If you are among the millions of people who suffer from asthma, you definitely need to take a few minutes to read the information that follows. You’ll read the best tips below for living a healthy life while you have asthma and making it an easier life to live.
Because asthma is a continuing condition, you have to continually manage your health. Make sure that your daily routine includes taking appropriate medication to keep you free of asthma symptoms, along with additional medication to treat you for any sudden asthma attacks. See your doctor or allergist to find out which treatment plan is best for your situation.
Quit smoking or avoid smoke if you suffer from asthma. Smoking is unhealthy for anyone, regardless of their health; however, when you have asthma, smoking restricts the oxygen your lungs needs to breathe and function properly. If your lung function is affected, you run the risk of having more frequent attacks.
Use the inhaler properly. Try to locate a calming location, and be certain to adhere to any directions given by the inhaler’s maker. The inhaler is only useful if the medication within it actually gets to your lungs. Spray the stated dose of medicine into your mouth as you inhale. Don’t exhale for ten seconds so that the medicine can go through your lungs.
Cigarette smoke and asthma do not mix. Avoid smoking altogether. Stay away from vapors and all chemical fumes so you are not able to breathe them in. More often than not, smoke is going to trigger an unavoidable asthma attack. Never visit a home or establishment where people will be smoking, and if people start to smoke, walk out.
Make certain that all members of your family get their annual flu shot. Try to avoid getting any respiratory infections if you have asthma. The preventative measures you can take against such sickness range from simple habits of hand washing to getting your annual flu shot.
Don’t turn on any fans if you see that your room is dusty. If you do, the dust will move around, and you can trigger your asthma. If possible, open a window to increase the flow of air into the room.
A dehumidifier is an excellent investment for asthma sufferers. Lowering humidity will reduce the amount of dust mites in your home, and help your asthma improve. Dehumidifiers reduce attacks in your home by making the air cleaner and drier.
If you deal with asthma in your life, always choose products that are free of scents. Products with a strong smell such as air fresheners, incense or perfume can trigger asthma attacks. In addition, paint that is fresh or carpet that is new release odors that can cause breathing irritations that lead to an asthma attack. Try keeping the air indoors as fresh as it can be.
Asthma treatment dosages will need to be increased if you are sick with a cold or are dealing with hay fever. Make sure your doctor prescribes a fast acting inhaler for emergency situations. Your physician might also add more treatments to your regimen until your asthma is under control again.
If you or your child suffer from asthma, it is important that you receive a flu shot every year. Get vaccinated every flu season to avoid a high number of infections.
Sleep with a feather-less pillow if you have asthma. The pillow feathers can cause asthma to flare up and minimize your lung function. Be sure to keep the same advice in mind for your bedclothes. They should be made from materials that do not increase allergy symptoms.
If you suffer from asthma, consider using a feather-free pillow to sleep. Feather can decrease lung function and trigger asthma symptoms. Your other bedding, such as sheets, blankets and comforters, should be hypoallergenic, too.
If you plan to take a trip, you must always keep your rescue medication with you at all times. Traveling tends to put extra stain on the body, and you’re more susceptible to your asthma triggers under these conditions. It is also hard to predict what will come up or to control your environment when you travel, which increases the chances of experiencing more severe symptoms or an attack.
If you plan to take a trip, you must always keep your rescue medication with you at all times. Traveling can put additional strain on your body, making you more susceptible to asthma triggers. Controlling your environment is harder when traveling, so this makes it much more probable that you experience worsening symptoms or an attack.
Even if you are feeling great, never skip your regular asthma checkup. You can never tell when an attack will strike, or when your physician may have some better or safer advice for you to follow.
If you’re flying and bringing along your asthma medications, bring a doctor’s written prescription with you. If you have the proof that this is a medical necessity, it can cause less hassles during the security check.
Consider joining a support group, either on or offline. Suffering from asthma can mean many days are spent at home with your condition stopping you from participating in a full and fulfilling lifestyle. A support group also makes it easier to keep up to date on advancements in asthma science or new medications that come on the market.
While using an inhaler can potentially cause mouth or gum sores, it is still important to use it daily if you suffer from severe asthma. You can prevent these side effects with proper tooth brushing and gargling after you use your inhaler.
Mold and mildew thrive in homes with high humidity levels. They are a nuisance for people with asthma; the asthma attacks they trigger require you to eliminate them. So, it makes sense to keep dry air in your home. During the winter, you can use a dehumidifier to control humidity when using a heater, and an air conditioner during the summer will help keep your home dry.
Make sure you count how many times, within a week, you have 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. The frequency of use of your inhaler can give you an idea about your surroundings and the need to watch them.
You should use your inhaler everyday regularly; however, be forewarned that the medicine can potentially lead to mouth infections, especially around your gums and teeth. To prevent these issues, brush and use mouthwash immediately after inhaler usage.
Using a wet mop is superior to using a broom to clean your floors. Sweeping the floor kicks up dust and other debris that can set off an attack of your asthma. You can greatly reduce this by using a wet sponge, damp rag, or moist cloth instead of your old-fashioned feather duster.
Keep notes on how often you are compelled to use your inhaler each week. If you are utilizing your inhaler more than two times per day, you might not be controlling asthma as well as you think you are! How often an inhaler is used can help to monitor the environment.
Someone suffering from asthma should avoid animals. A lot of times the hair or dander will cause an asthma attack, but even if you do not have an allergy to the pet itself they often carry pollen and dust with them.
If you have asthma consider staying away from pets or animals. Animals are a danger to asthma sufferers who are already allergic to them, but pets also carry a wide array of dust particles and pollen, so avoiding them is a good move for anyone dealing with asthma.
Bed Linens
If you suffer from asthma or allergies, avoid using a vaporizer or humidifier unless it is consistently and thoroughly cleaned. Bacteria can breed inside of the machine due to the moisture, which can exaggerate your allergies or asthma.
Bed linens often collect asthma aggravators, such as pollen, dust and allergens. You can reduce or eliminate these potential asthma attack inducers by laundering your sheets and pillowcases in hot water every week. Clean bed linens will help you breathe better while you sleep.
If asthma does strike, don’t lose your cool. Use your rescue inhaler, rest for a half to one minute, then use the inhaler again. If this does not lessen the attack, get help quickly. Call an ambulance or have someone present drive you to the nearest hospital. On your way to the hospital, breath in and out in a paper bag in order to help calm yourself and get your breathing down to a normal pace.
People with asthma should 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.
Proper use of an inhaler is crucial if you suffer from asthma. Don’t just breathe normally or shallowly after spraying inhaled medication into your mouth. With each spray, you have to take a deep breath so that the medication gets into your lungs. A rescue inhaler will not help you if you aren’t breathing it in correctly.
People who suffer from asthma should stay inside as much as they can when the pollen count is up. While asthma isn’t a type of allergy, those with asthma are frequently bothered by the same kinds of irritants that cause problems for allergy sufferers. Asthma suffers can now minimize exposure to outdoor pollutants and irritants by checking online for current air quality in their areas.
Have your asthma situation checked out by a doctor every so often, so that you are not blindsided by changes in your condition. Your physician needs to have the opportunity to see what is happening with you, and alter your treatment plan if necessary. Taking on the responsibility of scheduling these regular appointments will help your doctor help you to stay healthy.
You can soon enjoy a more active, healthier lifestyle by taking a few steps to better manage your asthma, just use the information provided in the guide as a starting point. With the information you received today, you can return to an active lifestyle as you get proactive about returning to what you have missed.
Identifying what triggers your asthma attacks will go a long way towards treating them. A daily journal can be a powerful tool to help you pinpoint frequent triggers and it can also help your doctor to prescribe the treatment that is right for you. When you know what they are, do everything possible to keep away from these triggers, and get rid of them from your surroundings whenever you can.