As hard as living with asthma is, there are ways to manage your symptoms so you can live a happy and healthy life. There are numerous things you can to do in order to stop asthma from disturbing your life. Read the tips below to live a full life and do what you want, even with asthma.
If you suffer from asthma, you should not smoke or expose yourself to any type of vapors or fumes. This means you should stay away from all tobacco products and carefully consider the jobs you apply to, especially in factories, as you may be exposed to harmful smoke or vapors.
An important part of symptom management is knowing what type of asthma you have. If you know as much as you can about the kind of asthma that you have, you can find out how to battle it day-by-day. If you have exercised-induced asthma, for example, you’ll want to bring your inhaler with you to the gym or other locations where you might be involved in physical activity. Knowing the patterns related to your symptoms could aid you in avoiding crises.
If you have an asthmatic child, do not allow anyone to smoke around him. Secondhand smoke is almost as dangerous to asthmatics as actually smoking a cigarette. You also need to be sure that your child isn’t around those that choose to smoke.
If you have any children who suffer from asthma, avoid smoking around them at all costs. Second-hand cigarette smoke is a leading cause of asthma. Also, do not let your child around others who smoke.
If you suffer from asthma, you should avoid cleaning products that have strong odors. A lot chemicals that are in these items can set off an asthma attack or aggravate other symptoms. If you do the cleaning in your house, use natural solutions that are safer for you to breath in.
Asthma Symptoms
Asthma sufferers should avoid smoking cigarettes and any place that has cigarette smoke. Asthmatics should also never smoke. Avoid breathing chemical fumes and vapors. More often than not, smoke is going to trigger an unavoidable asthma attack. Do everything you can to avoid cigarette smoke, air pollution, allergens and harsh chemical fumes to keep your asthma symptoms under control.
Some medications are known to cause asthma symptoms. A couple of common culprits that do this are aspirin and NSAIDs. Many medications for heart disease and hypertension can also cause asthma symptoms. If you suffer from asthma, be sure that your medical professional is aware of this.
If allergy symptoms cause you to have moderate to severe asthma attacks, there is a medication available that can help for extended periods of time. Known as Omalizumab, this antibody medicine can control the body’s allergic senses and lower the symptoms or reactions that asthma patients suffer.
Because asthma is a continuing condition, you have to continually manage your health. Be certain that you are prescribed or using the appropriate medicine to manage your daily symptoms, and that you have an emergency medicine readily available in the event of an attack. Speak with an allergist or your doctor to determine the best care for you.
Make sure that you and your loved ones get a flu vaccination yearly. Asthma sufferers need to be careful and guard against any upper-resperatory illnesses. You can start by taking simple precautions, such as washing your hands and getting proper vaccinations when due.
During a mild to moderate attack, force all of the air out of your lungs. Breathe out hard and fast. Push that air from your lungs with all that you’ve got! Inhale for three quick breaths, and then take one deep breath so that you can allow your lungs to fill with air, and then force the air out again. This gives your breathing a rhythm, which makes you aware of how many breaths you take. It also voids your lungs of old air so that new air can enter. You may generate sputum, but the primary goal is to start breathing regularly again.
Know that your asthma treatment or medication may have to be increased a bit if you are suffering from allergies, hay fever or a cold. The side effects of many illnesses can flare up your asthma so bad that you have to have an increase in treatment. You might even get a new treatment added onto our existing program until the illness subsides.
Never turn on a fan when the room you are in is very dusty. A fan will spread dust and debris all over. This can very easily aggravate your asthma, and cause serious symptoms. A fan will just blow around dust without providing fresh air, so opening a window is a better option as it brings in fresh air and ventilation.
Those who have asthma should avoid down pillows. Feathers can have a negative effect on the lungs and can worsen asthma symptoms. Your other bedding, such as sheets, blankets and comforters, should be hypoallergenic, too.
If you suffer from asthma, try seeing if a leukotriene inhibitor helps. Leukotriene inhibitors work to prevent leukotrienes. Inhibiting this chemical can lead to a decrease in asthma symptoms. Taking an inhibitor blocks the receptors that leukotrienes normally interact with and leaves your throat less inflamed and attack-prone.
Humidity in the home can create an environment that is ideal for mold and mildew to grow. Both mold and mildew are associated with asthma attacks. Try, then, to ensure your home is dry. Use a dehumidifier during the winter time so that you can keep humidity in control when you use a heater. You can use the air conditioning in your household during summer time to get the same affect.
Proper knowledge of how to use your inhaler is necessary if you have asthma. Find a spot that is out of the way, and follow the manufacturer’s instructions to the letter. The inhaler only can help if it’s medicine reaches the lungs. As you are inhaling air, spray the correct dosage in your mouth. Then hold it and try not to breathe for a minimum of 10 seconds. This will give enough time for the medication to properly fill out your lungs.
When the weather starts to turn colder, wear a scarf or shawl that covers your mouth and nose to help prevent asthma attacks. This will warm the air before it gets in your lungs. Breathing cold air triggers your asthma attacks, particularly in young kids with bad asthma.
Asthmatics should have a flu shot every year to prevent contracting a serious respiratory infection. Try to avoid getting any respiratory infections if you have asthma. You can start by taking simple precautions, such as washing your hands and getting proper vaccinations when due.
Avoid smoke, if you don’t want to have an asthma attack. Smoke can trigger an asthma attack. So do whatever you can to stay away from vapors, chemical fumes and smoke from cigarettes. These things will aggravate your asthma and worsen the symptoms. If someone is smoking near you, either ask them to stop or remove yourself from the situation.
If you are an asthma sufferer, be sure to get the recommended daily dose of Vitamins C and E. They help to increase the function of the lungs and control the overall symptoms of asthma. You can take a supplement or consume these vitamins in food. The vitamins can help to boost the immune system, which will help you to stay healthy and less ill, which means you will have less asthma attacks.
If asthma does strike, don’t lose your cool. Wait half a minute and try the inhaler one more time. If this does not lessen the attack, get help quickly. Have someone call an ambulance for you, or have them bring you to a hospital. While heading to the hospital, breathe into a paper bag; it will slow your breathing rate and help reduce the attack.
You may want to consider purchasing a dehumidifier for your home if you suffer from asthma. Dust mites are a major source of asthma attacks, and dehumidifiers are great at getting rid of the little buggers. A dehumidifier works to dry the air by removing moisture.
Knowing what triggers your asthma is an extremely important thing to know in order to prevent your attacks. If you aren’t sure what causes your asthma to act up, keep a journal. Write down what you were doing and where you were just prior to each attack. Bring your journal to your doctor’s office during each appointment so that she can help you figure out your asthma triggers. Once you know your triggers, do what you can to eliminate them from where you are, as much as possible.
Sleep with a feather-less pillow if you have asthma. Feathers in a pillow can bring on the symptoms of asthma and decrease lung function. The same reasoning applies to all bedding – only purchase bed sheets and comforters that are manufactured from hypoallergenic materials.
Try to keep your living space clean and swept. Also, wash all of your bed linens regularly. By doing this, you get rid of dust and dust mites. Both of these things can trigger an asthma attack. When dust builds, the air becomes much more irritating to those with asthma and can raise the chances of an attack.
Make regular asthma checkups with your doctor, even if you are not having any issues come up. You can not predict when an attack might hit you, or if your doctor has found a different medication that is safer and will help your symptoms more.
If you do not have your inhaler with you and you are experiencing an asthma attack, take a quick caffeine shot! Strong tea, chocolate or even coffee can help to reduce the severity of your attack. Caffeine closes the blood vessels, which makes it easier for you to breathe.
Be sure you understand how to use the medication you’re given for asthma properly, especially your rescue medication. For most asthma cases, an emergency treatment option, such as an inhaler, is used to supplement day-to-day management medication. Asthma lasts a lifetime, so you must manage your treatment and lifestyle to ensure you’re taking the best care of yourself.
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. Smokers should only smoke outside and away from the loved one who suffers from asthma. Heavy smokers can trigger asthma attacks because their clothing gives of a smoke-filled scent.
If you are cleaning, you should use a mop that is damp instead of a dry broom. Those particles that can trigger asthma attacks are stirred up when you sweep. A damp rag should be used when dusting because a feather duster can cause dust to kick up and lead to an asthma attack.
Be mindful of watching your children for food allergies symptoms. Breathing problems or hives after eating a particular food can be be a sign and should be looked into. These allergic reactions could be a precursor of asthma.
As you have seen in the above article, there are various solutions you can use to control or even stop asthma’s interference in your life. Asthma does not need to become the be all and end all of your life. Learn of ways to control it and your life will be most enjoyable.
If you have an asthmatic child under 5 years old, you must carefully monitor for attacks that may require immediate medical intervention. These symptoms include: gasping for air, sucking the abdomen in under the ribcage while trying to breath, and difficulty in speaking due to an inability to draw in enough air. These signs indicate that your kid needs medical attention now.