Asthma is an illness that can spiral out of control when left unchecked. Asthma attacks may be very serious or fatal. It is important that you seek professional medical advice, but it doesn’t mean that you should take your own steps to relief. Here are a few easy tips to help you get a handle on your asthma symptoms.
If you have been diagnosed with asthma, you should avoid cleaning products. A lot chemicals that are in these items can set off an asthma attack or aggravate other symptoms. When you are tidying your home consider using natural products that are effective for cleaning rather than traditional cleansers.
What type of asthma do you suffer from? Gaining as much knowledge as you can about the type of asthma you have can make your day-to-day activities a little easier. If your asthma is triggered by exercise, throw an inhaler into your gym bag. Treating asthma is less difficult if you and your physician are aware of the triggers that bring on an attack.
Keep clear of anything that you know to be a trigger for your asthma. This is different for everyone, but some people, things like dust or pollen can trigger an attack. For others, certain physical activities may be the trigger. You need to determine what your triggers are so that you can avoid them.
Be careful of chemical cleaners if you are asthmatic. Many chemicals that are in these products can cause the triggering of asthma attacks. There are many all-natural organic cleaning products available that may help eliminate asthmatic problems.
If you find yourself having a mild asthma attack, force the air from your lungs until they are empty. Breathe out quick and forcefully. Forcefully push the air out 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. Paying attention this way will help you stabilize your breathing and make it rhythmic. In addition, it repeatedly empties your lungs of air, so that you can draw in more oxygen-rich air. If you cough up mucus, don’t worry – just get the breathing back to normal.
Serious Asthma Attack
If you have asthma, you should keep away from any smoke from cigarettes. If you smoke, try quitting. Inhaling the chemical-laden fumes and even the vapors from cigarettes can be extremely harmful. This can cause your asthma to flare up, causing an attack that may be uncontrollable. If you are around people who smoke, leave the area very fast.
Any type of smoke can bring on a serious asthma attack. This cannot be emphasized enough: Stay away from cigarette smoke! Never breathe in chemical fumes or vapors. This could trigger a serious asthma attack, and you may have trouble preventing it from happening. If you find yourself in a situation where you are around smokers, remove yourself as quickly as possible.
Dust will make you have an attack, so keep the air calm in dirty rooms. This will move all the dust around, and can easily trigger an asthma attack. If you wish to have a breeze, open a window instead of running a fan.
If you have asthma and do not have health insurance, you should consider seeing a social worker. A social worker can possibly help you with finding treatment and low-cost medications.
A leukotriene inhibitor may be an excellent way for you to deal with asthma. A leukotriene inhibitor is for the prevention of leukotrienes. A leukotrienes is a type of chemical that causes inflammation, which leads to asthma attacks. Get the inhibitor to prevent the leukotrienes, and your asthma attacks may drop in number.
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.
If you have asthma and lack the health insurance coverage to deal with asthma treatment, talk to a social worker. It’s vital that you stay on medication, so there may be programs available to help you get them at a discount.
Stay away from cigarette smoke, even if it’s secondhand. When you inhale tobacco smoke, you are severely increasing the likelihood of an asthma attack. This is especially true in small, confined areas with little to no ventilation.
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 can take a supplement or consume these vitamins in food. Your immune system gets a boost with these vitamins, and this helps protect your body against illnesses and asthma.
When suffering from asthma, make sure to choose products that are unscented. Using products in your home such as incense, perfume or air fresheners can increase the amount of microscopic pollutants indoors and trigger asthma attacks. Newly installed carpet or fresh paint in the home are both known to release chemical irritants. Take all necessary measures to ensure that your home is always filled with fresh, clean air.
IF you have asthma, you should consider buying a dehumidifier. Decreasing the humidity in the house decreases dust mites, which decreases asthma flare ups. Dehumidifiers cause the air in your home to become dry, which means less humidity.
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. Treatment may be increased in these cases as many illnesses have side effects that can cause flare ups in your asthma. Your regular medication may also need to be combined with other treatments your doctor may recommend.
You may have to take more asthma medicine if you suffer from seasonal hay fever or catch a cold. Many illnesses have side effects that could cause your asthma to flare up so badly that you need to have an increase in treatment. Your family doctor may recommend adding another treatment or medication to your current regimen until you recover from your illness.
Figure out your asthma triggers. Once you know what they are, you can change your lifestyle to prevent asthma attacks. If you can’t avoid a trigger, you can pack your inhaler, take allergy pills or engage in other preventive measures so you don’t have an attack. Those who experience asthma are susceptible to some common things like pet dander, smoke, or pollen. It is best to do all that is possible to avoid triggers that can cause attacks.
If you have asthma, use a pillow that doesn’t have feathers in it. Feathers may trigger asthma symptoms by irritating your lungs. The same reasoning applies to all bedding – only purchase bed sheets and comforters that are manufactured from hypoallergenic materials.
Mold and mildew thrive in homes with high humidity levels. Mold and mildew can have a hand in making you suffer a asthma attack! Therefore, it is important to maintain a dry home. When it’s cold, a dehumidifier can keep moisture to a minimum; in hot months, your A/C unit will do the same thing.
Take your rescue inhaler and keep it handy when you travel. Traveling can make you more likely to suffer from attacks due to the extra strain and stress on your body. The change in environment can also have a negative impact, since it is impossible to control. This can lead to more frequent attacks or attacks with symptoms that are worse than normal.
Prevent Asthma Attacks
Look for a support group, such as an online community or a local group. Asthma, especially if it is severe, can be quite debilitating and can keep you from being an active participant in life. A support group will help you have a good time and forget about your condition once in a while, as well as as keep you informed about the latest innovations.
In the winter, cover your mouth and nose with a scarf or shawl to prevent asthma attacks. Filtering and warming air before you inhale it can help prevent asthma attacks. In multiple studies, breathing cold air is linked to increased asthma attacks. This link is especially pronounced in younger children.
You need to know how to properly use asthma medications that are prescribed to you, especially your rescue medication, so that you are prepared if you need to use it during an emergency. Asthma is usually treated by using a regular medicine supplemented with a rescue medicine, like an inhaler. Because asthma is a chronic condition, it is important to take management medication properly and to use rescue medication appropriately.
Know exactly how any asthma medication you take or may take works. Asthma is usually treated on two fronts. One is a standard medication, taken daily, and the other is an inhaler, intended for use in an emergency. Managing your medicine properly is important because asthma is a chronic health problem.
The development of asthma symptoms can occur over time and they can be difficult to pinpoint and diagnose. Sometimes, a person can die from their first asthma attack without actually knowing they had the disease to begin with! So, if you have a lingering cough or instances of troubled breathing, you should see a doctor to see if you might have asthma and determine whether you may need medication to either prevent or treat asthma.
See how many times a week you typically use the rescue inhaler. If you use it more than two times, your asthma might not be well-controlled or you may have unusual occurrences causing those frequent attacks. You can use your frequency of inhaler use to gauge the effectiveness of your asthma treatment plan and make modifications when necessary.
When flying and bringing along asthma medications and equipment, be sure to pack your prescriptions. This is especially true for large items like a nebulizer. If you have written proof about the item you have,and that it is medically necessary, there will be less hassles going through security.
Your bed linen could be filled with dust, pollen or other allergens. Wash sheets on a weekly basis to rid them of allergens. Use hot water to wash the sheets. You should also wash pillowcases. Sleeping with fresh bed linens will ensure you can breathe easy when you sleep.
Avoiding smoke is one of the best asthma-prevention tips out there. Smoke can trigger an asthma attack. Keep away from chemical fumes, chemical vapor, and tobacco smoke as much as you can. They can easily increase your asthma symptoms. Ask your family to smoke outside, and consider moving if they refuse.
Avoid Smoking
If you have asthma, schedule checkups ever few months with your doctor to stay on top of your condition. Your physician can assess if there’s been any changes in your condition, and adjust your treatment plan accordingly. Your doctor is busy, so it’s on you to set and keep your appointments.
Avoid smoking. People know that smoking is dangerous, but it is even more dangerous to 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.
Joining a support group for asthma sufferers, or having a conversation with others who have asthma, is very helpful. Other sufferers can help you learn how to manage and live with your asthma, by offering tips and advice. Being with supportive people will give you the motivation to take control.
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.
Don’t skimp on vitamin B6. In many studies, it has been shown that vitamin B6 (which is also called pyridoxine) decreases the intensity and frequency of asthma attacks. Pyridoxine improves the flow of blood and oxygen to your bronchial tubes. One common source of vitamin B6 are bananas.