Asthma is a very serious medical problem that can greatly impact your life. One of the best methods to deal with asthma is to understand how to prevent attacks before they begin. The next few paragraphs will give you some practical tips for controlling asthma symptoms.
You need to avoid all of the asthma triggers that you know. Allergens such as dust and pollen can bring on an asthma attack at any time. For other people it may physical activities that will set them off. Determine what your trigger is so you can easily avoid an attack.
If you have asthma, you should definitely avoid smoking or being exposed to any kind of fumes or vapors. 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.
During a mild to moderate attack, force all of the air out of your lungs. Breathe out quick and forcefully. Really expel the air from your lungs! Take three short breaths, and then take a fourth, deeper breath to fill your lungs comfortably; then, breathe out with force again. This will force you to pay careful attention to all of your breaths. It also expels air from your lungs so more can enter. If you cough or produce sputum, don’t worry. Just remain focused on your objective, which is to regain a normal rate of breathing.
It is vital that neither you, nor anyone else, smoke around a child with asthma. Secondhand smoke is almost as dangerous to asthmatics as actually smoking a cigarette. You also need to be sure that your child isn’t around those that choose to smoke.
If allergens are causing you to suffer from frequent asthma attacks that are moderate to severe, there is an injectable medication that can provide you with long-term relief. Your allergist might recommend Omalizumab, which is an antibody type medicine that can regulate your symptoms of allergic reactions.
If you suffer from asthma, strong cleaning products should be avoided. It is very possible that one might bring on an asthma attack with some chemicals used for cleaning. If you’re the one that cleans your home, try organic or natural cleaning solutions that are much less risky to your health.
Learn how to properly use your inhaler. Find a comfy spot, and follow the manufacturer’s instructions. The inhaler only helps if the medication reaches your lungs. Spray the stated dose of medicine into your mouth as you inhale. It is then necessary to hold the breath for about ten seconds to give the medication time to work in your lungs.
Prescriptions and over-the-counter medications can actually trigger an asthma attack. Various NSAIDs and aspirin have been reported to do this. Common medications used for controlling high blood pressure often times contain beta blockers, which asthmatics may be more sensitive to. If you suffer from these conditions and also have asthma, be sure to let your doctor know.
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. This means taking every precaution possible, do things like getting vaccinated to prevent sickness to hand washing on a regular basis.
If allergy symptoms cause you to have moderate to severe asthma attacks, there is a medication available that can help for extended periods of time. Ask your allergist about omalizumab, an antibody drug that can reduce the severity of asthma symptoms and the frequency of attacks.
Take a lot of Vitamin E and C if you are suffering from asthma. It is widely believed that these vitamins can help control asthma symptoms by improving lung function. You can take these vitamins in pill form, or you can eat fresh fruits and vegetables and get the vitamins that way. Loading up on these vitamins will energize your immune system, aiding your body in preventing the illnesses that worsen or trigger asthma.
Make sure that you and your loved ones get a flu vaccination yearly. If you are afflicted with asthma, avoid getting any infections if possible. Making sure to consistently wash your hands, and getting the proper vaccinations are two standard precautions.
If you are dealing with asthma, you would benefit from buying a dehumidifier. With less humidity, there will be fewer dust mites, and that means that there is less of a chance that your asthma will flare up. Dehumidifiers work by taking the humidity out of the air.
If you are dealing with asthma, you would benefit from buying a dehumidifier. A dehumidifier will reduce attacks by taking extra humidity and, by extension, dust mites and other debris out of your air. Try running a dehumidifier to dry up the air in your home.
It has been shown that use of four or more different kinds of cleaning products can raise the risk of asthma attacks. Choose organic products, and stick to as few products as possible.
To keep from triggering any bad symptoms of asthma or a full-blown attack, it’s important to keep the home clean and tidy, free of dust and other particulates. This is particularly important in a bedroom. Keep food in a kitchen or on the dining room table, and avoid cigarette smoking inside. After cleaning around the house, open windows and allow fresh air into the house. This can reduce the smell and pervasiveness of household cleaners like bleach.
Make sure to examine what it is that causes your asthma attacks in order to best avoid having to deal with them. The majority of people suffering from asthma have several common triggers, like pet dander, smoke or pollen. If at all possible, strive to avoid substances and locations that trigger your asthma symptoms or attacks.
Join a support group, online or in “real life”, to find help from your peers. Asthma can be severe enough to keep you away from social activiites. If you know other asthma sufferers, you can stay up to date on the latest medicines and treatment options.
Asthmatic patients should avoid using feather pillows. Feathers may trigger asthma symptoms by irritating your lungs. Be sure to keep the same advice in mind for your bedclothes. They should be made from materials that do not increase allergy symptoms.
Asthma Attacks
Avoid all types of smoke, including cigarette smoke, if you have asthma. Smoking can actually trigger an asthma attack. So do whatever you can to stay away from vapors, chemical fumes and smoke from cigarettes. These things will aggravate your asthma and worsen the symptoms. If someone is smoking near you, either ask them to stop or remove yourself from the situation.
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 that you breathe before it enters your lungs. Breathing cold air can trigger severe asthma attacks. This is especially true for young children with asthma.
Being around animals should be avoided. While asthma can be triggered from an animal hair allergy, those free of these allergies can have an attack by the pollen and dust that the animals carry.
If you’re flying and bringing along your asthma medications, bring a doctor’s written 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 more than one doctor. 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. Asthma centers, pulmonologists, allergists or even nutritionists will be able to work with you, make certain that you check out all outlets offering treatment.
Use your maintenance or preventative inhaler every day. However, you should know that the drug may cause mouth infections near your gums and teeth. One way to reduce the probability of such infections is to immediately brush and gargle after inhaling the medicine.
Do not smoke. Most people know that smoking is unhealthy, but the consequences are even worse for someone who has asthma. The lungs of someone with asthma are irritated by smoking, whether by that person or someone nearby.
Bed Linens
Asthma sufferers should stay indoors as much as possible when pollen counts rise. Despite being different conditions, asthma and allergies can be triggered by the same kinds of irritants. Information about local air quality is available in many areas so that those with asthma can reduce their outdoor exposure if irritants are within the air.
Dust and other allergens often accumulate in bed sheets. It is important to wash your bed linens at least once per week in very hot water if you want to reduce or eliminate the potential aggravators. Sleeping with fresh bed linens will ensure you can breathe easy when you sleep.
If you are dealing with asthma it is critical you understand how to properly use an inhaler. Simply spraying it and then inhaling in a shallow manner will negate the inhaler’s benefits. You must breathe deeply for at least a few seconds when using your inhaler. The medicine will not be able to do its job if you aren’t taking the time to take it the right way.
If you have symptoms that are getting more severe, see your doctor. Apply these tips where you can and you are sure to keep your negative symptoms away and improve your way of life.
If you are going to paint your home, purchase a mask beforehand so that you will not breath the fumes. Paint could irritate asthma greatly, but using a mask will act as a protective shield needed to fight this issue. Don’t use certain chemicals and substances that could aggravate your asthma.