Asthma is one of a handful of medical conditions that can hugely impact your daily life. You need to be able to take the right steps so that you are in control of your asthma, which will help you greatly when having to deal with this illness. This article contains much-needed advice on different strategies to help you manage your asthma.
When you have asthma, it is vital that you avoid cleaning products. A lot of agents in cleaners tend to trigger asthma attacks and symptoms. If you do the cleaning in your house, use natural solutions that are safer for you to breath in.
There are certain medications that cause or exacerbate asthma symptoms. Not everyone knows this. A couple of common culprits that do this are aspirin and NSAIDs. There are some beta blockers that are given to those trying to control their heart disease or who have high blood pressure that may be harmful to an asthmatic, as well. If you have any of these conditions along with your asthma, make sure you tell your doctor.
Some medications can exacerbate asthma symptoms as a side effect. Believe it or not, something as seemingly innocuous as aspirin can actually trigger symptoms. Some medications can cause your asthma to be worse such as beta blockers for high blood pressure or heart disease. Let your doctor know about your asthma and what prescriptions you’re taking.
If you are having an asthma attack (mild or moderate), you need to try to force air out of the lungs. Exhale as fast and hard as you can. Try hard to push the air out from your lungs! Inhale in a series of three, or three shallow breaths and one deep breath. After your lungs are filled with air, forcefully exhale 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. This breathing technique may cause some coughing or sputum, but it can help regulate your breathing and reduce the attack.
Those with asthma should always opt for unscented items because they are safest. Products with a strong smell such as air fresheners, incense or perfume can trigger asthma attacks. You should also avoid fresh paints or new carpets, as they give off fumes that can irritate the airway. Keep your indoor air clean and free of pollutants to stay healthy.
Get a flu shot every season and make sure your family does as well. 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. You can start by taking simple precautions, such as washing your hands and getting proper vaccinations when due.
If you’ve been diagnosed with asthma, be sure to get flu shots every year. This is doubly important for asthmatic children. Getting vaccinated yearly can help keep many of these illnesses at bay.
You may want to consider purchasing a dehumidifier for your home if you suffer from asthma. When your home has less humidity, there are less dust mites, and that minimizes the chances of an asthma flare-up. Dehumidifiers reduce attacks in your home by making the air cleaner and drier.
Make sure to examine what it is that causes your asthma attacks in order to best avoid having to deal with them. Common triggers among asthma sufferers are smoke, pollen, or pet dander. Make a special effort to avoid agents that bring on even minor asthma symptoms, much less a major attack.
Cleaning Products
If you suffer from asthma, it’s best to avoid pillows full of feathers. The feathers from a pillow can cause asthma symptoms and decrease your lung function. It is also advisable to use hypoallergenic sheets and comforters for the same reason.
Using more than 4 different kinds of cleaning products for your house has been known to increase risks associated to asthma attacks. Consider purchasing and using organic cleaning products since they are void of irritating chemicals.
Travel with your rescue medication on your person at all times. Traveling causes extra strain on your already stressed body, which makes your body more susceptible to bothersome asthma triggers. The change in environment can also have a negative impact, since it is impossible to control. This can lead to more frequent attacks or attacks with symptoms that are worse than normal.
To cut the risk of an asthma attack, keep your house as clean as you can, particularly the bedroom of the person with asthma. Keep food consumption to the kitchen and the dining room, and never allow anyone to smoke in the house. Harsh chemicals, like bleach and ammonia, can trigger asthma.
Regardless of whether your asthma has been flaring up, don’t neglect routine checkups. A flare up can come at any time and your doctor can always look into safer medications for your particular symptoms.
If you have hay fever or a cold, you will probably need increased treatment of your asthma. Treatment may be increased in these cases as many illnesses have side effects that can cause flare ups in your asthma. Your physician may even recommend that you take additional medication until you recover.
Find out how you are supposed to use your asthma medication and rescue treatments. Typical asthma treatment includes regular medicine supplemented by a rescue inhaler. Because asthma is a chronic condition, it is important to take management medication properly and to use rescue medication appropriately.
Regular flu shots are important if you or one of your children suffer from asthma. Get vaccinated every flu season to avoid a high number of infections.
When you need to take your asthma supplies on an airplane, it is a good idea to bring your doctor’s prescription with you. If you have written proof about the item you have,and that it is medically necessary, there will be less hassles going through security.
If you are asthmatic, it may be a good idea to use a pillow that is not filled with feathers. The pillow feathers can cause asthma to flare up and minimize your lung function. The same can be said for bedding, try to get hypoallergenic comforters and sheets.
You should track how often, in a week’s time, you require the use of a rescue inhaler. Your medication may need to be adjusted or an alternative treatment considered if you find that you need to use it 3 or more times per week. Focusing on how often you need your inhaler makes you aware of when you need to make changes to your plan for keeping asthma under control.
During colder months, wear a shawl, scarf or muffler to avoid asthma. This will warm the air before it gets in your lungs. Breathing cold air can set off an asthma attack, particularly in small children who have have somewhat severe asthma.
Those with asthma should minimize time with pets and animals. A lot of times the hair or dander will cause an asthma attack, but even if you do not have an allergy to the pet itself they often carry pollen and dust with them.
Understand how to properly use your own asthma medication, particularly the rescue medication. Asthma is generally managed through regular medicine which is supplemented with rescue medications like inhalers. Because you will have asthma for the rest of your life, it is important that you take your maintenance medication properly, and that you use your emergency medication correctly.
Sufferers from asthma should stay indoors when the pollen count rises. Asthma symptoms are not the same as allergic reactions, but allergies and asthma attacks have many common triggers. Air quality readings are often available locally, and utilizing this information is key in minimizing exposure to harmful airborne irritants.
If you’re flying with asthma medications, be sure you get a prescription from your physician. Having proof that it belongs to you and is medically necessary will make the security check easier.
Make sure your doctor shows you how to take your inhaled medication properly, and don’t leave his office until you are entirely comfortable using your inhaler. Spraying it inside your mouth and inhaling is not all it takes. Every time you take a puff, hold in your breath for at least three seconds and then exhale. Holding it in will allow the medicine to open up your bronchial passages and relieve your attack.
Monitor how many times, on a weekly basis, you are using your rescue inhaler. If you find that you are relying on it more than two times a week, your asthma is possibly not being well-controlled. The frequency of use of your inhaler can give you an idea about your surroundings and the need to watch them.
Talk with your physician if you find that you need your inhaler more often than a couple of times weekly. Increased reliance on your inhaler may be an indication that the medication is no longer working well enough. This same advice also goes for those who must refill their inhalers more frequently than every six months.
When you clean house, it is recommended that you clean your floor with a wet mop instead of sweeping it. Sweeping can trigger an asthma attack due to the copious clouds of minute asthma-triggering particles it kicks up. When you dust, use a damp cloth instead of a feather duster which can spread these triggers.
Learn all that you can learn about the condition you have. Education is a priceless tool in finding the proper treatment for your asthma. Make sure you are learning the newest information about treatments and get the best doctor to help you with it. The only way for you gain this knowledge would be to learn what your type of condition is and the treatment options.
Anyone with asthma should limit their exposure to household pets and other types of animals. While allergies to dander or animal hair can possibly complicate your asthma, even those with no such allergies can have asthma attacks by inhaling the pollen and dust animals usually carry about with them.
Try to maintain a clean home and well-swept floors. Make sure you wash your bedding often. Washing your bedding regularly keeps dust mites away; dust mites are a trigger of attacks for many asthmatics. The more dust there is in an environment, the more likely it becomes that the air will aggravate an asthmatic’s symptoms, prompting an attack.
Have more than one medical professional look at your asthma problems. Your family doctor or primary care physician can be the person you go to regularly for asthma symptoms, but also talk to a few specialists. Asthma centers, pulmonologists, allergists or even nutritionists will be able to work with you, make certain that you check out all outlets offering treatment.
Make sure you ban any type of smoking inside your home, or any place that can harm someone in your household who suffers from asthma. Those who smoke should do it outside, a good distance away from your home and from the asthma sufferer. Cigarette smoke can quickly trigger someone who suffers from asthma to have an attack, from just the smell being on the smokers clothes.
If you have asthma, schedule checkups ever few months with your doctor to stay on top of your condition. Frequent check-ups help your doctor evaluate the effectiveness of your current treatment plan and revise the plan as needed. It is up to you to schedule these visits with the doctor so he or she can monitor your progress, and work to keep you healthy.
Watch your children closely for allergic reactions when they are eating new foods. If any of your kids break out into hives, or seem to have difficulty breathing after eating a certain food, schedule allergy testing for them. These food allergies should be monitored, as they could be indicative of asthma.
As per usual with such ailments, always consult a doctor when your symptoms pass that certain threshold and become unbearable. More importantly, apply these tips as soon as you can to improve your life and reduce these symptoms.
A place you can set aside in your home can help you reduce asthma symptoms in your home. Control the amount of moisture in your home by using a dehumidifier. Keeping the humidity in your home under control, you can help reduce the occurrence of attacks at any season of the year.