Are you among the many people who have to deal with the effects of asthma? The following article has simple advice for keeping asthma under control.
Suffer from asthma? It is vital that you not smoke tobacco; if you do, quit. When smoke enters your lungs it cuts off your oxygen supply, and if you suffer from asthma it can make breathing extremely difficult, and result in an increased number of attacks.
People afflicted by asthma should make it a priority to always avoid exposure to smoke, vapors and fumes. Thus, you need to avoid cigarettes and cigars and be vigilant about steering clear of environmental or workplace exposure to smoke.
Stay away from anything that you are aware of that may trigger your asthma. Many asthma suffers find that dust or pollen can trigger an attack. Others experience an attack from physical activities. Determine what your trigger is so you can easily avoid an attack.
Do you know what type of asthma you have? Before you can develop a self-care plan for your asthma symptoms, you need to know the specific cause of your symptoms. For example, if your asthma is often triggered by workouts, your inhaler should always be on hand when you exercise. You will be able to prevent asthma attacks if you can recognize symptoms.
If you’re a sufferer of asthma, stay away from cigarette smoke. Smoking is off limits. Inhaling the chemical-laden fumes and even the vapors from cigarettes can be extremely harmful. This can cause an asthma attack, and you may be unable to bring it under control. If you see people smoking in your vicinity, you should get away from them as soon as possible.
Cleaning Products
Keep rooms free of dust, and do not turn on a fan if you do have dusty rooms. This will cause the dust to move around, which could cause an asthma attack. The better way would be to open a window to increase the airflow in the room.
If you’re suffering from asthma, it helps if you can avoid any harsh cleaning products out there. Asthma sufferers are often sensitive to chemical cleaners; using these products can sometimes trigger asthma attacks. If you’re the one who regularly cleans the house, look for natural cleaning products which are much safer to use.
Vitamins E and C are beneficial to anyone with asthma. Since both of these have been attributed to better function of the lungs, they also help to control the symptoms of asthma. Either find a good vitamin supplement to take, or change your diet to include more foods rich in Vitamins E and C. Loading up on these vitamins will energize your immune system, aiding your body in preventing the illnesses that worsen or trigger asthma.
You want to make sure you can avoid situations that could trigger your asthma. For many, allergens like dust and pollen, can trigger their attacks. 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.
If you are dealing with asthma, you would benefit from buying a dehumidifier. When your home has less humidity, there are less dust mites, and that minimizes the chances of an asthma flare-up. Dehumidifiers work by taking the humidity out of the air.
Certain prescription medications have the potential to cause asthma symptoms. Aspirin and other NSAIDs are known to be asthma triggers. You can also use medications that can control high blood pressure and heart disease, things like beta blockers. Let your doctor know about your asthma and what prescriptions you’re taking.
If you suffer from asthma and do not smoke, make sure to avoid people who do smoke. When you inhale tobacco smoke, the lung’s function can be decreased, and you will increase the chance you have an asthma attack. Smaller areas without proper ventilation make you even more susceptible to an attack.
Avoid using a fan in any room that has excessive dust. The wind will move dust around and get into your airways causing an attack. If possible, open a window to increase the flow of air into the room.
Avoid feather pillows if you suffer from asthma. The feathers contained in these pillows can aggravate asthma symptoms and reduce lung function. The same it true for bedding, try purchasing sheets and comforters that are created from hypoallergenic materials.
If you are a person with asthma and have persistent attacks related to allergy symptoms, a medication that can be used for a long term effect is one that can be injected. Omalizumab is an antibody medication that is used to control these allergic reaction symptoms and may be recommended by your allergist.
Even if you seem to be fine, see your doctor regularly for your asthma checkups. Your health care provider may have new prescriptions that could benefit you in case the need arises.
Make sure that everyone in your family gets their flu shot. If you have asthma, it’s important to prevent all respiratory infections, if at all possible. The easiest way to start is by performing routine hand-washing, limiting your touching of surfaces while in public places, and getting vaccinations recommended by your doctor.
Be sure you understand how to use your asthma medication, especially emergency medication. Asthma is a condition traditionally treated with a combination of a regular medicine and an emergency medicinal inhaler. Because asthma does not get cured, those afflicted with it must continue to take their regular medication and use their rescue inhaler when needed.
Think about getting a home dehumidifier if you have asthma. If you lessen your humidity in the house, you will stave off dust mites that may make your asthma flare. Dehumidifiers cause the air in your home to become dry, which means less humidity.
See how many times a week you typically use the 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.
Asthma Symptoms
Asthma sufferers should avoid coming into contact with both domestic and farm 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.
Make sure you know what triggers asthma attacks so you can either avoid those triggers or be prepared to manage your asthma symptoms. Common triggers among asthma sufferers are smoke, pollen, or pet dander. When possible, stay away from triggers of asthma symptoms in an effort to prevent a severe attack.
If you suffer from asthma and have to use your inhaler in excess of two or three times per week, you should see a doctor and ask about changing your medication. It means the medication used to calm acute attacks is either ineffective or not effective enough. This also goes for refills. If you find yourself refilling your inhaler in excess of twice a year, then you need to change medications.
Even if you are feeling great, don’t skip your asthma check-ups. Medical science is constantly evolving, so the doctor might know about a new treatment for you. Besides, you can never be sure when another attack might come on, so it’s better to be checked out.
If you are planning on painting a room in your house, buy a mask in advance to protect you from breathing in fumes. The fumes from paint are very irritating to the lungs of asthma sufferers, but a mask goes a long way towards filtering out these irritants. Refrain from using any substance or chemical that aggravate your asthma.
A humid home environment is a healthy environment for mildew and mold to develop. These fungi are both common triggers for asthma attacks. Therefore, it is important to make sure your home is dry. During winter, use a device to dehumidify in the winter, and air condition in the summer.
The mere act of discussing your asthma condition with other people can have a soothing and positive effect. Other sufferers can help you learn how to manage and live with your asthma, by offering tips and advice. Support from those you are around is crucial.
When you fly, make sure to take along prescriptions or doctors’ notes for all of your asthma equipment and medications, especially if they are unusual. You’ll speed up the process of going through security if you have written proof that shows that the items are necessary.
Identifying your personal triggers is one of the best ways you can learn to stop an asthma attack before it occurs. A good way to do this is to keep a small journal or notebook. Record each asthma attack and what was happening when it occurred. Discuss this information with your doctor, and he will help you to identify triggers. Once they are known, do whatever it takes to prevent triggers from going off, and if possible, just wipe them out of your life and environment completely.
Consult with more than one physician. 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. Some specialists to consider visiting are those who deal directly with allergies or nutrition. This is a great way to attack asthma from all angles.
Keep the place you live clean, and make sure to sweep it regularly. Also, make sure to wash your pillows, blankets and sheets often. By doing this, it prevents dust mites and dust from building up. Both dust and dust mites can trigger asthma attacks. When the dust has a chance to build up, the air can irritate asthma sufferers and put them more at risk of having an attack.
A lot of helpful advice about controlling asthma was covered in this article. In order for them to help, however, you must consistently apply them. If you ignore the signs of an asthma attack or stop doing the things that work to keep your asthma under control, you’ll most likely start having trouble with your asthma again. Lead a healthier, more symptom free, life by following the advice above.
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.