Asthma can be a terrifying condition because it severely restricts your ability to breathe freely. It tends to pop up at a moments notice, while also limiting the activities in your life and in some cases, even lead to death. This article empowers you to treat your asthma by helping you understand how and why it happens, and what to do when it does.
Can you identify the exact type of asthma you’re dealing with? Learning about your type of asthma will help you to deal with it. One example of this is exercise-induced asthma. This type of asthmatic will need to carry his inhaler with him when he goes for a run. You can actually start preventing asthma attacks if you are aware and mindful of any patterns that your symptoms present.
You should avoid smoking and any type of fumes if you suffer from asthma. This includes all tobacco products, and you also need to be careful if you are going to apply for a job in a factory or where you have the potential to be exposed to vapors and harmful smoke.
If you have an asthmatic child, do not allow anyone to smoke around him. Secondhand smoke is a leading cause of asthma. Keep your child away from any area where people are smoking.
Know situations and conditions that cause asthma attacks for you, and stay away from them in the future as much as possible. For many, allergens like dust and pollen, can trigger their attacks. While in other people, all it takes is physical activity and an attack can trigger. Try to figure out when your asthma began so it can be avoided.
Smoking is a horrible habit, even deadly, for an asthma sufferer. Smoking is, of course, unhealthy for anyone. The habit is even more dangerous for asthma patients, however, because anything that reduces the amount of oxygen reaching the lungs can trigger an attack.
If you are suffering from asthma, stay away from any type of cigarette smoke. If you smoke, try quitting. It is also a good idea to stay away from the fumes or vapors from harsh chemicals, such as those used in cleaning. More often than not, smoke is going to trigger an unavoidable asthma attack. If you see people smoking in your vicinity, you should get away from them as soon as possible.
If you are a person with asthma and have persistent attacks related to allergy symptoms, a medication that can be used for a long term effect is one that can be injected. It is called omalizumab, and it is an antibody medicine used to control allergic reaction symptoms. You will need to speak to your allergist to find out if this would be helpful to you.
Cannot Afford
If you have asthma that is not covered by health insurance, contact someone in a government agency, like a social worker. It is critical that every asthma sufferer have access to the proper medicines to keep the condition under control, and a social worker could help you locate a hospital or clinic that will provide you the necessary medication on a low or no-fee basis.
If you have asthma and cannot afford health insurance or have no eligibility, bring up your situation with a social worker. If you cannot afford medicine for asthma, your social worker can help you locate someone that can help.
If you use any more than four kinds of cleaning product around your home, then the risk of an asthma attack is increased. A great way to prevent this is to purchase some organic, non-chemical cleaning products. These all-natural products are safe when inhaled.
Vitamins E and C are beneficial to anyone with asthma. These vitamins can help improve your lung function, ultimately controlling asthma. It doesn’t matter if you get the vitamins for food or a supplement; just get them. These vitamins will also provide a boost to your immune system. This will prevent respiratory illnesses that can trigger your asthma attacks.
Products with no scent are the safest and best option for an asthma sufferer. Products that contain fragrance, such as perfumes, colognes, or air fresheners, fill the air with irritants that can trigger an asthma attack. Freshly painted walls and brand-new carpet can also give off odors that cause irritation to airways. Because the dangers these things represent, it is important to always keep indoor air fresh to the best of your ability.
Your asthma medication may need to be adjusted if you become ill. An increase in treatment is necessary sometimes because side effects of other sicknesses can cause your asthma symptoms to flare up. Your doctor might add additional medication until your sickness gets better.
Whenever you travel, always keep your rescue inhaler or other fast-acting medication by your side at all times. Travel adds stress on your physical body, and it might increase your chances of falling prey to asthma triggers. It is often hard to maintain the right kind of environment when you are traveling, and this may heighten the risk of an asthma attack or worsening symptoms.
If you or someone in your family has asthma, all family members need to get flu shots every year. Get vaccinated every flu season to avoid a high number of infections.
Some of the most notorious causes of asthma attacks exist in normal households. These generally include dust, mold and spores. To stay healthy and reduce the chance of asthma attacks, you should have an inspector visit your house yearly to remove these harmful agents. In addition, regularly cleaning the home can stop these things from building up.
Asthmatic patients should avoid using feather pillows. Feathers in a pillow can bring on the symptoms of asthma and decrease lung function. You should also look into hypoallergenic materials when buying sheets and a comforter.
It is essential that you learn the proper ways to use all of your asthma medications, especially those used in rescue situations. Asthma treatment is generally two-pronged: Daily asthma treatment and additional emergency medicine to relieve attacks as they happen. Because asthma has no cure, you must treat it carefully by taking your maintenance medication every day and using your emergency medication responsibly.
Make it a habit to always have some rescue medication available when you travel. It’s easy to get thrown off your regular eating and sleeping routine while traveling, which strains your body and increases your vulnerability to asthma attack triggers. You won’t be able to control factors in your environment, such as air quality, while are away from home. This also adds to the likelihood of an attack or more symptoms than you are used to at home.
When you need to take your asthma supplies on an airplane, it is a good idea to bring your doctor’s prescription with you. Having evidence from a doctor that the medication is necessary for your health will greatly help with security at the airport.
Mold and mildew thrive in homes with high humidity levels. Protect yourself against allergens, dust mites and fungus to avoid exacerbating your asthma symptoms. To halt the growth of mold and mildew keep your home’s humidity low. When you use the heater in the winter, be sure to have a dehumidifier control the humidity in your home. During the summer time, be sure to use the air conditioner to maintain a dry home.
Use your maintenance or preventative inhaler every day. However, you should know that the drug may cause mouth infections near your gums and teeth. Always clean your teeth and rinse your mouth after you use your inhaler.
Asthma generally takes a long time to develop, and the symptoms may be vague at first, making it difficult to diagnose the problem. There are known cases where someone has actually died from a single asthma attack, because they were unaware that they had the disease. So, if you are having trouble coughing and breathing, talk to a doctor to see if you need treatment. You might receive a prescription to treat or prevent asthma.
Those with asthma should minimize time with pets and animals. Though dander allergies are often seen in conjunction with asthma, even asthmatics who are not allergic may have attacks that are triggered by the ancillary irritants transported by animals, including pollen and dust.
Asthma Attack
Have more than one medical professional look at your asthma problems. Your primary care doctor should be the first person you go to, but think about seeing a few specialists. A pulmonologist, allergist, nutritionist and the staff at asthma centers can discuss a variety of treatments with you, to help you be sure you are following up on every possible good treatment available.
For a deeper and more thorough cleaning, mop your floors instead of simply sweeping them. If you are sweeping, you can trigger an asthma attack by stirring up a lot of allergens into the air. Dusting can actually just move the dust around, sending particles into the air, and into your lungs triggering an asthma attack, so try wiping things down with a damp cloth to minimize the amount of allergens you are exposed to.
Stay away from smoking. While smoking is a dangerous habit in general, it is far more damaging to those who have asthma. Not only should smoking be avoided, you need to be careful to stay away from people who do smoke because it is extremely harmful and will irritate your sensitive asthmatic lungs.
It can be fatal, too, if not controlled or treated. Using the following article, you can better manage your asthma, so that you can be more active and breathe better.
Try to gain as much information about affliction as possible. The more you know about the condition, the better you can help yourself. Keep up with the latest asthma news and see to it that you’re getting the best possible care. You can only properly treat the condition once you gain knowledge about it and the treatments that are available.