Asthma is a very difficult disease to live with. Asthma will make your ability to do daily tasks harder. Unfortunately, there is no cure for asthma, and even the symptoms are difficult to control. Read this to learn some ideas for keeping your asthma from doing too much damage.
If you suffer from asthma, don’t smoke, and avoid exposure to secondhand smoke. That means you have to avoid all tobacco, and seriously consider think about what jobs you take; for example, factories are probably not a healthy place for you because of all the vapors and smoke.
Be careful of chemical cleaners if you are asthmatic. The chemicals in these products make you more prone to an asthma attack. There are many all-natural organic cleaning products available that may help eliminate asthmatic problems.
If you suffer from asthma, stay away from the fumes of household cleaning products. Many chemicals contained in common cleaning products can aggravate your asthma, triggering an attack. If you enjoy cleaning, or are the sole cleaner in the household, you are sure to be able to find one of the many natural cleaners that will be safe for your use.
Some medications are known to cause asthma symptoms. Examples of medications that may contribute to asthma are aspirin and other NSAIDs. Some medications can cause your asthma to be worse such as beta blockers for high blood pressure or heart disease. If you suffer from asthma, be sure that your medical professional is aware of this.
Cigarette smoke and asthma do not mix. You should not smoke yourself! Air pollution and fumes from harsh chemicals also increase asthma symptoms. 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.
Asthma is ongoing. Therefore, it also requires continual management of your health. Be certain that you are using the right maintenance medicines to control your asthma and that you also have a rescue or emergency medication when you have an acute asthma attack. Discuss your best options with your allergist and doctor.
Injections are available to people who suffer from asthma related to allergies, to help give them some long term relief. 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 have asthma, you should keep away from any smoke from cigarettes. Refrain from smoking! Never breathe in chemical fumes or vapors. This can aggravate your asthma and it might not stop. If you are around people who smoke, leave the area very fast.
Social workers are there for your assistance if you live with asthma, yet can’t get approved for health insurance. Social workers are often able to locate a hospital or clinic that can offer free or low cost options to make sure you can fill your medication prescriptions.
If you suffer from asthma and you are not eligible for health insurance, speak with a social worker. Social workers are trained to help people find resources for affording health care, particularly on debilitating conditions such as asthma.
Think about getting a home dehumidifier if you have asthma. Not only will a dehumidifier decrease humidity, but it will also be helpful in controlling the dust mite population. Both are causative factors in asthma attacks. Dehumidifiers eliminate your home’s humidity, leaving dry air.
If you have asthma, a dehumidifier is something you should consider purchasing for you 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 keep the humidity out of your home by keeping the air dry.
Products with no scent are the safest and best option for an asthma sufferer. Simple everyday things such as air fresheners, incense and perfume can cause indoor air pollution levels to increase and trigger an attack. Irritating odors are also given off by new carpeting and paints. Try to see that the air inside your home remains as fresh as possible.
Cleaning Products
Know what causes your asthma attacks, as this will enable you to work around them or prepare to treat the asthma attacks that result. A lot of asthma sufferers have some triggers in common, like pollen, smoke and pet dander. Try to avoid the things that make your asthma flare up.
Studies show that using a variety of cleaning products in the home can actually increase the odds of triggering an asthma attack. Try to use organic based cleaning products that are not harmful to asthma sufferers.
Your home can be the cause of your asthma and its triggers. These causes are sources, such as, but not limited to dust, mold and spores. Stay on top of your health and reduce the likelihood of attacks. You can do this by having it inspected every year to get rid of triggers. If you clean your house regularly, you can minimize the risk of these substances accumulating in your dwelling.
Keep your home free of dust and other triggers, especially where the person who suffers from asthma 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.
Mold and mildew can grow in your home where there is humidity. They are a nuisance for people with asthma; the asthma attacks they trigger require you to eliminate them. You should do your best 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.
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. A lot of illnesses can cause your asthma to flare up very badly, resulting in the necessity to increase asthma treatment. Your doctor may choose to also add an additional treatment until the illness gets better.
Asthma develops gradually, and its symptoms may not be very noticeable. There are actually many people that have passed away from an asthma attack without ever knowing they were even at risk. So, if you have difficulty breathing or a cough that doesn’t go away, see a doctor to figure out whether you suffer from asthma and to determine whether you will be needing medication to prevent or treat the condition.
Make sure to examine what it is that causes your asthma attacks in order to best avoid having to deal with them. Common asthma triggers include pollen, smoke or dander. Avoid your asthma triggers as much as you can to prevent attacks.
If you are taking an airplane and you need to travel with your asthma apparatus or medications, bring your written prescription with you. You’ll speed up the process of going through security if you have written proof that shows that the items are necessary.
While traveling, always keep emergency asthma medication on hand and close by. Being in odd environments can cause undue stress on your body, which makes you more prone to an asthma attack. Traveling can make asthma symptoms worse, and it is difficult, nearly impossible to control environmental triggers during travel.
Keep an asthma diary and record how often, each week, you must use a rescue inhaler. 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. You are able to judge how the environment around you effects your body by how many times you need to use your inhaler.
Support Group
Bed linens are a magnet for nasty allergens and asthma triggers, including dust and pollen. To reduce the chance that your bed linens will induce an asthma attack, wash your sheets every week in hot water. If you are sleeping on freshly laundered linens, you will sleep much easier.
Look for a support group, such as an online community or a local group. Left untreated, asthma can be very debilitating and prevent you from enjoying your normal activities. By getting involved in a support group you will also be speaking with other sufferers who may know of new scientific discoveries and treatment plans you may not be aware of.
You need to know how to properly use your inhaler if you have been diagnosed with asthma. You should not just stick it between your lips and spray. You must breathe deeply for at least a few seconds when using your inhaler. Failure to properly use your inhaler can lead to deadly effect.
Some of the major causes of asthma, and triggers for asthma attacks, can exist right in the home. These generally include dust, mold and spores. To keep your body healthy and to cut down the frequency of asthma attacks, it is important to have your house professionally inspected and cleaned to remove these harmful substances. It also helps to clean your home frequently to prevent a buildup of these allergens.
Talk to your doctor about adjusting your medication if you find yourself using the inhaler 3 or more times per week. This can indicate that the inhaler you are using is not working for you. This is also true if you find yourself refilling the inhaler prescription more than twice in a calendar year.
Wear a covering over your mouth and nose when you go outdoors in the colder weather. A shawl, scarf or muffler would work well. That way the air is warmed before it enters your lungs. Cool air has been known to trigger an asthma attack, particularly in very young children who have severe or moderate asthma.
If you decide to paint a room in your house, purchase a mask in order to keep yourself from inhaling fumes. The fumes from paint can easily cause your asthma to flare up. Having a mask will help you to prevent this. Avoid chemicals, substances and scents that aggravate your asthma.
Monitor your weekly inhaler use and tally how many times you need to use it to control an attack. If you use it three or more times each week, your treatment plan may not be working effectively or else an atypical situation may be triggering an increased number of attacks. How often you use your rescue inhaler should serve as a reminder that your environment needs to be monitored.
Joining a support group, or finding friends with a similar condition, can help you. They can help you with advice on what you can do in some situations, and they can also help you with information on how to to fight your asthma. Support from other people is so important.
Do not use a vaporizer or humidifier unless you are sure it’s been thoroughly cleaned. Bacteria can grow inside the machine because of the moist environment, and you will be releasing that right into the air if you are using it.
Sweep and clean your home regularly. Make sure you wash your bedding often. If you do this, it keeps dust mites and dust from building up and triggering asthma attacks. Built up dust makes the air irritating and increases the chances of an asthma attack.
Asthma should not be taken lightly. If you think your symptoms are getting out of control, seek professional advice and do all that you can to prevent symptoms in the first place. Make sure to use the information from this article to help you make your symptoms better and to avoid asthma from commanding your life.
If you are having more than a couple of asthma attacks per week, you should go to your doctor and eliminate triggers. Medical professionals agree that more than two attacks in any given week can be hazardous to your health.