A life with asthma can be very challenging, but if you find ways to manage the asthma, you can find ways to lead a healthy, active life. Advice is plentiful; you just have to use it in your own life to reap the rewards. Here are some guidelines on how to live life to the fullest although experiencing asthma.
If you suffer from asthma and you smoke, it’s crucial that you quit. Smoking is bad in general for everyone, but it is particularly worse for asthma suffers because it decreases the amount of oxygen in the lungs, putting you at higher risk for asthma attacks.
Smoking should never be done around children, especially a child who suffers from asthma. Secondhand smoke is almost as dangerous to asthmatics as actually smoking a cigarette. Try to keep your children out of environments that are smokey to ensure the health of their lungs.
If you are experiencing a moderately severe attack, try to first exhale completely. Exhale as quickly as possible, expelling air forcefully out of your lungs. Really force that air out of your 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. Pay attention to what you are doing and follow a regular rhythm. When air is forcefully exhaled, it allows a fresh intake of air to fill your lungs. You may cough or generate sputum, this is okay, your main goal is to get your breathing back on track again.
Cleaning Products
If you have been diagnosed with asthma, you must avoid cigarette smoke at all costs. Smoking is off limits. Inhaling the chemical-laden fumes and even the vapors from cigarettes can be extremely harmful. More often than not, smoke is going to trigger an unavoidable asthma attack. The minute you spot people smoking, immediately remove yourself from the area.
When you suffer from asthma, avoiding cleaning products is really important to do. Many of the harsh chemicals inside cleaning products might trigger symptoms or even a full blown asthma attack. While anyone responsible for cleaning their home can’t avoid cleaning products altogether, it’s best to only use natural products.
Never turn on a fan when the room you are in is very dusty. While it may seem smart to get the air circulating, in reality this will only stir up the dust, making it easier to inhale and trigger an attack. It is much better to open a window when you are in need of some air flow.
Never turn on a fan when the room you are in is very dusty. When you turn on the fans they will move the dust in the room around and this can trigger your asthma very easily. A fan will just blow around dust without providing fresh air, so opening a window is a better option as it brings in fresh air and ventilation.
An annual flu vaccination is highly recommended for yourself and your family. Asthma sufferers need to be careful and guard against any upper-resperatory illnesses. It is important to do things like hand washing and receiving proper vaccinations.
If you have asthma and have frequent attacks that are related to allergies, there are medicines that can be injected to provide you with long-term relief. For example, Omalizumab can be used to keep your allergic reactions to a minimum and your asthma under control.
Consider supplementing your diet with Vitamins E and C when you suffer from asthma. These particular vitamins are believed to better your lung function and help manage your symptoms of asthma. Many foods have these vitamins in abundance, but you can also use a supplemental pill. Vitamins C and E are necessary for a healthy immune system. If your immune system isn’t healthy, it won’t be able to fight off illnesses that cause asthma attacks.
If you are an asthma sufferer and are denied health insurance, 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.
There are certain types of household cleaning products that can trigger asthma attacks, and using multiple products is particularly dangerous. Use organic cleaning products since they don’t have irritating chemicals.
You and your loved ones need to get a flu vaccination every year. 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’ve got asthma, don’t smoke or be near smokers. If you inhale the smoke, it will harm your lungs and increase the possibility of an asthma attack. Always be mindful of this, especially in small spaces that do not have very much air flowing.
If you have asthma, you may wish to consider installing a dehumidifier in your home. Decreasing the humidity in the house decreases dust mites, which decreases asthma flare ups. Dehumidifiers reduce humidity and keep the air in your home dry.
Avoid pillows stuffed with goosedown or other feathers if you have an asthma problem. Feathers can trigger asthma symptoms and reduce lung function. This applies to bedding, as well, so it’s best to make sure that everything on your bed is hypoallergenic.
Your asthma treatments will likely increase when you suffer from hay fever or a cold. These illnesses have side effects that can cause asthma to flare up and make an increase in medication necessary. Your regular medication may also need to be combined with other treatments your doctor may recommend.
Your home can be the cause of your asthma and its triggers. These can include dust, mold and spores. To ensure health and reduce the potential for asthma attacks, have a yearly inspection for the presence and removal of these hazards. On top of that, doing housecleaning regularly can prevent build up of these particles.
Don’t miss your appointment for an asthma checkup simply because you aren’t currently having any problems with your condition. You can not predict when an attack might hit you, or if your doctor has found a different medication that is safer and will help your symptoms more.
The development of asthma symptoms can occur over time and they can be difficult to pinpoint and diagnose. There have been a few cases where a person dies from their first attack, because they didn’t know they suffered from the condition. Given that fact, if you have any kind of consistent cough or respiratory ailments, consulting a physician for testing is a good idea, since you want to know if you are suffering from asthma and if so, what to do about it.
Asthma Attacks
If you are going to be flying and are bringing your asthma medicine with you, take written prescriptions from your physician with you, especially if you will be taking large equipment like a nebulizer. You’ll speed up the process of going through security if you have written proof that shows that the items are necessary.
When the weather starts to turn colder, wear a scarf or shawl that covers your mouth and nose to help prevent asthma attacks. Bundling up puts heat between the air and your lungs, which can help lessen your risk of an asthma attack. In multiple studies, breathing cold air is linked to increased asthma attacks. This link is especially pronounced in younger children.
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.
It is important to know the proper way to use asthma medication, especially the medication that is used in an emergency. When you have asthma, you should be on a maintenance medication and have an emergency medicine for asthma attacks. Usually this is in the form of an inhaler. Because you will have asthma for the rest of your life, it is important that you take your maintenance medication properly, and that you use your emergency medication correctly.
If the pollen count is rising, stay indoors when possible. While asthma isn’t an allergy, many allergy irritants can affect it. Given the widespread availability of air quality indices for local communities, anyone who is afflicted with asthma can easily avoid unnecessary outdoor exposure when the atmosphere has likely exacerbants floating around.
When preventing asthma, stay away from smoke. Smoke can induce an asthma attack. Avoid smoke of any kind, including cigarette smoke, if you’ve got asthma. These can increase symptoms of asthma. Ask people around you not to smoke in your presence. Don’t be rude about it, but don’t be afraid to ask for what you need.
If you experience an asthma attack, stay calm. Locate your inhaler, inhale deeply with the spray, and allow 30 seconds to pass before you reuse it. If the attack gets worse doesn’t get better, then get help immediately. Have some one call for an ambulance or take you to the 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.
Smoking is particularly bad for people with asthma. Most people are aware of the dangers of smoking, but for someone with asthma, the consequences are even more serious. Smoke is an irritant to sensitive lungs, ans asthmatics should neither smoke nor be around people who’re smoking.
If you use your rescue inhaler more than two times a week, see a doctor to have your medication adjusted. Using your inhaler this frequently means your prescription is not effectively treating your asthma. Another sign is needing refills 3 or more times per year on your rescue inhaler prescription.
Any time that pollen counts go up, anyone suffering from asthma would be wise to keep their outdoors time to a minimum. Asthma is not considered an allergy, but elements that cause allergies usually trigger asthma attacks too. Many areas provide air quality information publicly, allowing you to stay indoors when the air outside is poor.
Keep an eye out for any symptoms or signs of a severe asthma attack setting in so you can decide appropriately if you need to get your kid to the ER. If the usual doses of asthma medication, including the emergency inhaler, fail to have an effect on wheezing symptoms, the attack is considered serious. Other signs of a severe attack include a bluish tint to the lips, fingernails, or fingertips, as a result of lack of oxygen intake. Your child may also experience trouble speaking.
It is important to keep away from humidifiers that have not been sanitized if you suffer from asthma or allergies. Bacteria can breed inside of the machine due to the moisture, which can exaggerate your allergies or asthma.
Get an annual flu vaccination. Even if you are not generally affected by the cold or flu seasons, it is still a good idea to get yourself vaccinated against them. A person who suffers from asthma is more likely to have greater problems due to the flu virus; infections such as sinus or respiratory are all made worse by the flu.
Knowing the correct way to use an inhaler is essential. It isn’t as simple as spraying your mouth with it and lightly inhaling air. Whenever you spray your inhaler, inhale deeply for multiple seconds. Holding it in will allow the medicine to open up your bronchial passages and relieve your attack.
The cleaner your home is, the less asthma attacks you’re likely to have there. You also need to make the air in your home as dry as possible. You can manage the moisture level in your home by regularly running a dehumidifier. If you work to keep the humidity levels in your home steady, you will decrease the number of seasonal attacks.
If you end up using your inhaler more than twice a week, then you need to consult a physician and change your medication. This can indicate that the inhaler you are using is not working for you. If you must refill your inhaler over two times a year, then it’s time to inquire with your doctor about a medication switch as well.
Asthma sufferers should take care to warm up before doing and strenuous exercise and cool down well afterwards. Doing proper warm-ups and cool-downs can help with the prevention of asthma attacks during or after exercise.
Educate yourself as much as you can about the asthma. When you’re educated about your asthma, you can be proactive with the treatment. Keep up with trends and new treatment methods, and ensure that the medical professionals on your team are working hard to help you. The only way you can do this is by arming yourself with condition and treatment knowledge.
If you have asthma and need to use your emergency inhaler a lot, or you are getting asthma attacks at night, you need to speak to your doctor about your medication. Talk to your doctor about it.
So, as you have read, your options for a great lifestyle are not limited. Asthma doesn’t mean the end of the world, so it you could create a plan in which you can live with asthma in a good way, you will experience a more fulfilling life.
When dealing with an asthma attack, it’s important to make sure that you have a plan in place for coping with an attack once it begins. By being properly prepared, you are better able to handle your asthma.