Asthma is a very difficult disease to live with. Some tasks, including going for a stroll, may be be experienced with a limited capacity to go through with. But, to make things worse, the disease is incurable and the symptoms are very hard to control. This article gives several tips and suggestions on how to prevent your symptoms from becoming too severe.
Avoid the things that 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. Knowing exactly what sets off your asthma is thus, very important.
If you suffer from asthma, don’t smoke, and avoid exposure to secondhand smoke. That means you have to avoid all tobacco, and seriously consider think about what jobs you take; for example, factories are probably not a healthy place for you because of all the vapors and smoke.
Asthma is a disease that is continuous. As such, it requires long-term health management. Be sure you are practicing proper self-care, and make sure you have your inhaler ready to go in case you suffer a full-blown attack. Your physician and allergist are the ones to approach with any questions you have about this disease and its treatment.
Don’t smoke around your child if they have asthma; this could worsen their situation. One of the biggest reasons people have asthma is secondhand smoke. You should take care to also make sure your child does not get exposed to other environments where people might be smoking.
Avoid using a fan in any room that has excessive dust. While it may seem smart to get the air circulating, in reality this will only stir up the dust, making it easier to inhale and trigger an attack. Open a window to bring clean, cool air inside instead.
Asthmatics should not smoke. If you smoke – quit immediately. While smoking is bad for everyone, it’s particularly hard on an asthma sufferer as it restricts oxygen getting to the lungs.
Be certain to properly use your inhaler. Locate a quiet place, and follow the label to a tee. The inhaler is only beneficial if the medicine gets to your lungs. Spray the required dosage into your mouth while inhaling air. Then hold it and try not to breathe for a minimum of 10 seconds. This will give enough time for the medication to properly fill out your lungs.
Avoid harsh cleaning chemicals if you are an asthma sufferer. It is very possible that one might bring on an asthma attack with some chemicals used for cleaning. There are many all-natural organic cleaning products available that may help eliminate asthmatic problems.
If you have asthma and cannot get health insurance, see a social worker. Social workers are trained to help people find resources for affording health care, particularly on debilitating conditions such as asthma.
Asthma Attacks
The use of multiple (more than four) household cleansers can cause an increase in asthma attacks. Choose natural and organic products which don’t have chemicals that will irritate your disease.
A leukotriene inhibitor can be helpful if you have asthma. This prescription will prevent the product of leukotrines and help to abate the symptoms of asthma. A leukotrienes is a type of chemical that causes inflammation, which leads to asthma attacks. The prescription will help to decrease home much leukotriene is in your system and therefore, the number of asthma attacks you have.
Asthmatics should avoid being exposed to smoke, regardless if you are a smoker. Inhaled smoke from tobacco can drastically reduce lung function, increasing your chances of an asthma attack. This is especially true in closed-in areas.
Talk to a social worker if you’re not eligible for any health insurance and you’re an asthma sufferer. If you cannot afford medicine for asthma, your social worker can help you locate someone that can help.
Keep dust and dirt to a minimum in any bedroom where an asthma sufferer sleeps. Keep food in a kitchen or on the dining room table, and avoid cigarette smoking inside. After cleaning around the house, open windows and allow fresh air into the house. This can reduce the smell and pervasiveness of household cleaners like bleach.
Respiratory Infection
Avoid pillows with feathers if you have asthma. Pillow feathers are known to worsen asthma and affect the lungs. Same thing with bedding – purchase sheets and a comforter that are constructed from hypoallergenic materials.
Asthmatics should have a flu shot every year to prevent contracting a serious respiratory infection. If you have asthma, you can protect your health by taking all steps possible to avoid any type of cold, flu or other upper respiratory infection. Common method of avoiding illnesses can be very effective. Keep your vaccinations up to date and wash your hands frequently.
Many of the biggest triggers for asthma can, and do, exist in your home. Three triggers comprise the asthma triad of doom: spores, dust and mold. 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. In addition, regularly cleaning the home can stop these things from building up.
A dehumidifier is a beneficial investment for anyone with asthma. A reduction in humidity will also lessen the amount of dust mites in your home. This lessens the chance of an asthma flare up. Dehumidifiers cause the air in your home to become dry, which means less humidity.
Instead of sweeping your floors, clean them with a damp mop. 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.
The use of multiple (more than four) household cleansers can cause an increase in asthma attacks. Choose natural and organic products which don’t have chemicals that will irritate your disease.
If you suffer from asthma, avoid being around smoke. Smoke can trigger an asthma attack. So do whatever you can to stay away from vapors, chemical fumes and smoke from cigarettes. All of these will increase your asthma symptoms. Ask people around you not to smoke in your presence. Don’t be rude about it, but don’t be afraid to ask for what you need.
If you’re suffering from a cold or allergies, you should talk to your doctor about taking additional asthma medication. Illnesses like this can often worsen your asthma symptoms, which may require that you up your dosage of certain medications. The doctor may choose to pursue additional treatment options during your illness as well.
For people with serious asthma, exposure to household pets should be limited. Animals are a danger to asthma sufferers who are already allergic to them, but pets also carry a wide array of dust particles and pollen, so avoiding them is a good move for anyone dealing with asthma.
When you travel, your rescue medication should be with you all the time. Traveling can be somewhat stressful and put added strain your body, which might make you more likely to respond to asthma triggers by having an attack. It’s hard to have much control over your environment when you travel, which makes it more likely you will have some sort of symptoms or an asthma attack.
Dust and other allergens often accumulate in bed sheets. You can eliminate or reduce these inducers by washing your pillowcases and sheets weekly in hot water. Fresh, laundered bedding will help you sleep that much easier at night.
Mold and mildew grow in a home due to the humidity that creates a friendly environment for them. Both mold and mildew are associated with asthma attacks. To halt the growth of mold and mildew keep your home’s humidity low. Whenever you use a heater, you should use a dehumidifier, and air conditioning will help in the summer.
Learn all you can learn about your condition. The greater your knowledge base regarding asthma, the more involved you can be in determining treatment plans. Do your research, and keep current on available treatment information so you can be sure you’re doing all you can to feel well. The only way you can do this is by arming yourself with condition and treatment knowledge.
If you are taking an airplane and you need to travel with your asthma apparatus or medications, bring your written prescription with you. Having proof in writing from a doctor that states the item is a medical necessity can eliminate security hassles.
If you have asthma, visit your doctor every three or four months so that they can help you monitor your health. Frequent check-ups help your doctor evaluate the effectiveness of your current treatment plan and revise the plan as needed. It is important that you keep these appointments so that your doctor is able to keep you healthy.
While using an inhaler can potentially cause mouth or gum sores, it is still important to use it daily if you suffer from severe asthma. You can prevent any of these mouth issues by brushing your teeth and gargling mouthwash as soon as you use the inhaler.
Attending a support group of asthma sufferers, or just sharing with people who have this condition, can really benefit you. They can offer you tips about handling different situations and help you manage your asthma. It is essential that you have a strong support network.
As said previously, asthma should not be deal with lightly. Find out what symptoms may be specific to you, and begin learning how you can manage it every step of the way. Don’t let asthma control your life, rather use these suggestions to get away from your symptoms.
One thing that you must do is figure out what triggers your asthma attacks. A daily journal can be a powerful tool to help you pinpoint frequent triggers and it can also help your doctor to prescribe the treatment that is right for you. When you know what they are, do everything possible to keep away from these triggers, and get rid of them from your surroundings whenever you can.