The lungs are absolutely essential to living a healthy life, everyone knows that, but what everyone doesn’t know is how to live and maintain their stamina whilst suffering from asthma. Life can still go about as normally as it ever would, even with something as serious as asthma holding you back. Learn how to manage your asthma, and your life, by reading the tips below.
You should stay away from anything you might believe which can trigger an asthma attack. Certain asthma sufferers experience attacks when they around around allergy triggers, such as dust or pollen. For other people it may physical activities that will set them off. Try to figure out when your asthma began so it can be avoided.
People afflicted by asthma should make it a priority to always avoid exposure to smoke, vapors and fumes. This means avoiding tobacco products, and making sure that you do not choose any kind of job that could expose you to harmful vapors or smoke, such as factory work.
There are some common medications that you could be using that will cause asthma symptoms. NSAIDs and aspirin are known for their ability to cause symptoms. You should also pay attention to heart medications you may take, or ones that treat abnormal blood pressure. Let your doctor know about your asthma and what prescriptions you’re taking.
If you are asthmatic, you absolutely must not subject yourself to any form of cigarette smoke. Smoking is a terrible habit but it’s even worse for someone who suffers from asthma as it decreases the amount of oxygen that gets to your lungs.
Get annual flu vaccinations for your entire family. Asthma patients should try their best to avoid getting respiratory infections. This means that you should take all standard precautions to avoid illness, such as washing your hands, getting vaccinated and avoiding those who are sick.
If you have asthma, avoid cigarette smoke of all kinds. Do not smoke yourself, either! Avoid exposure to chemical fumes or vapors. Any of these things can trigger an asthma attack. If people smoke around you, you should get away form that area.
You may want to consider purchasing a dehumidifier for your home if you suffer from asthma. By decreasing the humidity you have in your home, it will decrease the dust mites, which will then decrease your asthma from flaring up. Dehumidifiers keep your home dry by keeping the humidity out.
When struggling with asthma, consider using a leukotriene inhibitor. There are modern medicines that are highly effective at blocking leukotrienes. Leukotrienes are inflammation-causing chemicals that can bring on asthma attacks. Taking an inhibitor will reduce the amount of this substance your body produces, which should decrease the number of attacks you experience.
Avoid exposure to secondhand smoke because it is as dangerous to asthmatics as smoking a cigarette. As soon as you inhale any smoke from tobacco, your lungs become sensitive, which increases your risk of an attack. Just avoid any type of smoke, especially in small areas, and keep your lungs healthy to be safe.
Ask everyone in your family to get a flu shot every year. If you have asthma, it’s important to prevent all respiratory infections, if at all possible. This means taking every precaution possible, do things like getting vaccinated to prevent sickness to hand washing on a regular basis.
It is best to use products that are unscented in the home with someone who is asthmatic. Scented products should be avoided, such as air fresheners, perfume, and incense. These can increase the amount of air pollution in the home and even trigger an attack. You should also avoid fresh paints or new carpets, as they give off fumes that can irritate the airway. Try to keep the indoor air as clean and fresh as possible.
Understand what things make your asthma flare and avoid these things or manage the symptoms. Smoke, pollen, or pet dander are common triggers. Do your best to avoid coming into contact with substances that you know will trigger your symptoms.
To minimize the chances of triggering a bout of asthma, keep your house extra clean, particularly rooms where asthma patients sleep. Avoid smoking inside, and only let people eat in the kitchen. Let in plenty of fresh air if the weather permits, and avoid using harsh chemicals to bleach.
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.
A support group can offer empathy and information about new treatments and medication. Asthma, particularly if it is severe, can incapacitate you and keep you from going about your daily activities. The individuals in this group could also provide you with new insights about medications that are out there, as well as other advice in dealing with asthma.
When taking asthma medications on a plane trip, bring written medical prescriptions provided by your doctor. Having proof in writing from a doctor that states the item is a medical necessity can eliminate security hassles.
A humid home environment is a healthy environment for mildew and mold to develop. Asthma attacks are easily triggered by these substances. A dry home will help you out a lot more. During winter time, use a dehumidifier if necessary to control humidity while running your heater, and use your air conditioner during summer months to keep air dry.
Using a preventative inhaler is important, but you need to know the side effects it can cause such as mouth infections. Always brush and gargle as soon as you’ve finished using your inhaler to prevent mouth infections.
Know how to properly use asthma medicine, especially your rescue medication. For most asthma cases, an emergency treatment option, such as an inhaler, is used to supplement day-to-day management medication. Because asthma is a chronic condition, it is important to take management medication properly and to use rescue medication appropriately.
Contact with pets and other animals should be minimized for the asthma sufferer. While an allergy to animal hair or dander is a possible asthma complication, even those sufferers free of such allergies can experience an asthma attack caused by the dust and pollen all animals tend to carry along with them.
Make sure you are going to different doctors. Your family doctor or primary care physician can be the person you go to regularly for asthma symptoms, but also talk to a few specialists. Certain specialists, such as pulmonologists and allergists, can provide extra treatment options for your asthma.
Go to several doctors. Your family doctor will be in charge of your asthma treatment, but seeing a specialist can provide you with invaluable help. Nutritionists, allergists, and pulmonologists are just some of the advisers who can change your life for the better.
Talking to other asthma sufferers, or attending a formal support group, can be a very effective way to cope with asthma. They can give you pointers and tips on what to do in certain situations, and can help you in your fight against asthma. As with anything else, having the right support system can make a difference in how asthma affects your life.
It is important to remain calm during an asthma attack. Wait thirty seconds to try your inhaler after using it the first time. If your attack worsens, call for help. Go to the hospital immediately or call 911. Try to breathe into a paper bag so that you can calm your breathing when you’re on the way.
Asthma has numerous potential causes, including both genetic and environmental factors. If anyone in your family suffers from asthma, beware of any symptoms that are suggestive of asthma in you or your children. There are many environmental factors, like mold, great deals of dust, smoke and pollution that can lead to asthma, so it’s important to keep both yourself and your children away from these things.
If you’ve been diagnosed with asthma, it is crucial that you understand how to properly use your inhaler. It’s not enough to spray a little into your mouth and breathe softly. Make sure when you spray your inhaler that you take in deep breaths for short periods of time. Properly using your asthma inhaler is one of the most important ways you, as a person with asthma, can protect your health.
It is important to keep the space you are living in clean and well kept. Also, make sure to wash your pillows, blankets and sheets often. When you keep everything clean, you are preventing dust and mites from building up, which will help stop asthma attacks. The more dust there is in an environment, the more likely it becomes that the air will aggravate an asthmatic’s symptoms, prompting an attack.
Paint Fumes
Watch for allergy attacks and replace your medication accordingly, if you are experiencing an attack more than twice a week. Medical professionals generally consider two or more allergy attacks weekly to be dangerous, but completely preventable.
If repainting a room is in your future, purchase a quality mask first to protect your lungs from paint fumes. Not surprisingly, paint fumes are a known irritant for asthma. Specially designed masks can filter out these fumes. Avoid all substances and chemicals which trigger problems with your asthma.
Over time you should work to strengthen your body and increase the capacity of your lungs. Don’t start a grueling workout that you know your asthma will not allow you to finish.
Finding out what causes your asthma attacks can be the most effective way to prevent them. Start an attack journal to help identify these triggers, and share what you record with your doctor. By identifying the causes of your asthma symptoms, you can then work to eliminate these triggers from your life completely.
If you or a member of your household has asthma, be sure to ban smoking in your home, your car and your immediate vicinity. Smokers should smoke outdoors and a reasonable distance from your home. Heavy smokers can trigger asthma attacks because their clothing gives of a smoke-filled scent.
The idea should be to gradually condition your body in order to increase lung capacity. The last thing you should do is a frenetic workout. You will surely trigger an attack. Start slow and build your stamina.
If your child is younger than five and has asthma, always watch to see if an attack will require that you take them to the ER. For example, if your child is gasping for breath or can’t talk because of lack of breath, he may be having an asthma attack. If you see any of these symptoms, your child should get medical help immediately.
While asthma is condition that lasts a lifetime, it can be made easier to manage by following the advice from your doctor and articles such as this one. There are new medications being discovered all the time to help treat asthma. With some luck, maybe asthma can be a thing of the past.
If you are going to exercise with asthma, it is essential that you perform the proper warm-ups and cool-downs before and after your routine. These actions will lessen your risk of having an asthma attack as a result of your exercise.