Asthma can be a difficult condition to have to deal with. Even taking a short walk in the morning can trigger asthma; you may have difficulty with this and other tasks that are routine for people who don’t have this disease. Unfortunately, there is no cure for asthma, and even the symptoms are difficult to control. Read this to learn some ideas for keeping your asthma from doing too much damage.
Keep clear of anything that you know to be a trigger for your asthma. Allergens such as dust and pollen can bring on an asthma attack at any time. Some people get attacks after being physically active. Try and figure out what gets your asthma started so you know what to avoid.
If you are afficted with asthma, it is critical to quit smoking and avoid the use of any other tobacco products. Smoking is a bad habit for everyone, but patients that suffer from asthma are negatively affected by smoke as it cuts the oxygen supply off and induces an asthma attack.
If allergens are causing you to suffer from frequent asthma attacks that are moderate to severe, there is an injectable medication that can provide you with long-term relief. An antibody medicine known as omalizumab is very effective at countering asthma attacks related to allergies. Ask your allergist about it.
If you have asthma and do not have health insurance, you should consider seeing a social worker. It’s vital that you stay on medication, so there may be programs available to help you get them at a discount.
Talk to your doctor about getting a leukotriene inhibitor if you have asthma. A leukotriene inhibitor stops the release of a chemical that causes the inflammation that is responsible for some asthma attacks. Leukotriene, a chemical released by the body in response to an allergen, is responsible for inducing many of the symptoms of an asthma attack. The prescription will help to decrease home much leukotriene is in your system and therefore, the number of asthma attacks you have.
Asthmatics should have a flu shot every year to prevent contracting a serious respiratory infection. If you have asthma, it’s important to prevent all respiratory infections, if at all possible. This includes preventive measures against sickness, such as practicing good hygiene and getting all recommended vaccinations.
If you have asthma and lack the health insurance coverage to deal with asthma treatment, talk to a social worker. Asthma patients need their medications, and a social worker might be able to hook you up with programs to help you such as clinics and programs through pharmaceutical companies.
If you have asthma, a dehumidifier is something you should consider purchasing for you home. Decreasing the humidity in the house decreases dust mites, which decreases asthma flare ups. Dehumidifiers remove the humidity by drying out the air that flows through your house.
If you suffer from asthma, make sure that you consume enough Vitamin C and Vitamin E. 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.
Keep your home meticulously clean to reduce attack potential if there is an asthma sufferer living there, especially the bedroom. Never allow anyone to smoke in the home of an asthmatic, and consider using plastic to cover your mattress and pillows. Try not to use bleach or other irritants inside, and always thoroughly change the air in your house after cleaning.
For those who have asthma, the safest choice is to stick with unscented products. Products that contain strong scents, like incense, perfume, or air freshener can trigger an asthma attack just by lingering in the air. New carpeting and even a fresh coat of paint can aggravate the airway and lungs as well. Clean your indoor air and keep it as fresh as you can.
If you have asthma, you should get a flu shot once per year. Avoid a lot of these infections by getting vaccinated each year.
Know what causes your asthma attacks, as this will enable you to work around them or prepare to treat the asthma attacks that result. Asthma sufferers generally have different triggers in common like pollen, pet dander and smoke. Avoid your asthma triggers as much as you can to prevent attacks.
Figure out your asthma triggers. Once you know what they are, you can change your lifestyle to prevent asthma attacks. If you can’t avoid a trigger, you can pack your inhaler, take allergy pills or engage in other preventive measures so you don’t have an attack. Asthma sufferers generally have different triggers in common like pollen, pet dander and smoke. Try to avoid the things that make your asthma flare up.
If you have asthma, use a pillow that doesn’t have feathers in it. Feathers can aggravate symptoms of asthma and lower lung function. This extends to the rest of your bedding, as well. There are hypoallergenic comforters and sheets you can use to limit asthma symptoms.
Join an online or offline support group. Asthma, especially if it is severe, can be quite debilitating and can keep you from being an active participant in life. The individuals in this group could also provide you with new insights about medications that are out there, as well as other advice in dealing with asthma.
When you travel, your rescue medication should be with you all the time. You may find that the stress of traveling makes an asthma attack more likely. You can’t control the weather or the environment when you travel, so keep in mind you are more vulnerable to symptoms and attacks when you go to a new area.
Protect yourself against breathing in cold air that aggravates your asthma by wearing a scarf that covers your nose and mouth. This will warm the air that you breathe before it enters your lungs. Breathing cold air can trigger severe asthma attacks. This is especially true for young children with asthma.
You can join an online or offline support group. Asthma, especially if it is severe, can be quite debilitating and can keep you from being an active participant in life. On top of that, an asthma support group will keep you apprised of the latest developments in asthma medication and other significant medical breakthroughs.
Using a preventative inhaler is important, but you need to know the side effects it can cause such as mouth infections. Brushing or gargling immediately after use can help reduce the risk of infection and other problems.
Understand how to properly use your own asthma medication, particularly the rescue medication. Asthma is generally treated with a rescue medication, usually an inhaler, in addition to a regularly-taken maintenance medication. It’s important to use both forms of medication properly to treat your chronic condition.
When you are cleaning your home, it is always better to use a wet mop rather than sweeping your floors. When you are sweeping with a broom, you stir up triggers like dirt and dust mites that can cause you to go into an asthma attack. When dusting, use a damp cloth, as feather dusters just move dust around.
Asthma is a medical condition that tends to slowly develop over time, and the symptoms are not always that obvious. There have been a few cases where a person dies from their first attack, because they didn’t know they suffered from the condition. If you find yourself with a constant cough or have trouble breathing, consult your doctor, so he can tell you if you have asthma and if you need medication. He might even have suggestions on how to prevent it from worsening.
When you are making an effort to control asthma, do not smoke. Smoke is one of the primary triggers of asthma. Avoid exposure to chemical fumes and vapors, and any type of wood or cigarette smoke. They can easily increase your asthma symptoms. If you know someone who smokes, politely ask that they do not smoke in your presence.
Use a mop that’s wet to clean your floors instead of a broom. Sweeping can stir up some asthmatic triggers that will exacerbate your symptoms. You can greatly reduce this by using a wet sponge, damp rag, or moist cloth instead of your old-fashioned feather duster.
Asthma sufferers should avoid close contact with all animals. Asthmatics can be affected by the dander or pollen that comes from the animals, even if they have no allergies to them. This can be a very risky situation to put yourself in and should be avoided.
Avoid smoke, if you don’t want to have an asthma attack. The inhalation of smoke can easily trigger an asthma attack. You should attempt to minimize your contact with cigarette smoke, chemical fumes, and noxious vapors. All of these air-borne pollutants can greatly increase your asthma symptoms. Politely request that smokers abstain from smoking in your presence.
If pollen is present in the air, anyone with asthma should stay inside. While asthma isn’t an allergy, many allergy irritants can affect it. Check the local air quality report online to determine whether to stay indoors and keep irritant exposure to a minimum.
Allergens, pollen, dust and some other asthma aggravators can collect in your bed linens. You can eliminate or reduce these inducers by washing your pillowcases and sheets weekly in hot water. Fresh linens, washed regularly, can ensure you breathe better as you sleep.
If you are using a vaporizer or humidifier, you should thoroughly clean it prior to use. Bacteria can grow inside the machine because of the moist environment, and you will be releasing that right into the air if you are using it.
Consider using more than just one doctor. Specialists can supplement the asthma treatments your regular doctor provides for you. You’ll want to visit an asthma center, or consult with a pulmonologist to get additional help improving your lung function. In addition, you should get tested for allergies so that you can avoid allergic reactions that trigger asthma attacks.
Rescue Inhaler
Stay away from smoking. Pretty much everyone is aware that smoking is dangerous, but for people suffering with asthma, it can have devastating effects. Smoke is extremely irritating to the already sensitive asthmatic lungs, so care should be taken to not only smoke, but also avoid being in the presence of other people who are smoking.
If you find yourself relying on your rescue inhaler more often than twice weekly, it may be necessary to speak with your doctor about changing medication. This level of frequency can mean your medication is ineffective for your needs. This is also true if you are refilling your rescue inhaler prescription more than twice a year.
People who suffer from asthma should stay inside as much as they can when the pollen count is up. Despite being different conditions, asthma and allergies can be triggered by the same kinds of irritants. Asthma suffers can now minimize exposure to outdoor pollutants and irritants by checking online for current air quality in their areas.
As stated earlier, asthma must be taken seriously. It is a medical condition with symptoms that can potentially be catastrophic. Find out what symptoms may be specific to you, and begin learning how you can manage it every step of the way. Make sure to use the information from this article to help you make your symptoms better and to avoid asthma from commanding your life.
If you suffer from asthma and have to use your inhaler in excess of two or three times per week, you should see a doctor and ask about changing your medication. Having to use your inhaler multiple times means the medicine you’re receiving isn’t working well enough and needs to be changed. Also, if you refill the inhaler more than 2 times each year, there is the same result, which means making an appointment with your doctor.