It is common to be scared when a doctor gives you a diagnosis of asthma. Asthma, being a chronic condition, has no cure. Your life shouldn’t come to a standstill once you are diagnosed with asthma. Keep reading to gain insight as to what you can do to keep this serious disease under control.
If you are an asthma sufferer, you need to avoid smoking and exposure to fumes or vapors of any kind. Stay far away from any tobacco products. You should also consider where you work, as factories may expose you to harmful vapors or smoke.
Do not smoke around your children if they have asthma. Secondhand smoke is something that can lead to serious asthma. It’s best to also keep your child away from places in which others will be smoking.
Smoking is a horrible habit, even deadly, for an asthma sufferer. Smoking is unhealthy for everyone, however it is especially bad for asthmatics. Your lungs are already compromised from the asthma and adding smoke to that will cut off the vital oxygen supply your lungs need to breathe.
Cleaning Products
Avoid anything that is known to trigger your asthma. Many asthma suffers find that dust or pollen can trigger an attack. Others experience an attack from physical activities. Try to see what cause your asthma so that you can avoid it.
If you suffer from asthma, strong cleaning products should be avoided. Cleaning products may contain chemicals which can trigger an asthmatic episode, such as ammonia. If you’re the one that cleans your home, try organic or natural cleaning solutions that are much less risky to your health.
If you have moderate asthma attacks, exhale forcefully, so that you force air from your lungs. Force air out of your lungs with quick, powerful exhalations. Try to force the air out of your lungs! Take three short breaths, then one last deep breath to ensure your lungs have enough air, then forcefully breath out. 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. If you cough or produce sputum, don’t worry. Just remain focused on your objective, which is to regain a normal rate of breathing.
Some medications can exacerbate asthma symptoms as a side effect. Aspirin is an example of a widely used medicine that can cause asthma problems. Beta blockers can also have this affect, as well as other medications for controlling high blood pressure and heart disease. If you suffer from any of these conditions along with your asthma, make sure you tell your doctor.
Anyone suffering from asthma or asthma-like symptoms needs to stay clear of cigarette smoke, whether you smoke yourself, or even if you’re breathing secondhand smoke. Refrain from smoking! Don’t breathe vapor or chemical fumes. This can set off an Asthma attack that you might not be able to stop. Avoid secondhand smoke by leaving physical distance between yourself and the smoker.
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. Consider purchasing and using organic cleaning products since they are void of irritating chemicals.
Never turn on a fan when the room you are in is very dusty. This can move the dust around and can trigger an attack easily. Open a window to bring clean, cool air inside instead.
When suffering from asthma, make sure to choose products that are unscented. Products that contain fragrance, such as perfumes, colognes, or air fresheners, fill the air with irritants that can trigger an asthma attack. An asthma sufferer’s airways can feel irritated by odors such as fresh paint or new carpeting. Try keeping the air indoors as fresh as it can be.
Make sure you are using your inhaler properly. Find a spot that is out of the way, and follow the manufacturer’s instructions to the letter. The inhaler can only help you if the medication actually reaches the lungs. Inhale air while spraying the necessary amount of medication into your mouth. Then, don’t breathe for around 10 seconds so that the medication permeates your lungs.
You should be ready to increase asthma treatments if you suffer from hay fever or a cold. Many of these illnesses will worsen your asthma symptoms bad enough to require more treatments than you typically need. The doctor may choose to pursue additional treatment options during your illness as well.
Make certain that all members of your family get their annual flu shot. You do not want to have a respiratory infection if you have asthma. Take the right steps to stop yourself from getting sick, wash your hands and get the right vaccines.
If you have asthma, you should get a flu shot once per year. Get vaccinated every flu season to avoid a high number of infections.
Make sure you are taking plenty of Vitamins E and C if you suffer from asthma. These vitamins are thought to help improve lung function and control asthma symptoms. Many foods have these vitamins in abundance, but you can also use a supplemental pill. 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.
Avoid pillows with feathers if you have asthma. The feathers contained in these pillows can aggravate asthma symptoms and reduce lung function. The same can be said for bedding, try to get hypoallergenic comforters and sheets.
If you are using a lot of different cleaners around your house you can trigger a asthma attack. Use organic cleaning products since they don’t have irritating chemicals.
There are support groups available to you, both in person or on the Internet. Asthma can be quite debilitating, especially if the asthma is severe, and this condition can interfere with daily life. As science marches on, new medications and treatments for asthma become available, and you can keep abreast of this progress through a good support group.
Stay away from any tobacco smoke, even people that are smoking tobacco. When you inhale tobacco smoke, particularly in small areas without much ventilation, lung function may be severely impacted, and you have a higher chance of having an attack.
Your home can be the cause of your asthma and its triggers. Dander, dust and mold are all commonly found in many homes. To keep healthy, lower your risk of an asthma attack by getting rid of these triggers from your home. If you clean your house regularly, you can minimize the risk of these substances accumulating in your dwelling.
If you or someone in your family has asthma, all family members need to get flu shots every year. Get yearly vaccinations to keep these potential infections at bay.
Asthma is a disease that can develop slowly over time, making it sometimes difficult to spot the symptoms. In some serious cases, people have dropped dead due to an asthma attack without ever knowing they had asthma in the first place. Always consult with a doctor to see if a persistent cough or difficulty breathing is a sign that you require treatment for asthma. There may even be things you can do to prevent it from getting worse.
You should understand what triggers your asthma attacks in order for you to avoid these causes or prepare yourself for managing your symptoms. Those who experience asthma are susceptible to some common things like pet dander, smoke, or pollen. Whenever you can, just steer clear of these triggers when you know what they would result in.
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.
Feather pillows can be bad for those with asthma. The pillow feathers can cause asthma to flare up and minimize your lung function. It is also advisable to use hypoallergenic sheets and comforters for the same reason.
Treatment Plan
When traveling, make sure to have your rescue medication handy at all times. Traveling can put additional strain on your body, making you more susceptible to asthma triggers. Influencing the environment around you is nearly impossible while on the road, which is another opportunity for deteriorating symptoms or attack triggers.
Monitor how often, each week, you need your rescue inhaler. If you use it three or more times each week, your treatment plan may not be working effectively or else an atypical situation may be triggering an increased number of attacks. This number can help you monitor your environment for asthma triggers and let you determine if your treatment plan is working properly.
Asthma takes a long time to develop and doesn’t yield obvious symptoms. People can even die from their very first asthma attack as they’re not prepared for it! Always consult with a doctor to see if a persistent cough or difficulty breathing is a sign that you require treatment for asthma. There may even be things you can do to prevent it from getting worse.
Smoke should always be avoided when you suffer from asthma. Inhaling smoke can trigger an asthma attack. You should avoid cigarette smoke, vapors, and chemical fumes as much as possible. Exposure to these substances can worsen your asthma considerably. If someone is smoking around you, you have every right to nicely ask them to not to.
Using your preventative inhaler should be done daily. It’s important to know, though, that it can cause sores and infections near your gums and teeth. A good way to prevent these complications and side effects is to brush your teeth and gargle immediately after using your inhaler.
It is important to remain calm during an asthma attack. Use the inhaler, pause for 30 seconds then use it again. If you do this and you notice that your attack is worsening then you need to get help. Go to the hospital. If the attack is particularly bad, have a friend take you or call 911. While heading to the hospital, breathe into a paper bag; it will slow your breathing rate and help reduce the attack.
Being around animals should be avoided. Even people that do not have allergies are prone to suffer an asthma attack from the pollen and dust on animals.
If you are going to paint your home, purchase a mask beforehand so that you will not breath the fumes. Paint can irritate asthma a great deal, so a mask will create a protective shield to combat this issue. Avoid chemicals, substances and scents that aggravate your asthma.
Do not smoke! There is a general awareness that smoking is not good for your health. But for the asthmatic, smoking can quickly have serious consequences. 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.
To live with asthma, you have to be prepared. Having a knowledge of your type of asthma and the ways you can manage it from day to day is the best way to avoid crises. This article can help you build some knowledge to fight it.
It is important to keep away from humidifiers that have not been sanitized if you suffer from asthma or allergies. Bacteria can grow inside the machine because of the moist environment, and you will be releasing that right into the air if you are using it.