Affecting your lungs and your ability to breathe, asthma is a serious, potentially deadly condition that needs to be treated immediately and consistently. Asthma attacks may be very serious or fatal. Along with advice you get from medical experts, it is also important to do research on your own. The following tips will help you manage your asthma symptoms and live an active lifestyle.
It is important that you try to stay clear of cleaning products if you have asthma. A lot of agents in cleaners tend to trigger asthma attacks and symptoms. Use natural cleaners instead of chemical cleaners to reduce your chances of asthma attacks after cleaning.
You should avoid smoking and any type of fumes if you suffer from asthma. This does mean avoiding all tobacco products as well as being mindful of sources of employment, with special attention to factories that might provide exposure to smoke and vapors.
There are some common medications that you could be using that will cause asthma symptoms. Some NSAIDs and aspirin might do this. There are some beta blockers that are given to those trying to control their heart disease or who have high blood pressure that may be harmful to an asthmatic, as well. 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.
An important tip to help protect your asthma-afflicted children is to always refrain from smoking around them. As far as triggers that cause asthma attacks or causes of the condition in general, secondhand cigarette smoke ranks right up there. Keep your child away from any area where people are smoking.
If allergy symptoms cause you to have moderate to severe asthma attacks, there is a medication available that can help for extended periods of time. It is called omalizumab, and it is an antibody medicine used to control allergic reaction symptoms. You will need to speak to your allergist to find out if this would be helpful to you.
If you are prone to asthma attacks, avoid any cigarette or other tobacco smoke. You should not smoke yourself! Don’t breathe vapor or chemical fumes. A severe asthma attack can be life threatening. Avoid secondhand smoke by leaving physical distance between yourself and the smoker.
If you have asthma and lack the health insurance coverage to deal with asthma treatment, talk to a social worker. It is crucial that you be able to pay for your asthma medications, and a social worker might be able to locate a hospital or clinic for you that offers medications at a much cheaper price.
If you suffer from asthma, and have many attacks that are related to your allergy symptoms, there is a medication that is injected and provides long term effects. Ask your allergist about omalizumab, an antibody drug that can reduce the severity of asthma symptoms and the frequency of attacks.
Scented products could cause averse reactions to asthma sufferers. It is safest to use unscented products when possible. Products with a fragrance raise the air pollution indoors, and increase the risk of an attack being triggered. Some of these products include incense, scented body sprays and air fresheners. Certain things around the home, such as newly installed carpet or fresh paint, can also release chemical irritants. Try to keep the indoor air as clean and fresh as possible.
Talk to your doctor about getting a leukotriene inhibitor if you have asthma. There are modern medicines that are highly effective at blocking leukotrienes. Leukotriene, a chemical released by the body in response to an allergen, is responsible for inducing many of the symptoms of an asthma attack. The inhibitor can prevent them and decrease your asthma attacks.
Keep dust and dirt to a minimum in any bedroom where an asthma sufferer sleeps. Avoid smoking inside, and only let people eat in the kitchen. Try not to use bleach or other irritants inside, and always thoroughly change the air in your house after cleaning.
Social Worker
An annual flu shot is crucial if you have asthma or have an asthmatic child. You can ward off a great number of these infections by having annual vaccinations.
Talk to a social worker if you do not have health insurance and need medication for your asthma. It is important that you are able to afford your asthma medications, so a social worker may be able to find you a clinic or hospital that offers your medication at little to no cost.
Feather pillows can be bad for those with asthma. Feather can decrease lung function and trigger asthma symptoms. Same thing with bedding – purchase sheets and a comforter that are constructed from hypoallergenic materials.
Though it is easy to postpone or avoid, get those annual flu vaccinations. It is a good idea to avoid all respiratory infections when you have asthma. To do this you must take extra precautions against getting sick, like washing your hands often and getting vaccinated every year.
A humid home will cause mold or mildew to appear. Mold and mildew can have a hand in making you suffer a asthma attack! Therefore, it is important to maintain a dry home. A dehumidifier can be used in the winter, and in the summer, many air conditioner models also help strip moisture from the air.
If you’re having asthma problems, a dehumidifier is a beneficial purchase. Lowering humidity will reduce the amount of dust mites in your home, and help your asthma improve. A dehumidifier works to dry the air by removing moisture.
It’s important to keep up with your daily preventative inhaler routine, but watch out for mouth infections, especially in both teeth and gums. You can prevent these side effects with proper tooth brushing and gargling after you use your inhaler.
Keep your home free of dust and other triggers, especially where the person who suffers from asthma sleeps. Food should be eaten only in the kitchen or dining room, and cigarettes are best relegated to outdoor smoking areas. When cleaning your home, try not to use products that contain harsh chemicals, such as bleach. You should also allow fresh air to thoroughly circulate throughout your home after you’re done cleaning it.
Instead of sweeping your floors, clean them with a damp mop. Those particles that can trigger asthma attacks are stirred up when you sweep. Using a damp rag instead of a feather duster when you dust will lessen the spread of these triggers.
If you have hay fever or a cold, you will probably need increased treatment of your asthma. The effects of an illness can cause the severity of your asthma to temporarily increase, which necessitates a change in treatment. It is also possible that your physician will add an additional treatment to your routine until you recover from your illness.
Dust, pollen, allergens and other asthma aggravators tend to collect in bed linens. A weekly wash cycle using hot water can eliminate these potential triggers for asthma attacks. Fresh, laundered bedding will help you sleep that much easier at night.
Even if you seem to be fine, see your doctor regularly for your asthma checkups. You don’t know when you could have another flare-up, or if there are better or safer medications available.
Go to several doctors. Your primary care doctor should be the first person you go to, but think about seeing a few specialists. Certain specialists, such as pulmonologists and allergists, can provide extra treatment options for your asthma.
During cold months, you could avoid asthma attacks by constantly wearing a shawl, muffler or a scarf that covers both your mouth and nose. This will keep you from breathing cold air. Cold air can trigger severe attacks, especially for young children.
Do not smoke. A lot of people know that smoking is bad for you, but if you have asthma it is far worse. Your lungs could become very irritated if you smoke, and you should avoid being around others that are smoking.
Use your inhaler when you need to, but be aware that this product can cause infections near your gums and teeth. Brushing or gargling immediately after use can help reduce the risk of infection and other problems.
If you are dealing with asthma it is critical you understand how to properly use an inhaler. Spraying it inside your mouth and inhaling is not all it takes. Every time you spray the inhaler, be sure to breathe the mist in deeply and hold it for a a few moments. The medicine will not be able to do its job if you aren’t taking the time to take it the right way.
If you suffer from asthma, avoid being around smoke. Smoke and chemicals have been known to trigger asthma attacks. The fumes from chemicals, or smoke from cigarettes, should be avoided at all costs. The more you are exposed to fumes, vapors and smoke, the more likely you are to have an asthma attack. If there are smokers around you, you may want to ask them if they will smoke in another area.
You need to identify your particular triggers so that you can prevent an asthma attack. A notebook is a good idea for finding specific triggers, so you can talk about them with your physician. Once identified, do everything you can to avoid triggers and eliminate them from your environment whenever possible.
Thoroughly Cleaned
Possible sources that cause asthma include a either genes, environmental aspects or a mix of the two. If anyone in your family history had asthma, pay attention to signs of it in you or your children. Asthma sufferers need to be especially careful to avoid smoke, dust mites, extremely high air pollution levels and allergens.
If you suffer from asthma or allergies, avoid using a vaporizer or humidifier unless it is consistently and thoroughly cleaned. If the vaporizer or humidifier has not been thoroughly cleaned there could be bacteria growing inside of it. When you turn it on it will pump allergens that you will inevitably breath in.
Try gradually strengthening yourself and increasing your lung capacity. Don’t bring on an asthma attack by beginning a strenuous workout that you can’t complete due to asthma.
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.
Watch for serious asthma symptoms to see if your kid needs to go to the ER. If your child is experiencing a serious asthma attack, you will see: increased use of medication with little or no effect, gray or bluish fingernails and/or lips. Your child may also experience trouble speaking.