Dealing with asthma presents a number of challenges, but it does not have to reduce your quality of life. There are numerous solutions to help control or even prevent asthma’s interference in your life. Read the tips below to live a full life and do what you want, even with asthma.
Asthma can cause increased sensitivity to the ingredients contained in many cleaning products. Many chemicals that are in these products can cause the triggering of asthma attacks. If you are responsible for cleaning your residence, think about purchasing natural products, which are less likely to set off your asthma.
If you have received a diagnosis of asthma, you are not to smoke or be near vapors or other types of fumes. Thus, you need to avoid cigarettes and cigars and be vigilant about steering clear of environmental or workplace exposure to smoke.
A lot of medications can trigger an asthma attack without you knowing. Some NSAIDs and aspirins will do this for you. Beta blockers that are used to treat high blood pressure and heart disease can develop asthma like symptoms. Let your doctor know about your asthma and what prescriptions you’re taking.
If the room that you’re in is dusty, do not turn on a fan. This can move the dust around and can trigger an attack easily. If you feel you need airflow, open a window instead.
During a mild to moderate attack, force all of the air out of your lungs. Exhale as fast and hard 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 technique develops a breathing rhythm, allowing you to notice the breaths that you take in. It also pushes the air out of your lungs, so that more air can come in. Do not be alarmed if you cough or generate excess mucous; this is perfectly normal. Your only concern is to return your breathing to normal.
When you are dealing with asthma, try getting a lekotriene inhibitor. A leukotriene inhibitor works by preventing leukotrienes. Inhibiting this chemical can lead to a decrease in asthma symptoms. Taking an inhibitor blocks the receptors that leukotrienes normally interact with and leaves your throat less inflamed and attack-prone.
Any type of smoke can bring on a serious asthma attack. You should not smoke yourself! Do not breathe in the vapors or any other chemical fumes. Any of these things can trigger an asthma attack. Do everything you can to avoid cigarette smoke, air pollution, allergens and harsh chemical fumes to keep your asthma symptoms under control.
Asthma Attacks
Be certain to properly use your inhaler. Go to a quiet place, and be sure to follow all instructions from the manufacturer. The inhaler only helps if the medication reaches your lungs. Inhale deeply as you dispense the correct amount into your mouth. Then, don’t breathe for around 10 seconds so that the medication permeates your lungs.
Vitamins C and E can greatly assist you in fighting asthma attacks. These vitamins help to control asthma symptoms and improve the function of your lungs. You can take a supplement or consume these vitamins in food. Getting enough vitamins is also a good way to prevent asthma attacks by boosting your immune system.
Make sure that everyone in your family, including you, gets annual flu shots. Try to avoid getting any respiratory infections if you have asthma. This means you should also be sure to wash your hands frequently and get vaccinated.
If you are someone who suffers from asthma, you should consider buying a dehumidifier for your home. When you use a dehumidifier, it will reduce the amount of dust mites. This will reduce asthma attacks. A dehumidifying device reduces the moisture in the air.
If you have asthma, a dehumidifier is something you should consider purchasing for you home. Not only will a dehumidifier decrease humidity, but it will also be helpful in controlling the dust mite population. Both are causative factors in asthma attacks. Dehumidifiers keep the humidity out of your home by keeping the air dry.
If you suffer from asthma, don’t expose yourself to secondhand smoke. Inhaling smoke from tobacco products can compromise your lung function, which then makes you more susceptible to an attack. The risk of an attack from cigarette smoke is increased as the space you are in decreases.
Products with no scent are the safest and best option for an asthma sufferer. Simple everyday things such as air fresheners, incense and perfume can cause indoor air pollution levels to increase and trigger an attack. New carpeting and even a fresh coat of paint can aggravate the airway and lungs as well. Try keeping the air indoors as fresh as it can be.
People who have asthma should avoid using scented household products. Products with a strong smell such as air fresheners, incense or perfume can trigger asthma attacks. Certain things around the home, such as newly installed carpet or fresh paint, can also release chemical irritants. As much as possible, try to keep your home filled with fresh, pure air.
Those who have asthma should avoid down pillows. Pillow feathers force the lungs to work harder and can exacerbate asthma problems. The same it true for bedding, try purchasing sheets and comforters that are created from hypoallergenic materials.
Take notes of what can trigger your asthma attacks so that you can be prepared for a future attack or learn how to avoid them all together. Generally, it is found that items such as smoke and pollen can trigger attacks in those that suffer with asthma. Whenever you can, avoid the things that trigger your asthma.
Go to your regular medical check-ups, even if your condition seems under control. You don’t know when another flare-up will happen, or when your physician can offer you safer or superior medicine for your symptoms.
When you travel, your rescue medication should be with you all the time. Traveling is hard on your body, and you might have an asthma attack easier because your body is more likely to respond to triggers. You also have little control over your environment when traveling, which can make you more susceptible to an attack and symptoms of greater severity.
Some common catalysts of asthma attacks regularly occur in the home. These triggers include dust, spores 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. On top of that, doing housecleaning regularly can prevent build up of these particles.
Support Group
Mildew and mold grow best in a home with high humidity. These fungi are both common triggers for asthma attacks. So try your best to make your home as dry as possible. Use a dehumidifier during the winter time so that you can keep humidity in control when you use a heater. You can use the air conditioning in your household during summer time to get the same affect.
Look for a support group, such as an online community or a local group. Asthma, especially severe asthma, can be a debilitating condition and prevent you from participating fully in daily life. A support group also makes it easier to keep up to date on advancements in asthma science or new medications that come on the market.
When you are trying to prevent asthma, you should avoid smoke. Inhaling smoke makes it harder for you to breathe and might result in an asthma attack. Stay away from chemical fumes, vapors, and cigarette smoke at all times. All of these air-borne pollutants can greatly increase your asthma symptoms. If someone smokes around you, ask them politely if they could smoke when you are not around.
Try using a inhaler that prevents asthma every day, but you should know that one of the side effects is mouth infections of teeth and gums. Prevent these unnecessary side effects by gargling and brushing your teeth right after you use the inhaler.
Do not use a vaporizer or humidifier unless you are sure it’s been thoroughly cleaned. Bacteria can breed inside the moist machine and you would be releasing them along with the humid air.
Try to avoid the seasonal pollen that may trigger an asthma attack. Even though asthma is not considered to be an allergy, asthma is triggered by the same things that cause allergies. Air quality levels for specific pollutants are now readily available and it is possible to use this information to limit exposure on high level days.
Know how to properly use your inhaler if you’ve got asthma. Don’t just breathe normally or shallowly after spraying inhaled medication into your mouth. Every time you spray the inhaler, deeply inhale for a couple seconds. Neglecting to learn how to use your inhaler correctly will cause your symptoms to worsen significantly.
If you tend to suffer from any allergies or asthmatic conditions, always clean vaporizers very thoroughly, as well humidifiers and any associated apparatus. Bacteria can breed in moist parts of the machine, and if it is unclean when you turn it on, it will just pump out allergens.
Learn all you can learn about your condition. The more you know about the condition, the better you can help yourself. Stay as current as you can to ensure you get the best possible care. The best possible way to really understand your condition and treatment options is to educate yourself.
Remain calm if you do happen to come under an asthma attack. First thing first, use your inhaler, then wait 30 seconds and begin to use it again. Don’t suffer in silence or wait it out if your breathing gets worse instead of better after using your inhaler. You need immediate medical attention if this happens. Have someone call emergency services or 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.
Get a breathing mask before painting in your house, so you can avoid breathing the fumes. Wearing the mask will keep the irritants away from your lungs and esophagus, keeping your asthma under control. Substances and chemicals which have the power to trigger asthma should be widely avoided.
As seen here, there are lots of ways that you can stop or control asthma from messing up your life. Asthma does not have to be a death sentence, so if you can make a plan on how to live with asthma, you will have a much more fulfilling life.
You could gain some comfort from attending a support group geared toward asthmatics or even by just communicating with people with the same issues. Understanding what other people do to control and manage their asthma can be helpful in treating your own asthma. Support given by those around you who are also afflicted with asthma can really make all the difference.