers among asthma sufferers are smoke, pollen, or pet dander. Try to avoid the things that make your asthma flare up.
Mold and mildew grow in a home due to the humidity that creates a friendly environment for them. Mold and mildew can easily cause severe asthma attacks. You should therefore try to keep your home dry. During winter time, use a dehumidifier if necessary to control humidity while running your heater, and use your air conditioner during summer months to keep air dry.
If you are on the road, be certain to travel with your inhaler at all hours. Traveling to different places might expose you to unexpected triggers, as your body is put under more strain when you travel. You also have little control over your environment when traveling, which can make you more susceptible to an attack and symptoms of greater severity.
When housecleaning, it is better to clean your floors with a damp mop than sweeping them with a broom. If you are sweeping, you can trigger an asthma attack by stirring up a lot of allergens into the air. Use damp rags instead of a dry feather duster so triggers won’t be filling the air.
Asthma Triggers
You should have limited contact with animals, as it can cause you to have an asthmatic reaction. An allergy to an animal will worsen asthma symptoms, and an animal can carry enough dust or pollen to trigger an attack.
Your home is where most asthma triggers are located. Some triggers include spores, dust and mold. Have your home inspected for and cleaned of these things to reduce the occurrence of asthma attacks. Keep your house clean to keep these asthma triggers out of your home.
Make sure you keep calm if you are having an asthma attack. Immediately use your asthma inhaler, rest for 30 seconds, then use it once more. If this doesn’t start to control your attack, get assistance right away. Have some one call for an ambulance or take you to the hospital. Breathing in and out of a paper bag on the way will help slow down your breathing.
Instead of sweeping your floors, clean them with a damp mop. Sweeping your floor can kick allergens into the air, triggering an asthma attack. Dusting with a damp cloth rather than a feather duster can be a considerable help in reducing the amount of dust and other things that might start an attack.
You need to be educated in properly using your inhaler if you suffer from asthma. You should not just stick it between your lips and spray. Every time you spray the inhaler, deeply inhale for a couple seconds. Proper techniques with your inhaler will keep your symptoms from increasing out of control.
For those struggling with their asthma, avoiding regular contact with pets is important to control symptoms. Even people that do not have allergies are prone to suffer an asthma attack from the pollen and dust on animals.
Educate yourself to the maximum regarding asthma. The more you know about asthma, the more proactive a treatment you can devise for yourself. Stay as current as you can to ensure you get the best possible care. You can easily know this information by further developing your knowledge about your condition, as well as, discovering treatment options.
Get a second opinion. Even though your primary care doctor can assist you in the basic care for your asthma, consider visiting a specialist also. The allergists, pulmonologists and nutritionists in asthma centers can help you take full advantage of all treatments available.
Check in with your doctor regularly to ensure that you are maintaining your asthma condition correctly and successfully. Your doctor should make changes to your treatment if they feel your condition has changed. You are in charge of scheduling your visits with your physician in order for him or her to properly take care of you.
Watch the pollen counts and adjust your activity accordingly to protect yourself from seasonal asthma issues. While asthma and allergies are separate illnesses, you’ll find that the triggers for one tend to be mirrored in the other. Since data on air quality is now widely published, those with asthma have the ability to avoid being outside when concentrations of irritants are high.
Joining a support group, or finding friends with a similar condition, can help you. They can offer you tips about handling different situations and help you manage your asthma. Support from those you are around is crucial.
If you tend to suffer from any allergies or asthmatic conditions, always clean vaporizers very thoroughly, as well humidifiers and any associated apparatus. If you allow bacteria to breed in the moist environment of the machine, you will just be pumping allergens into the air that you are trying to humidify.
Identifying your personal triggers is one of the best ways you can learn to stop an asthma attack before it occurs. Consider keeping a journal to help you identify possible asthma triggers and discuss the results with your doctor. Once you realize what these triggers are, take measures to eliminate these things from your environment.
Asthma is an uncurable disease, but that doesn’t mean that the symptoms are permanent and can’t go away. However, just like most things in life, overcoming your asthma symptoms takes time and effort. If you follow these easy tips, you’ll find that your symptoms will get better over time and you’ll be able to enjoy a healthier, more active lifestyle.
Asthma has numerous potential causes, including both genetic and environmental factors. If you have a family member with asthma, keep a close watch on your children and yourself for any asthma related symptoms. Many environmental factors like smoke, pollution, dust and mold spores are known to cause asthma; it is best to avoid these hazards when possible.