Living with asthma poses a unique set of challenges, many of which can be overcome with proper management techniques, leading to the resumption of a healthy and active lifestyle. You can keep your asthma in check and prevent it from lowering your quality of life through a variety of methods, techniques and treatments. Read this article to find out how you can manage your condition more easily.
If you are afficted with asthma, it is critical to quit smoking and avoid the use of any other tobacco products. Smoking is horrible for people, it is really bad if asthma becomes worse and blocks oxygen to your body, you need oxygen to work and stave off asthma.
What type of asthma do you suffer from? You can learn to combat the life changing effects of asthma by understanding your specific type. For example, if you have exercise-induced asthma, you will want to always make sure you have an inhaler in your gym bag. You can actually start preventing asthma attacks if you are aware and mindful of any patterns that your symptoms present.
Always be very mindful of the type of medications you’re taking. Some meds out there might just trigger an asthma attack. Some of these include aspirin and NSAIDs. The medication you take for high blood pressure can also cause asthma symptoms. If you’ve been diagnosed as asthmatic and are taking medications unrelated to your asthma, be sure your doctor is aware of them.
If you are an asthmatic, it is vital that you never smoke, and if you already do, you should quit as soon as possible. While smoking is bad for everyone, it’s particularly hard on an asthma sufferer as it restricts oxygen getting to the lungs.
It is crucial that you stay away from all types of cigarette smoke if you suffer from asthma. This cannot be emphasized enough: Stay away from cigarette smoke! Air pollution and fumes from harsh chemicals also increase asthma symptoms. Any of these things can trigger an asthma attack. Avoid secondhand smoke by leaving physical distance between yourself and the smoker.
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. Breathe out hard and fast. Force your lungs to expel as much air as possible. Breathe in by taking three quick breaths, followed by one very deep breath. Doing this will fill your lungs completely, and allow you to expel the air forcefully again. This will create a rhythm and will help you be aware of the way you are breathing. 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.
If you suffer from asthma and allergies that result in attacks, you can get injections of long-lasting medication for relief. For example, Omalizumab can be used to keep your allergic reactions to a minimum and your asthma under control.
If you find yourself in a room that is dusty, don’t turn on any kind of fan. A fan will spread dust and debris all over. This can very easily aggravate your asthma, and cause serious symptoms. The better way would be to open a window to increase the airflow in the room.
If you have asthma, you may wish to consider installing a dehumidifier in your home. Though you may not be aware of it, high levels of humidity in indoor spaces can increase dust mites, which then can affect asthma. Dehumidifiers reduce humidity and keep the air in your home dry.
Attacks Related
If you are an asthma patient, be sure to stay away from people who smoke, even if you are not a smoker yourself. The functionality of your lungs can be dramatically impaired if you inhale tobacco smoke, especially in areas with little ventilation, and you run a greater risk of attack.
If you are a person with asthma and have persistent attacks related to allergy symptoms, a medication that can be used for a long term effect is one that can be injected. An antibody medicine known as omalizumab is very effective at countering asthma attacks related to allergies. Ask your allergist about it.
If you or your child suffer from asthma, it is important that you receive a flu shot every year. Make sure your child’s vaccinations are up-to-date to avoid as many infections as possible.
Make certain that you and your loved ones receive annual flu shots. If you suffer from asthma, it is best to avoid respiratory infections of any type as much as possible. Making sure to consistently wash your hands, and getting the proper vaccinations are two standard precautions.
Make sure you know what triggers asthma attacks so you can either avoid those triggers or be prepared to manage your asthma symptoms. Some common asthma triggers include pet dander, pollen, and cigarette smoke. When possible, stay away from triggers of asthma symptoms in an effort to prevent a severe attack.
When suffering from asthma, make sure to choose products that are unscented. If you are using scented products like perfume, incense, or air fresheners you should up the level of air pollution in your home. An asthma sufferer’s airways can feel irritated by odors such as fresh paint or new carpeting. Keep your indoor air as clean as you can.
Some of asthma’s major triggers can be right in your home. These triggers inside the home are usually spores, mold and dust. To stay healthy and reduce the chance of asthma attacks, you should have an inspector visit your house yearly to remove these harmful agents. Furthermore, thorough and frequent cleaning will ensure that allergens and other possible triggers do not accumulate in your home.
To cut the risk of an asthma attack, keep your house as clean as you can, particularly the bedroom of the person with asthma. Never allow anyone to smoke in the home of an asthmatic, and consider using plastic to cover your mattress and pillows. 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.
If the air in your home is humid, it provides an ideal incubator for mold or mildew. Both mold and mildew are associated with asthma attacks. You will benefit greatly from keeping the moisture out of your home’s air. 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.
Asthma Treatment
You can wear warm things like a shawl, muffler or scarf, which can help cover your nose and mouth in the colder months. This will warm the air before it gets in your lungs. By breathing in cold air, it has been proven that it could trigger an asthma attack more so in children that are younger and suffer from severe to moderate asthma.
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. Side effects that are associated with most illnesses can serve as triggers for asthma and may cause an increase in your asthma treatment. Your regular medication may also need to be combined with other treatments your doctor may recommend.
It’s important to keep up with your daily preventative inhaler routine, but watch out for mouth infections, especially in both teeth and gums. To best method to prevent these side effects and complications is by brushing your teeth, then gargling directly after using the inhaler.
Now you know that there are many ways to treat and prevent asthma attacks and keep it from hindering your life. Asthma does not have to be a death sentence, so if you can make a plan on how to live with asthma, you will have a much more fulfilling life.
If you suffer from asthma, avoid being around smoke. Cigarette smoke will often trigger an asthma attack. You should attempt to minimize your contact with cigarette smoke, chemical fumes, and noxious vapors. Any inhalant, which is irritating, can trigger an asthma attack! If someone is smoking around you, you have every right to nicely ask them to not to.