Have you or a loved one been diagnosed with the condition known as asthma? This article is filled with a variety of insightful, informative guidelines for managing asthma symptoms.
Do you know the type of asthma that you suffer with? One of the best ways to combat asthma and its limiting effects on your life is to know and understand as much as you can about your specific condition. For example, if you have exercise-induced asthma, you will want to always make sure you have an inhaler in your gym bag. If you are familiar with your symptoms and their patterns, you will be better able to avoid emergencies.
Stay away from smoking, or being around any smoke, vapors or fumes. This means you need to keep away from tobacco products and only seek out jobs where you aren’t exposed to any harmful chemicals, smoke or vapors.
If you are afflicted with asthma, it is critical that you don’t smoke. Smoking is detrimental to anyone’s health, but those with asthma suffer especially because cigarettes lessen the oxygen supply that is crucial for the lungs to function properly and prevent an asthma attack.
It is very important that an asthma sufferer refrain from smoking, if you do then it is advisable you quit now. Smoking is horrible for people, it is really bad if asthma becomes worse and blocks oxygen to your body, you need oxygen to work and stave off asthma.
Avoid anything that can trigger your asthma. For some, allergens such as dust and pollen can trigger an attack. Some people get attacks after being physically active. Try to determine your asthma triggers, so you can avoid them and prevent attacks.
Avoid exposing yourself to any of your known asthma triggers. Some people have allergies that cause asthma, and allergens such as dust and pollen can cause an attack. For others, physical activity can irritate them. Determine what sets your asthma off so you can stay away from these things.
There are medicines out there that may increase your chance of triggering asthma symptoms. Examples of medications that may contribute to asthma are aspirin and other NSAIDs. Some medications for blood pressure and heart disease – those referred to as beta blockers – can also exacerbate asthma problems. If you suffer from any of these conditions along with your asthma, make sure you tell your doctor.
If allergies lead to constant attacks from your asthma, there has been a recent solution that is administered via injection that provides long term care! Omalizumab is one such medication, and can control the allergic symptoms you may be experienced. An allergist will be able to tell you if this is a good option.
If you are having an attack that is not severe, push as much air out of the lungs as possible. Blow your breath out as hard and fast as you can. Really force that air out of your lungs! Take three breaths in succession. These breaths don’t have to be deep, just breathe a little. Then take a deep breath, pulling as much air as possible into your lungs. When your lungs are as full as you can stand, force the air out. The breathing rhythm that you create by doing this will cause you to be aware of every breath you take. It also will push all of your air out of the lungs so that you can get more air in. If you cough up mucus, don’t worry – just get the breathing back to normal.
If you are an asthma sufferer, be sure to get the recommended daily dose of Vitamins C and E. These vitamins are thought to help improve lung function and control asthma symptoms. These vitamins can be easily obtained, either through your diet or a supplement. These vitamins also help boost your immune system, which helps to prevent illnesses that trigger asthma.
Don’t turn on the fan if the dust in a room is aggravating your asthma. The fan will cause the dust to circulate through the air, which can cause you to suffer an asthma attack. The better way would be to open a window to increase the airflow in the room.
While everyone appreciates the look and feel of a clean house, asthma sufferers in particular benefit from a healthy environment as it can decrease the risk of asthma attacks, especially in a sleeping area. Only allow food in the kitchen, and never smoke indoors. 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.
It’s been proven that you should use no more than four cleaning products in the home. If you do it can increase the risk of asthma attacks. Try using organic cleaning products that are not comprised of irritating chemicals.
If you have hay fever or a cold, you will probably need increased treatment of your asthma. The effects of an illness can cause the severity of your asthma to temporarily increase, which necessitates a change in treatment. Your family doctor may recommend adding another treatment or medication to your current regimen until you recover from your illness.
Be knowledgeable about the factors that cause asthma attacks in order to avoid the triggers or develop a plan for managing the symptoms of asthma. The majority of people suffering from asthma have several common triggers, like pet dander, smoke or pollen. Try to avoid the things that make your asthma flare up.
If you are asthmatic, it may be a good idea to use a pillow that is not filled with feathers. The feathers can make it harder to breathe right and trigger an attack. Patients should also buy hypoallergenic bedding.
Avoid pillows with feathers if you have asthma. Feathers in a pillow can bring on the symptoms of asthma and decrease lung function. The same it true for bedding, try purchasing sheets and comforters that are created from hypoallergenic materials.
When the weather starts to turn colder, wear a scarf or shawl that covers your mouth and nose to help prevent asthma attacks. You can inhale warmer air into your body with these. Breathing cold air triggers your asthma attacks, particularly in young kids with bad asthma.
If you plan to take a trip, you must always keep your rescue medication with you at all times. When you travel, you sometimes strain your body a little more than you think, which can make you a bit more susceptible to having asthma attacks. 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.
Asthma develops over an extended time period, and its symptoms aren’t always obvious. There are some cases reported that were so severe that a person died from one asthma attack when they didn’t even know they were considered at risk. Because of this, if you notice that you have trouble breathing or are constantly coughing, you may want to visit your doctor. They can tell you if you have asthma and if there is a medication that you should be taking. Your doctor can also tell you if there is something you can do to prevent asthma from developing.
Join a support group, online or in “real life”, to find help from your peers. Suffering from asthma can mean many days are spent at home with your condition stopping you from participating in a full and fulfilling lifestyle. 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.
If you are going to be flying and are bringing your asthma medicine with you, take written prescriptions from your physician with you, especially if you will be taking large equipment like a nebulizer. 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 taking an airplane and you need to travel with your asthma apparatus or medications, bring your written prescription with you. Having evidence from a doctor that the medication is necessary for your health will greatly help with security at the airport.
The above article contains many tips to help you control asthma. But of course, the advice is only useful if applied with diligence and regularity. If you ignore the signs of an asthma attack or stop doing the things that work to keep your asthma under control, you’ll most likely start having trouble with your asthma again. Always protect yourself by following these tips and methods to control your asthma symptoms.
You want to make certain you visit more than just one doctor. The first place to consider visiting is your main doctor, but they might also be able to recommend a specialist. The allergists, pulmonologists and nutritionists in asthma centers can help you take full advantage of all treatments available.