Asthma is a malady that may be uncontrollable if left untamed. Sometimes, asthma attacks are so bad that they cause fatalities. You should always seek advice from medical experts, but when that’s not enough, you need to take active steps yourself. Here are a few easy tips to help you get a handle on your asthma symptoms.
If you suffer from asthma, you should not smoke or expose yourself to any type of vapors or fumes. This means avoidance of all tobacco products, as well as taking into consideration any smoke or vapors you might be exposed to in a prospective workplace.
Avoid anything that can trigger your asthma. Certain asthma sufferers experience attacks when they around around allergy triggers, such as dust or pollen. For others, physical activity can irritate them. Knowing exactly what sets off your asthma is thus, very important.
Do all you can to learn not just about asthma, but your particular asthma. Understanding the specifics of your asthma will help you to avoid attack triggers in your day-to-day life. For example, if you have exercise-induced asthma, you will want to always make sure you have an inhaler in your gym bag. You can actually start preventing asthma attacks if you are aware and mindful of any patterns that your symptoms present.
You may be unaware that certain medications you might be on could cause asthma symptoms. Some NSAIDs and aspirins will do this for you. Common medications used for controlling high blood pressure often times contain beta blockers, which asthmatics may be more sensitive to. Talk to a doctor if you have any of these conditions along with asthma.
You need ongoing treatment for asthma because it’s an ongoing disease. Ensure you’re taking the proper medications to manage common symptoms of asthma. In case of an attack, you need to have in your possession a medication that will provide almost instant relief. Your physician and allergist are the ones to approach with any questions you have about this disease and its treatment.
If you’re having an asthma attack, a great way to handle this is to immediately evacuate the air from your lungs. Breathe out hard and fast. Force all the air out of the lungs! Take three short breaths, and then take a fourth, deeper breath to fill your lungs comfortably; then, breathe out with force again. Doing this means breathing in a conscious rhythm that makes you mindful of your breathing. In addition, it repeatedly empties your lungs of air, so that you can draw in more oxygen-rich air. It is okay that you cough up some sputum, you really want to breathe right again.
When suffering a mild or even moderate asthma attack, attempt to push all air from your lungs. Exhale in a hard and fast manner. It can’t be said too strongly: you must force the air out! Inhale in three short breaths and one fourth deeper breath so that your lungs are comfortably full of air, then exhale forcefully again. Using this strategy provides your breathing with a rhythm that forces you to focus on it. When air is forcefully exhaled, it allows a fresh intake of air to fill your lungs. If you cough up mucus, don’t worry – just get the breathing back to normal.
If you’re in a room that has a lot of dust in it, don’t turn on a fan. This will move all the dust around, and can easily trigger an asthma attack. If you feel you need airflow, open a window instead.
If you are suffering from asthma, stay away from any type of cigarette smoke. Refrain from smoking! Inhaling the chemical-laden fumes and even the vapors from cigarettes can be extremely harmful. This can trigger an asthma attack, which may be difficult to stop. If you see people smoking in your vicinity, you should get away from them as soon as possible.
If you suffer from asthma, and have many attacks that are related to your allergy symptoms, there is a medication that is injected and provides long term effects. Omalizumab is an antibody medication that is used to control these allergic reaction symptoms and may be recommended by your allergist.
If you find that you are in a dusty room, do not put on any type of fan. If you do, the dust will move around, and you can trigger your asthma. The better way would be to open a window to increase the airflow in the room.
Know how to use your inhaler correctly. Find a quiet secluded area so that you can calmly take the inhaler as directed by the instructions from the manufacturer. The medicine in the inhaler only works if it actually makes it to your lungs. Spray the dosage into the mouth while you inhale air. Allow the mist to fill up your lungs by holding your breath at least ten seconds.
Take a lot of Vitamin E and C if you are suffering from asthma. These vitamins have been known to improve the function of the lungs and reduce some asthma symptoms. You can take a supplement in order to get these vitamins if there is not enough of them in your 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.
An annual flu vaccination is recommended for you as well as other members of your family. If you are afflicted with asthma, avoid getting any infections if possible. Precautions include washing your hands and staying current with vaccinations.
Think about buying a dehumidifier if your asthma symptoms are bad. By bringing down the humidity level, it will reduce dust mites and reduce asthma flare-ups. Dehumidifiers remove the humidity by drying out the air that flows through your house.
IF you have asthma, you should consider buying a dehumidifier. Lowering humidity will reduce the amount of dust mites in your home, and help your asthma improve. Use a dehumidifier, and the air you breath will be much less likely to cause your asthma to flare up.
Scented products could cause averse reactions to asthma sufferers. It is safest to use unscented products when possible. 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. An asthma sufferer’s airways can feel irritated by odors such as fresh paint or new carpeting. Keep the air inside as fresh as you can.
Cleaning Products
Receiving a regular flu shot is a great tip to implement if you or someone you love suffers from asthma. Get vaccinated every flu season to avoid a high number of infections.
Using over four kinds of cleaning products in the home can trigger asthma attacks. Use organic cleaning products since they don’t have irritating chemicals.
While traveling, always keep emergency asthma medication on hand and close by. Being in odd environments can cause undue stress on your body, which makes you more prone to an asthma attack. Controlling your environment is harder when traveling, so this makes it much more probable that you experience worsening symptoms or an attack.
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. Food should be eaten only in the kitchen or dining room, and cigarettes are best relegated to outdoor smoking areas. Air the house out thoroughly after cleaning and avoid the use of bleach and other harsh chemicals indoors.
Mold and mildew grow in a home due to the humidity that creates a friendly environment for them. They are a nuisance for people with asthma; the asthma attacks they trigger require you to eliminate them. Therefore, try and keep the home dry. In the winter months, use a dehumidifier in order to get rid of moisture. Your air conditioner will keep it dry in the summer.
Make sure you know what triggers asthma attacks so you can either avoid those triggers or be prepared to manage your asthma symptoms. Common triggers among asthma sufferers are smoke, pollen, or pet dander. If able, avoid anything that results in symptoms of asthma or an asthma attack.
Track how often you use your inhaler during each week. It is possible that your asthma may be out of control or that there are extenuating circumstances that are exacerbating your condition. The frequency of use of your inhaler can give you an idea about your surroundings and the need to watch them.
If you are an asthma patient, you may want to sleep with a pillow that does not contain feathers. Feathers can have a negative effect on the lungs and can worsen asthma symptoms. The same reasoning applies to all bedding – only purchase bed sheets and comforters that are manufactured from hypoallergenic materials.
When you are cleaning your home, it is always better to use a wet mop rather than sweeping your floors. Sweeping can cause the rise of dust and dander, which may trigger an asthma attack. Use damp rags instead of a dry feather duster so triggers won’t be filling the air.
Mold and mildew thrive in homes with high humidity levels. Both of these substances are known to trigger asthma attacks. Thus, keep the air in your home as moisture-free as possible to avoid asthma-related problems. 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.
Avoiding smoke is key in controlling asthma. Smoking can trigger a person who has asthma to have an attack. So do whatever you can to stay away from vapors, chemical fumes and smoke from cigarettes. Things like this can make your asthma worse. Ask any smokers not to smoke in your presence.
Bundle up during winter weather if you have asthma. Covering your nose and mouth with a scarf or muffler helps prevent asthma attacks. This will warm the air that you breathe before it enters your lungs. Cool air has been known to trigger an asthma attack, particularly in very young children who have severe or moderate asthma.
Bed linens often collect asthma aggravators, such as pollen, dust and allergens. Use fresh linens to make up your bed on a regular basis. The freshly laundered linens will make it easier for you to breath when you are sleeping.
Rescue Medication
Any time that pollen counts go up, anyone suffering from asthma would be wise to keep their outdoors time to a minimum. Asthma itself may not be an allergy, many of the same things that affect allergy sufferers also affect those with asthma. Given the widespread availability of air quality indices for local communities, anyone who is afflicted with asthma can easily avoid unnecessary outdoor exposure when the atmosphere has likely exacerbants floating around.
You need to know how to properly use asthma medications that are prescribed to you, especially your rescue medication, so that you are prepared if you need to use it during an emergency. Typical asthma treatment includes regular medicine supplemented by a rescue inhaler. It’s crucial that medication for management of asthma is taken regularly, and that rescue medication is also used when appropriate.
If you find it necessary to use an inhaler more than two times a week, you should talk to your doctor about changing your medication. This means that the medication in your inhaler is not working well enough. Similarly, if you need to purchase refill inhalers more than twice a year, your medication is ineffective.
Have more than one medical professional look at your asthma problems. While your primary care physician should be your go-to source for asthma help, consider making an appointment with a specialist or two. Nutritionists, allergists, and pulmonologists are just some of the advisers who can change your life for the better.
Follow up with your doctor three or four times a year to manage your asthma. Your doctor will be able to assess the effectiveness of treatments, and adjust them, if necessary. You are responsible for ensuring you schedule checkups with your doctor in order for him or her to follow up on you, and ensure you remain healthy.
When pollen counts are high, people who have asthma should stay inside. Asthma itself may not be an allergy, many of the same things that affect allergy sufferers also affect those with asthma. Given the widespread availability of air quality indices for local communities, anyone who is afflicted with asthma can easily avoid unnecessary outdoor exposure when the atmosphere has likely exacerbants floating around.
Up your intake of vitamin B6. B6, another name for pyridoxine, has been proven to lessen the frequency and severity of attacks related to asthma. It does this by producing molecules to relax your bronchial tissue. One common source of vitamin B6 are bananas.
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.
Caffeine can be used in a pinch if you find yourself having an attack without access to your asthma medications. Many people have found that consuming black tea, coffee or chocolate may lessen the effects of an attack. This works by opening up your air passages and constricting blood vessels.