Are you dealing with asthma and wish you had more information on this subject? You are not the only one. Many sufferers want to learn all they can about asthma, but don’t know where to start. The things that you will read about asthma in this article might be a surprise for you.
Do you know what type of asthma you have? Knowing as much as possible about your specific type of asthma will go an incredibly long way in helping you combat the day-to-day effects it has on you. For example, if your asthma is brought on by bronchitis, you should keep your rescue inhaler with you during times when you are sick. Knowing symptom patterns will help you prevent emergencies.
If asthma is something you suffer from, do not smoke or spend time around smokers, much less any source of vapors and fumes. You should avoid all tobacco products. You also need to consider where you see employment. If you have asthma, you should not work in areas where you will be exposed to smoke or vapors as they could cause you to have an asthma attack.
To keep your child healthy, make sure they are never around smoke. It has been medically proven that smoking can cause asthma or make existing symptoms worse. Keep your child away from any area where people are smoking.
Avoid those things that you know can trigger your asthma. This is different for everyone, but some people, things like dust or pollen can trigger an attack. It could also be some type of strenuous exercise. Try to see what cause your asthma so that you can avoid it.
Learn what triggers your asthma so that you can avoid it. This is different for everyone, but some people, things like dust or pollen can trigger an attack. For others, it may be linked to physical exertion. Try and figure out what gets your asthma started so you know what to avoid.
Prescriptions and over-the-counter medications can actually trigger an asthma attack. Some over the counter medications can irritate your asthma. Beta blockers can also have this affect, as well as other medications for controlling high blood pressure and heart disease. It is important to let your doctor know if you suffer from asthma together with any of these conditions.
During a mild to moderate attack, force all of the air out of your lungs. Exhale hard and fast. You want to force all of the air from your lungs. Inhale in a series of three, or three shallow breaths and one deep breath. After your lungs are filled with air, forcefully exhale again. This gives your breathing a rhythm and makes you focus on your breathing. This technique also forces the air from your lungs to enable more air to come in. It may cause you to cough or even generate sputum, but that’s fine, you goal is for your breathing to get back to normal.
Chemical Fumes
A leukotriene inhibitor can be helpful if you have asthma. There are modern medicines that are highly effective at blocking leukotrienes. Leukotrienes has a hand in causing swelling and inflammation in your lungs, and may trigger a asthma attack. If you use an inhibitor, you may find that the your asthma attacks significantly decrease.
If you are suffering from asthma, stay away from any type of cigarette smoke. Asthma creates breathing problems by constricting airways, and cigarette smoking only exacerbates the problem. Avoid exposure to chemical fumes or vapors. These can trigger a severe asthma attack that can be difficult to get under control. Do everything you can to avoid cigarette smoke, air pollution, allergens and harsh chemical fumes to keep your asthma symptoms under control.
Social workers are there for your assistance if you live with asthma, yet can’t get approved for health insurance. Affording asthma medication is important for handling the illness, and social workers can find places the offer the medicine at low costs.
If you have asthma, it might be helpful for you to buy a dehumidifier. Decreasing the humidity in the house decreases dust mites, which decreases asthma flare ups. Dehumidifiers work by pulling the moisture out of the air of your home.
It has been shown that if you use multiple varieties of cleaning products around your house, it will increase the chance of an asthma attack. Use organic products as often as possible, as these contain fewer harsh chemicals.
If you have asthma, it is imperative that you stay away from smokers. When you inhale tobacco smoke, particularly in small areas without much ventilation, lung function may be severely impacted, and you have a higher chance of having an attack.
It is best to use products that are unscented in the home with someone who is asthmatic. Indoor air pollution rises with the constant use of anything scented, ranging from air fresheners to incense, and all this can trigger asthma attacks. Be aware that fresh paint and new carpet also can emit harmful odors that irritate sensitive airways. Take all necessary measures to ensure that your home is always filled with fresh, clean air.
To lower the chances of an asthma attack, keep your house as clean as can be, especially the bedroom. Never allow anyone to smoke in the home of an asthmatic, and consider using plastic to cover your mattress and pillows. After using chemical to clean, air out the house.
Keep your home meticulously clean to reduce attack potential if there is an asthma sufferer living there, especially the bedroom. Never allow anyone to smoke in the home of an asthmatic, and consider using plastic to cover your mattress and pillows. Air the house out thoroughly after cleaning and avoid the use of bleach and other harsh chemicals indoors.
Take notes of what can trigger your asthma attacks so that you can be prepared for a future attack or learn how to avoid them all together. A lot of asthma sufferers have some triggers in common, like pollen, smoke and pet dander. Make a special effort to avoid agents that bring on even minor asthma symptoms, much less a major attack.
If you or your child suffer from asthma, it is important that you receive a flu shot every year. Prevent those flu infections before they happen by getting a flu shot each year.
Asthma Attacks
Avoid feather pillows if you suffer from asthma. Pillow feathers are known to worsen asthma and affect the lungs. This also goes for bedding; use sheets, comforters and blankets that are crafted from hypoallergenic materials.
Avoid smoke to prevent asthma and asthma attacks. Smoke is a major cause of asthma attacks. Stay away from chemical fumes, vapors, and cigarette smoke at all times. Your asthma symptoms will be exacerbated by these things. If someone smokes around you, ask them politely if they could smoke when you are not around.
If you are going on a trip on a plane and need to take your asthma medicine, take your prescription with you! If you’ve got written proof, it’ll save you a lot of hassle when you’re at a security check.
See multiple doctors to keep asthma under control. It’s true your primary doctor should be your main source for all your asthma help, but it may be wise to see one or two asthma specialists. Certain specialists, such as pulmonologists and allergists, can provide extra treatment options for your asthma.
It’s a very good habit to use your asthma inhaler as a daily preventative, although the drug residue can cause issues for your gums and teeth. A good way to prevent these complications and side effects is to brush your teeth and gargle immediately after using your inhaler.
Watch the pollen counts and adjust your activity accordingly to protect yourself from seasonal asthma issues. Asthma’s not an allergy, but many things that irritate allergies also irritate asthma. Now there’s information on local air quality available so you can monitor whether you’re going to be exposed to hard to breath air.
Pay attention to how often you reach for your asthma inhaler each week. If the inhaler is used more than twice, the asthma problems you are suffering from may not be well-managed or something else might be causing additional attacks to come on. Focusing on how often you need your inhaler makes you aware of when you need to make changes to your plan for keeping asthma under control.
If you tend to suffer from any allergies or asthmatic conditions, always clean vaporizers very thoroughly, as well humidifiers and any associated apparatus. The moist environment of a humidifier can become a breeding ground for bacteria, which can irritate allergies or trigger an asthma attack.
See multiple doctors to keep asthma under control. Although your primary doctor can treat your asthma, a specialist may be able to provide further help. Certain specialists, such as pulmonologists and allergists, can provide extra treatment options for your asthma.
Keep yourself as calm as possible when having an asthma attack. You should immediately use your inhaler and use the inhaler again 30 seconds later. If this does not help and your attack gets worse, you need to get immediate medical assistance. Have someone drive you directly to the hospital or call an ambulance for you. To slow down your breathing along the way, breathe into a paper bag.
Asthma sufferers need to stay inside as much as they can when the air’s pollen content is high. Asthma itself may not be an allergy, many of the same things that affect allergy sufferers also affect those with asthma. The air quality information should be used to find out when it is better to stay indoors to avoid irritants present in the air.
Make sure you schedule regular checkups with your doctor every few months to keep a heads up on your asthmatic condition. Your physician must check you out regularly to see if you need to do anything differently with your treatment. Your doctor is busy, so it’s on you to set and keep your appointments.
You should not use a vaporizer or humidifier if you have asthma or allergies unless you are sure that it is clean. Bacteria can build up in the moisture of these machines, and get relayed into the very environment that you are attempting to make more conducive to your condition.
You must use a protective mask when you paint, so make sure you have one before you start your project. Asthma is strongly irritated by paint, so a mask will put a shield between you and it, and lessen the problem. Take similar steps to avoid any chemical or other substance that tends to trigger your asthma attacks.
If asthma does strike, don’t lose your cool. Try taking inhaled medication to get your asthma back under control. Breathe the medication in as deeply as you can. Take two doses, timed 30 seconds apart, before determining whether the medication is working. If this doesn’t start to control your attack, get assistance right away. Go to the hospital. If the attack is particularly bad, have a friend take you or call 911. Try breathing into a paper bag in order to slow down your breathing while on the way to the hospital.
It is not uncommon for those suffering with asthma to be interested in finding out how asthma can impact their daily lives. Now that you’ve read this article, you’re aware of important information that will help you cope with the problems asthma causes. If you use the tips suggested here, you might discover that asthma is easier to live with than you think.
If you find it necessary to use an inhaler more than two times a week, you should talk to your doctor about changing your medication. Using your inhaler this frequently means your prescription is not effectively treating your asthma. It also isn’t working right if you’re having to refill the inhaler more than two times a year.