Have you or a loved one been diagnosed with the condition known as asthma? The tips you will find below will help you control these annoying symptoms.
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 must do the cleaning in your home, opt for natural products with lower chemical content.
If you are afficted with asthma, it is critical to quit smoking and avoid the use of any other tobacco products. Although smoking causes health problems for everyone, it is even more dangerous to asthma sufferers because the smoke causes airway swelling that cuts off oxygen to your lungs, and can trigger an attack.
Never take medications without getting your doctor’s approval so you don’t wind up taking one that has a side effect of exacerbating asthma.. Examples of medications that may contribute to asthma are aspirin and other NSAIDs. The medication you take for high blood pressure can also cause asthma symptoms. If you have any of these conditions along with your asthma, make sure you tell your doctor.
Asthma is ongoing. Therefore, it also requires continual management of your health. Ensure you’re taking the proper medications in order to manage everyday asthma symptoms. In addition, you should have a quick-fix medication handy in the event you suffer from an attack. To determine the best options for you personally, consult your physician and an allergist.
Make sure that you and your loved ones get a flu vaccination yearly. If you have asthma, it’s important to prevent all respiratory infections, if at all possible. Making sure to consistently wash your hands, and getting the proper vaccinations are two standard precautions.
If you are prone to asthma attacks, avoid any cigarette or other tobacco smoke. You should not smoke! Don’t breathe vapor or chemical fumes. These irritants can be a trigger for a severe asthma attack. If you are around others who are smoking, remove yourself.
It is best to use products that are unscented in the home with someone who is asthmatic. Products that contain fragrance, such as perfumes, colognes, or air fresheners, can pollute the air triggering your asthma. Fresh paint and new carpeting can also irritate the airway. Because the dangers these things represent, it is important to always keep indoor air fresh to the best of your ability.
Make sure you use the inhaler in the proper, prescribed method. Find a quiet spot and follow the instructions the manufacturer has given. The inhaler can only help you if the medication actually reaches the lungs. You need to inhale air while spraying the requisite dosage in your mouth. After inhaling, it’s important that you hold the medication in by holding your breath for 10 seconds at the least.
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. An increase in treatment is necessary sometimes because side effects of other sicknesses can cause your asthma symptoms to flare up. It is also possible that your physician will add an additional treatment to your routine until you recover from your illness.
Unscented products are best for asthma sufferers. Use of scented products, such as perfume, air fresheners and incense, increase the levels of indoor air pollution and can trigger an attack. Fresh paint and new carpeting also give off odors that may aggravate the airways. Because the dangers these things represent, it is important to always keep indoor air fresh to the best of your ability.
Avoid pillows stuffed with goosedown or other feathers if you have an asthma problem. Feathers can have a negative effect on the lungs and can worsen asthma symptoms. This applies to bedding, as well, so it’s best to make sure that everything on your bed is hypoallergenic.
Keep your home meticulously clean to reduce attack potential if there is an asthma sufferer living there, especially the bedroom. Food must only be allowed in the kitchen area, and there should be no smoking in the house at all. After you clean, let the house air out completely, and stay away from using any harsh chemicals (especially bleach) inside.
Even if your asthma is not acting up, attend all of your doctor’s appointments. Your doctor may be able to prescribe more effective treatments and you may be suffering symptoms you’re not aware are related to your asthma.
Allergens, the common cold and influenza can increase your asthma symptoms. The effects of some illnesses can exacerbate the effects of your asthma, causing the need for more treatments. Your doctor may also add another treatment to your regimen until your illness gets better.
Mold and mildew will often grow in a humid home. These substances are prime triggers for asthma attacks. You should therefore try to keep your home dry. When you use the heater in the winter, be sure to have a dehumidifier control the humidity in your home. During the summer time, be sure to use the air conditioner to maintain a dry home.
An annual flu shot is crucial if you have asthma or have an asthmatic child. Get yearly vaccinations to keep these potential infections at bay.
Bundle up during winter weather if you have asthma. Covering your nose and mouth with a scarf or muffler helps prevent asthma attacks. This will warm the air before it gets in your lungs. Studies have consistently shown that cold air can cause your throat and lungs to constrict, triggering asthma attacks. Children are especially susceptible to cold-induced asthma.
If you are an asthma patient, you may want to sleep with a pillow that does not contain feathers. People are often allergic to these natural products that can affect breathing and bring on asthma symptoms. This applies to bedding, as well, so it’s best to make sure that everything on your bed is hypoallergenic.
Asthma is a health condition that usually develops over a period of time, and has symptoms that may not be obvious. In some cases, people do not even know they might have a chance of an asthma attack and their first one proves fatal. Therefore, if you have trouble breathing or a constant cough, you may want to seek a medical professional to determine if you have asthma. Your physician can also determine whether you need medication for either asthma prevention or asthma treatment.
For many people, their homes can be triggering their asthma, or even causing their asthma in the first place. These can include dust, mold and spores. Have an inspector come visit your house to remove any harmful agents that you have so that you can stay healthy and lower your risk for an asthma attack. Additionally, cleaning your home on a regular schedule prevents these unwanted visitors from taking residence en masse.
Using a preventative inhaler is important, but you need to know the side effects it can cause such as mouth infections. To best method to prevent these side effects and complications is by brushing your teeth, then gargling directly after using the inhaler.
Asthma Attacks
Avoiding smoke is key in controlling asthma. The inhalation of smoke can easily trigger an asthma attack. Avoid exposure to chemical fumes and vapors, and any type of wood or cigarette smoke. Any inhalant, which is irritating, can trigger an asthma attack! If there are smokers around you, you may want to ask them if they will smoke in another area.
During the colder months, avoid asthma attacks by wearing a scarf, shawl or muffler that covers the mouth and nose. Filtering and warming air before you inhale it can help prevent asthma attacks. 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.
Someone suffering from asthma should avoid animals. 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.
If you have asthma, don’t stop using your inhaler unless your doctor tells you to. However, watch for infections in your gums or other mouth discomfort after using your inhaler. One effective way in preventing these side effects and problems is to brush and gargle right away after you use your inhaler.
Make sure you keep calm if you are having an asthma attack. Locate your inhaler, inhale deeply with the spray, and allow 30 seconds to pass before you reuse it. If your attack worsens, call for help. Get someone to call an ambulance or get you to a hospital. To calm yourself on the drive, bring a paper bag and breathe into it, as this will slow your breathing.
During the week, you should take note each time your rescue inhaler is used. Your medication may need to be adjusted or an alternative treatment considered if you find that you need to use it 3 or more times per week. How frequently you need to use the inhaler can help you recognize any environmental changes you need to make.
If you have asthma, you must know how to use your inhaler properly. You need to know that you can’t lightly inhale as you just spray it inside your mouth. Every time you spray the inhaler, be sure to breathe the mist in deeply and hold it for a a few moments. A rescue inhaler will not help you if you aren’t breathing it in correctly.
The tips you have read above should be useful in controlling the symptoms you experience from asthma. However, the biggest factor will be how determined you are to apply them. Asthma symptoms can return if you neglect triggers and signs for even a small period of time. Lead a healthier, more symptom free, life by following the advice above.
If you find yourself relying on your rescue inhaler more often than twice weekly, it may be necessary to speak with your doctor about changing medication. Increased reliance on your inhaler may be an indication that the medication is no longer working well enough. It also isn’t working right if you’re having to refill the inhaler more than two times a year.