Asthma is an illness that can spiral out of control when left unchecked. Asthma attacks can cause serious health problems, and even death. Consulting a medical professional is the first step in any treatment plan. Beyond that, however, you must take an active role in maintaining your health. Throughout the tips listed below, you will learn about a few great ways to deal with your asthma symptoms.
Suffer from asthma? It is vital that you not smoke tobacco; if you do, quit. Smoking is a terrible habit but it’s even worse for someone who suffers from asthma as it decreases the amount of oxygen that gets to your lungs.
Certain prescription medications have the potential to cause asthma symptoms. A couple of common culprits that do this are aspirin and NSAIDs. Common medications used for controlling high blood pressure often times contain beta blockers, which asthmatics may be more sensitive to. Make sure your doctor knows if you are taking such medicine and also have asthma.
You and your loved ones need to get a flu vaccination every year. Asthma patients should try their best to avoid getting respiratory infections. Making sure to consistently wash your hands, and getting the proper vaccinations are two standard precautions.
Because asthma is a continuing condition, you have to continually manage your health. Your doctor may prescribe medications that must be taken daily. In addition, you will likely have medication to take in the event of an attack. Your physician and allergist are the ones to approach with any questions you have about this disease and its treatment.
It has been shown that use of four or more different kinds of cleaning products can raise the risk of asthma attacks. Choose natural and organic products which don’t have chemicals that will irritate your disease.
Exhale Forcefully
To cut the risk of an asthma attack, keep your house as clean as you can, particularly the bedroom of the person with asthma. Don’t smoke indoors, or allow any junk food in your home. Air the house out thoroughly after cleaning and avoid the use of bleach and other harsh chemicals indoors.
If you have moderate asthma attacks, exhale forcefully, so that you force air from your lungs. Breath out as hard and fast as you can. Really expel the air from your lungs! Inhale in three short breaths and one fourth deeper breath so that your lungs are comfortably full of air, then exhale forcefully again. This gives your breathing a rhythm, which makes you aware of how many breaths you take. It will also empty your lungs of air, so that they’re ready to take in new, fresh air. You might cough hard or create mucus, but its just a sign your breathing is getting back to normal.
Receiving a flu shot annually is very important if you or a loved one are asthmatic. Stave off these infections immediately by getting your vaccinations yearly.
Use the inhaler the right way. Locate a quiet place, and follow the label to a tee. Remember that the medication must reach your lungs if the inhaler is to work properly. Inhale air while spraying the necessary amount of medication into your mouth. Continue holding your breath for approximately 10 seconds. This way, the medication will soak into the cells of your lungs.
Make sure to examine what it is that causes your asthma attacks in order to best avoid having to deal with them. The majority of people suffering from asthma have several common triggers, like pet dander, smoke or pollen. It is best to do all that is possible to avoid triggers that can cause attacks.
People suffering from asthma should stick to unscented products. Scented products, like air fresheners, incense and perfume, raise indoor pollution levels and can trigger asthma attacks. Fresh paint and new carpeting give off odors that can irritate sensitive airways. Try to make it your goal to keep the indoor air as fresh and allergen free as possible.
Regardless of whether your asthma has been flaring up, don’t neglect routine checkups. It is important to make sure your condition isn’t worsening, and your doctor may want to prescribe a different medication.
Asthma Symptoms
A lot of the main causes, and triggers, of asthma may exist right in your home. These are dust, mold and spores. Have an inspector who focuses on allergens and irritants come into your home once a year to help you detect what you have and learn how to remove it. Regularly cleaning your house can also contribute to preventing buildup of these substances.
Allergens, the common cold and influenza can increase your asthma symptoms. Many of these illnesses will worsen your asthma symptoms bad enough to require more treatments than you typically need. You might even get a new treatment added onto our existing program until the illness subsides.
Mold and mildew thrive in homes with high humidity levels. Both of these allergens can be contributing factors in asthma attacks. So try your best to make your home as dry as possible. When it’s cold, a dehumidifier can keep moisture to a minimum; in hot months, your A/C unit will do the same thing.
Make sure that your rescue medication is at hand at all times during your travels. You may find that the stress of traveling makes an asthma attack more likely. You also have little control over your surroundings as you travel, and this may result in an increase in symptoms or frequency of attacks.
During cold months, you could avoid asthma attacks by constantly wearing a shawl, muffler or a scarf that covers both your mouth and nose. Bundling up puts heat between the air and your lungs, which can help lessen your risk of an asthma attack. Breathing in air that’s cold can trigger an attack, particularly in younger children that have moderate or severe asthma.
Try joining an in-person or virtual asthma support group. Asthma can be severe enough to keep you away from social activiites. Others who suffer from asthma can give you immeasurable amounts of support and advice, and help you keep up with new medical developments.
Make sure you understand the correct way to use your asthma medication, especially any rescue medication. Asthma is generally managed through regular medicine which is supplemented with rescue medications like inhalers. Asthma is an illness that is chronic in nature, so it is imperative to take the management medicine as directed and only using the rescue inhaler when necessary.
A handful of primary initiators of asthma, and its attack triggers, lie right in your residence. Such irritants include mold spores, dust, smoke and chemical fumes. To lessen the risk of an asthma attack and to stay healthy, have your house inspected every year by an inspector, and remove those agents when they have been identified. Conscientious house-cleaning can help prevent buildup of substances in your home that might trigger an asthma attack.
Asthma takes a long time to develop and doesn’t yield obvious symptoms. Many individuals died from their very first asthma attack because they weren’t aware they had the risk factors for an attack. Therefore, if you find yourself having difficulties breathing or with a chronic cough, it is essential that you see a doctor and get tested for asthma. The sooner you get the needed treatment and medication, the better.
In the winter, prevent attacks by wearing shawls, mufflers and scarves that cover the nose and mouth. Filtering and warming air before you inhale it can help prevent asthma attacks. Cold air can trigger severe attacks, especially for young children.
Keep track of the number of times per week you use your rescue inhaler. If you use it very often, you may not have it under control. This number can help you monitor your environment for asthma triggers and let you determine if your treatment plan is working properly.
It’s important to keep up with your daily preventative inhaler routine, but watch out for mouth infections, especially in both teeth and gums. You can prevent any of these mouth issues by brushing your teeth and gargling mouthwash as soon as you use the inhaler.
Using a wet mop is superior to using a broom to clean your floors. Sweeping sends dust and dander back into the air and could trigger an asthma attack. Use a dampened rag when dusting, instead of a feather duster, so as to prevent stirring up loose dust particles and other asthma triggers.
Monitor how many times, on a weekly basis, you are using your rescue inhaler. If the inhaler is used more than twice, the asthma problems you are suffering from may not be well-managed or something else might be causing additional attacks to come on. Remembering the times you use the inhaler provides a good way to keep checking your environment, as well as other things in your plan to manage your asthma.
Bed linens tend to collect asthma triggers like pollen, dust and other allergens. You can cut down on these irritants or eliminate them altogether by washing your bedding and pillow cases in very hot water once a week. Sleeping with fresh bed linens will ensure you can breathe easy when you sleep.
When you are removing dust or crumbs from your floor, you should use a vacuum or damp mop to avoid scattering dust in the air. The action of sweeping can swirl up a whole cloud of asthma-triggering particles. Dust will adhere to a wet towel instead of being loose in the air like feather dusters do where it can aggravate your asthma.
Refrain from smoking. Pretty much everyone is aware that smoking is dangerous, but for people suffering with asthma, it can have devastating effects. Smoke irritates the lungs of an asthma sufferer, so avoid the presence of people who smoke if you have asthma.
Asthma Attack
If you suffer from asthma or allergies, avoid using a vaporizer or humidifier unless it is consistently and thoroughly cleaned. If you allow bacteria to breed in the moist environment of the machine, you will just be pumping allergens into the air that you are trying to humidify.
When preventing asthma, stay away from smoke. Breathing in smoke can trigger an asthma attack. Vapors, cigarette smoke, and chemical fumes should be avoided. The more you are exposed to fumes, vapors and smoke, the more likely you are to have an asthma attack. If you live with or near a smoker, find a way to politely ask that they not smoke around you or your living spaces.
Buy a mask to keep yourself from breathing in harmful fumes if you plan on painting in your home. Paint fumes are especially dangerous for asthmatic people, but a mask will prevent asthma attacks efficiently. Avoid all substances and chemicals which trigger problems with your asthma.
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.
A support group for those with asthma can really help, and so can simply talking to people about your condition. Other asthma sufferers often have the best tricks for dealing with dangerous situations, and fighting the battle against asthma. Having supportive people that care about you is imperative.