Are you suffering with asthma along with millions of other people? The article below contains simple tips to help you manage your asthma symptoms.
What triggers your asthma? 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. An example would be to bring in your gym bag an inhaler if you happen to have exercise-induced asthma. Knowing your asthma symptom patterns will help keep you safe.
An important part of symptom management is knowing what type of asthma you have. Learning about your type of asthma will help you to deal with it. Those whose asthma is exacerbated by exercise will know to always have an inhaler on hand. Knowing the patterns of your symptoms will help you avoid crises.
Cleaning products should be avoided when you have asthma. Many of the harsh chemicals inside cleaning products might trigger symptoms or even a full blown asthma attack. If you’re the one who regularly cleans the house, look for natural cleaning products which are much safer to use.
Do not smoke around your children if they have asthma. Secondhand smoke is almost as dangerous to asthmatics as actually smoking a cigarette. You should also make sure your child is never in an environment where other people are smoking.
Asthma is a chronic condition, requiring constant health management. Be sure you are practicing proper self-care, and make sure you have your inhaler ready to go in case you suffer a full-blown attack. To determine the best options for you personally, consult your physician and an allergist.
It is important that you try to stay clear of cleaning products if you have asthma. A lot of agents in cleaners tend to trigger asthma attacks and symptoms. It is advisable to consider using products that have an organic base when cleaning.
If you’re suffering from an asthma attack that’s moderate or mild, then work to force all the air you can from your lungs. Exhale quickly and with power. Get the air all out of the lungs. Do your inhalations in triple bursts of short breaths, and then follow with final deep inhalation so that you fill your lungs comfortably, before exhaling with vehemence once more. Using this strategy provides your breathing with a rhythm that forces you to focus on it. This technique also forces the air from your lungs to enable more air to come in. If you cough or produce sputum, don’t worry. Just remain focused on your objective, which is to regain a normal rate of breathing.
An annual flu vaccination is highly recommended for yourself and your family. Make sure you do your best in avoiding respiratory infections at all costs if you have asthma. The easiest way to start is by performing routine hand-washing, limiting your touching of surfaces while in public places, and getting vaccinations recommended by your doctor.
If you’re in a room that has a lot of dust in it, don’t turn on a fan. Otherwise, the dust will fly into the air and could give you an attack. The better way would be to open a window to increase the airflow in the room.
Consider supplementing your diet with Vitamins E and C when you suffer from asthma. It is thought that these vitamins will help increase lung function and will help control asthma symptoms. You are able to get these vitamins either from food or a supplement. These vitamins can boost immune systems, which helps you to avoid illnesses that can be a trigger for your asthma.
If you suffer from asthma, try seeing if a leukotriene inhibitor helps. These work by preventing the formation of leukotrienes. Leukotriene is a type of chemical substance which may cause inflammation and could cause an attack. Using an inhibitor will counteract the negative effects of leukotriene, thereby decreasing the occurrence of asthma attacks.
Keep your home dust-free and get rid of any carpet in your house to help prevent asthma attacks, especially in a bedroom. Don’t smoke indoors, or allow any junk food in your home. After you clean, let the house air out completely, and stay away from using any harsh chemicals (especially bleach) inside.
An annual flu vaccination is recommended for you as well as other members of your family. People who have been diagnosed with asthma should exercise extreme diligence in avoiding other respiratory conditions. Precautions include washing your hands and staying current with vaccinations.
Asthma treatment dosages will need to be increased if you are sick with a cold or are dealing with hay fever. Many illnesses have side effects which can cause your asthma to get much worse, leading your doctor to increase treatment. Your doctor might add additional medication until your sickness gets better.
You may have to take more asthma medicine if you suffer from seasonal hay fever or catch a cold. These illnesses have side effects that can cause asthma to flare up and make an increase in medication necessary. Your doctor may choose to also add an additional treatment until the illness gets better.
Make sure you are aware of what triggers your asthma so you can avoid it or prepare properly. A lot of people who suffer from asthma have the same triggers, pet dander, smoke, or pollen. Whenever you can, stay away from these agents that can trigger symptoms or cause full-blown asthma attacks.
If you have asthma, or if your children have asthma, it is vital that you receive the flu shot yearly. Stave off as many of these infections as possible by getting vaccinated every year.
Even if you are feeling great, don’t skip your asthma check-ups. It is important to make sure your condition isn’t worsening, and your doctor may want to prescribe a different medication.
Avoid using a feather or down pillow if you have asthma. Pillow feathers are known to worsen asthma and affect the lungs. This applies to bedding, as well, so it’s best to make sure that everything on your bed is hypoallergenic.
Support Group
Go to your regular medical check-ups, even if your condition seems under control. Asthma can flare-up at any time, and you never know, perhaps your doctor has safer or better medications which can help your symptoms.
Think about becoming a member of a support group, whether it is online or somewhere local. Many people who suffer from asthma are unable to live a full life. By joining a support group, you will be able to discuss new scientific breakthroughs or treatment alternatives with those who are interested.
Look for a support group, such as an online community or a local group. Asthma, particularly if it is severe, can incapacitate you and keep you from going about your daily activities. Being a part of a support group can help provide you with honest information about products and helpful hints, as well as medical news.
Some common catalysts of asthma attacks regularly occur in the home. These triggers inside the home are usually spores, mold and dust. Have your home inspected for and cleaned of these things to reduce the occurrence of asthma attacks. You can help keep your house safe from these harmful substances by regularly cleaning and dusting your home.
Monitor how often, per week, you find it necessary to use your inhaler. Using it two times or may may mean that your asthma is not as controlled as you may think it is. It could also mean that something else is bringing on these frequent attacks. If you notice an increased use in your inhaler, reexamine your management plan and check for any changes in your surroundings that may be triggering the asthma.
During colder months, wear a shawl, scarf or muffler to avoid asthma. This will warm the air up before you breathe it into your lungs. Breathing in the cold air has been shown to trigger asthma attacks, especially in younger children with moderate to severe asthma.
Avoid aggravating your asthma condition while sleeping by covering your mattress and pillows with plastic before putting clean linens on. You can reduce or eliminate these potential asthma attack inducers by laundering your sheets and pillowcases in hot water every week. Sleeping with fresh bed linens will ensure you can breathe easy when you sleep.
Do not smoke. Although bad for everyone, cigarettes can cause greater problems for those with asthma. Sensitive asthmatic lungs are easily irritated by smoke, so they need to avoid smoking and to avoid situations where there are people who smoke.
Make sure you are going to different doctors. Even though your primary care doctor can assist you in the basic care for your asthma, consider visiting a specialist also. 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.
Don’t use humidifiers or vaporizers in your home until they have been rigorously cleaned, if you suffer from either asthma, allergies or both. Not cleaning a humidifier allows bacteria to grow in the machine’s moist water tank area, and the machine will pump dangerous allergens into yoru environment every time you use it.
If you frequently use your inhaler (more than two to three times per week), you should talk to your doctor about alternative methods of treatment or a different prescription. This means your inhaler isn’t working right. Also, if you have to refill your inhaler more than twice in one year, then a visit to the doctor for a medication change is also in order.
If you use your rescue inhaler more than two times a week, see a doctor to have your medication adjusted. This might mean that your inhaler isn’t working enough for you. This also applies to anyone who needs to refill their inhaler more than two times in a single year.
If you want to paint something, get a mask to protect yourself from the fumes. Paint fumes can be irritating to asthma sufferers, but a mask creates a protective shield. Refrain from using any substance or chemical that aggravate your asthma.
This article laid out many ways to control asthma symptoms. But of course, the advice is only useful if applied with diligence and regularity. Make sure to always be on top of your asthma because if you aren’t, it can quickly return. Make sure that you’re always using accurate information, like the ones above to help keep your asthma under control.
Ensure your house is clean and tidy. Also, be sure to keep your bedding as clean as possible. Keeping your home clean allows you to keep dust and dust mite levels low; both of these can trigger an asthma attack. Of course you sleep with your face literally touching your bedding, so a build up of dust can quickly trigger an attack, which is why it is so important to keep your bed dust-free.