Is your asthma stressing you out? There is no cure for asthma, as it is a chronic disease. However, a diagnosis of asthma does not mean your life has to be drastically altered. You will have to make a few changes so you can live as comfortably as possible.
Are you informed about what type of asthma you suffer from? Being fully informed about the specific type of asthma you have is very important. A perfect example is that if you have asthma caused by exercise you should put a inhaler in your locker or gym bag. Knowing when an asthma attack is likely to strike can help you avert disaster.
If you have asthma, it is crucial that you do not smoke, or quit if you do. Smoking is terrible for everyone, but it lowers the oxygen supply in asthma patients who need as much oxygen as possible.
It is crucial for asthma sufferers not to smoke. Smoking is not recommended for anyone, but it creates worse complications for asthma patients by cutting off part of the oxygen supply needed to breathe properly.
Cigarette smoke will make your asthma worse. Smoking is especially dangerous for asthmatics. Stay away from vapors and chemical fumes, too. This can cause your asthma to flare up, causing an attack that may be uncontrollable. Never visit a home or establishment where people will be smoking, and if people start to smoke, walk out.
Certain prescription medications have the potential to cause asthma symptoms. Some over the counter medications can irritate your asthma. This can also be caused by beta blockers, like medications that are used in managing high blood pressure or heart problems. It is important for your doctor to know your complete medical history, including any medications you are currently taking, so they can best treat your asthma.
Learn how to use an inhaler in the correct manner if you do not already know. Locate a quiet place, and follow the label to a tee. Remember that using an inhaler is only going to help you if the medication contained within makes its way to the lungs. You need to inhale air while spraying the requisite dosage in your mouth. Allow the mist to fill up your lungs by holding your breath at least ten seconds.
Exhale as hard as you can during an asthma attack. If you can’t breathe at all, go to the hospital; however, controlling your exhalation rate can sometimes help stop a less severe attack. Exhale quickly and forcefully. Force your lungs to expel as much air as possible. Take in three breaths, and then a deeper breath until your lungs are full of air. Then exhale with force again. This will force you to pay careful attention to all of your breaths. In addition, it repeatedly empties your lungs of air, so that you can draw in more oxygen-rich air. You might start coughing, and some sputum may come up, but this is no problem and your focus is to get back into a relaxed, rythmic breathing pattern again.
A dehumidifier is an excellent investment for asthma sufferers. If you lessen your humidity in the house, you will stave off dust mites that may make your asthma flare. Dehumidifiers work by pulling the moisture out of the air of your home.
Resist the urge to turn on a fan if you find yourself in a room filled with dust. A fan will spread dust and debris all over. This can very easily aggravate your asthma, and cause serious symptoms. It would be better to just open a window if you are needing to get some airflow.
Hay Fever
When struggling with asthma, consider using a leukotriene inhibitor. These work by preventing the formation of leukotrienes. Leukotriene, a chemical substance, can cause asthma attacks by causing inflammation. The inhibitor can prevent them and decrease your asthma attacks.
When dealing with hay fever or a cold, you will notice an increase in your asthma symptoms. An increase in treatment is necessary sometimes because side effects of other sicknesses can cause your asthma symptoms to flare up. Your doctor may prescribe a new medicine or change the dose of your existing medication until the hay fever or cold passes.
If you suffer from asthma, be sure your diet includes lots of Vitamins C and E. These vitamins can help improve your lung function, ultimately controlling asthma. These vitamins can be easily obtained, either through your diet or a supplement. Loading up on these vitamins will energize your immune system, aiding your body in preventing the illnesses that worsen or trigger asthma.
If your child or yourself are asthma sufferers it is very important that you get the flu shot every single year. Therefore, it is very important to avoid as many infections to the lungs as possible by getting a vaccine each year.
Using more than 4 different kinds of cleaning products for your house has been known to increase risks associated to asthma attacks. Opt for organic cleaning products that do not contain irritating chemicals.
If you are dealing with asthma, a good idea is to use a pillow without feathers. People are often allergic to these natural products that can affect breathing and bring on asthma symptoms. Be sure to keep the same advice in mind for your bedclothes. They should be made from materials that do not increase allergy symptoms.
Mold and mildew can grow in your home where there is humidity. These substances are prime triggers for asthma attacks. You should do your best to maintain a dry home. One way to control the humidity in the house is to employ a dehumidifier to pull out the excess moisture.
Have your rescue inhaler with you at all times, especially when on vacation. Traveling can put additional strain on your body, making you more susceptible to asthma triggers. Traveling can make asthma symptoms worse, and it is difficult, nearly impossible to control environmental triggers during travel.
You can wear warm things like a shawl, muffler or scarf, which can help cover your nose and mouth in the colder months. That way the air is warmed before it enters your lungs. Cold air can trigger severe attacks, especially for young children.
Mold and mildew thrive in homes with high humidity levels. These are harmful substances that can trigger asthma attacks. So try your best to make your home as dry as possible. When you are using a heater in winter time, you can run a dehumidifier for help controlling humidity. In the summer, running your air conditioner will allow you to keep your humidity down.
If you suffer from asthma, avoid being around smoke. Smoke can seriously affect the lungs and is a common asthma trigger. Avoid any kind of chemical fumes, vapors, and tobacco smoke as much as you can. All of these will increase your asthma symptoms. If there are smokers around you, you may want to ask them if they will smoke in another area.
Maintenance Medication
Stay away from smoking. Most people know that smoking is dangerous, but if you have asthma there are more serious consequences. Smoke is an irritant to sensitive lungs, ans asthmatics should neither smoke nor be around people who’re smoking.
It is essential that you learn the proper ways to use all of your asthma medications, especially those used in rescue situations. Asthma typically is treated so that the sufferer has a regular maintenance medication, but is also prescribed a rescue medication, like an inhaler. Because asthma has no cure, you must treat it carefully by taking your maintenance medication every day and using your emergency medication responsibly.
If you have asthma and you’re also an allergy sufferer, you must only use a vaporizer or humidifier that’s been cleaned thoroughly. Bacteria can breed inside of the machine due to the moisture, which can exaggerate your allergies or asthma.
Bed linens attract things that cause asthma attacks. 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. You will breathe easier at night when you have freshly washed and clean bed linens.
You need to know how to properly use your inhaler if you have been diagnosed with asthma. It isn’t as simple as spraying your mouth with it and lightly inhaling air. Every time you spray the inhaler, breathe deeply inward for about three seconds. Failure to properly use your inhaler can lead to deadly effect.
It is important to keep away from humidifiers that have not been sanitized if you suffer from asthma or allergies. 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.
Going to an asthma support group or just talking to people who also have asthma can really help out. People who have experience with the same disease as you can often provide a number of suggestions or tricks that work in specific situations – all of which can make your battle with asthma a little earlier. Being with supportive people will give you the motivation to take control.
If you are suffering from asthma, you should learn how to utilize your inhaler the right way. You need to know that you can’t lightly inhale as you just spray it inside your mouth. With each spray, you have to take a deep breath so that the medication gets into your lungs. Failure to properly use your inhaler can lead to deadly effect.
Once you know what sets your asthma off, you can keep attacks from happening as frequently. A good way to do this is to keep a small journal or notebook. Record each asthma attack and what was happening when it occurred. Discuss this information with your doctor, and he will help you to identify triggers. After you figure out what your triggers are, do everything in your power to avoid exposure to them.
Asthmatics should always wear a mask when dealing with the harsh chemicals in fresh paint. You can bother your asthma a lot by painting, if you use a mask it can help protect you. Use proper safety equipment to protect yourself from chemicals that can agitate your asthma condition.
You can contract asthma through genetics or through environmental conditions. If you have a family member with asthma, keep a close watch on your children and yourself for any asthma related symptoms. Asthma sufferers need to be especially careful to avoid smoke, dust mites, extremely high air pollution levels and allergens.
Attending asthma support group meetings, or even talking to a few chosen people with the condition, can do wonders for you. The other members can give you valuable advice on how to cope with the everyday challenges of living with asthma, and how to handle specific situations. One of the keys to fighting asthma is having the support of the people in your life.
Closely monitor the frequency of your asthma attacks. If you have more than two asthma attacks in a week, it may be time to change medications. Most medical professionals concur that it may be harmful to endure two or more attacks on a weekly basis, and that it is completely preventable with the right medications.
One of the most important things that you can do to prevent asthma attacks is to identify your triggers. Think about maintaining an ashtma journal so you can record possible triggers as they come up, and then discuss them with your doctor. Take active steps to minimize coming into contact with elements that trigger your asthma, to help reduce your attacks.
Watch for these symptoms of serious asthma attack to know whether or not you should rush your child to the emergency room. Increased usage of medication to no avail of relief and fingernails and lips turning bluish-gray are indications of a severe asthma attack. Your child may also be unable to speak.
Preparation and forethought are at the foundation of any asthma plan. You can avoid the serious complications of an asthma attack by managing your symptoms properly. This article is the first step to understanding how to battle this disease effectively!
If you are having an asthma attack and you have left your controller medications at home, see if you can get a quick shot of caffeine. Strong black tea, coffee or chocolate can aid in mitigating asthma attack symptoms. This opens up your airways.