Asthma can limit you in your daily activities. Yet, you should keep in mind that there is much you can do to manage your asthma if you combine certain medications along with key coping strategies that you learn. This article can help you discover some of these strategies.
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. Known as Omalizumab, this antibody medicine can control the body’s allergic senses and lower the symptoms or reactions that asthma patients suffer.
If you have received a diagnosis of asthma, you are not to smoke or be near vapors or other types of fumes. You must abstain from using any tobacco products. Also, when job hunting, you need to take into consideration whether or not you will be exposed to anything detrimental to your condition while on the job.
Be sure to take plenty of Vitamins C and E if you have asthma. These vitamins are thought to help improve lung function and control asthma symptoms. You can get these vitamins from food or take a supplement. Vitamins C and E are necessary for a healthy immune system. If your immune system isn’t healthy, it won’t be able to fight off illnesses that cause asthma attacks.
Do all you can to learn not just about asthma, but your particular asthma. Particular cases of asthma can respond differently to the same treatment, so you need to know all that you can about your case to treat it most effectively. Those whose asthma is exacerbated by exercise will know to always have an inhaler on hand. Knowing your symptoms’ patterns can help you avoid big problems.
If you’ve got asthma, don’t smoke or be near smokers. Tobacco smoke causes your lung function to decrease, increasing the risk of a very severe attack, especially in enclosed rooms without much air flow or ventilation.
When suffering from asthma, make sure to choose products that are unscented. Scented products such as air fresheners and perfumes can trigger an asthma attack. Fresh paint and new carpeting also give off odors that may aggravate the airways. Take all necessary measures to ensure that your home is always filled with fresh, clean air.
Keep your home dust-free and get rid of any carpet in your house to help prevent asthma attacks, especially in a bedroom. Only permit food in designated eating areas, such as the kitchen or dining room, and don’t allow smoking inside the house at all. After you clean, let the house air out completely, and stay away from using any harsh chemicals (especially bleach) inside.
Take notes of what can trigger your asthma attacks so that you can be prepared for a future attack or learn how to avoid them all together. The majority of individuals afflicted with asthma know there are common irritants like pollen, pet dander and smoke. Try to avoid these items as much as humanly possible so as to not trigger a full attack.
Mold and mildew can thrive in a humid home environment. They are a nuisance for people with asthma; the asthma attacks they trigger require you to eliminate them. Therefore, try and keep the 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.
Support Group
If traveling by plane with your asthma equipment or medications, always carry your written prescription with you to avoid problems. Written proof of needing your equipment can help you with any issues you might have in the security line.
If you or a loved one suffers from asthma, a support group may help. You can find support groups online or in your community. Asthma is a terrible condition that can prevent you from engaging in simple daily activities. A support group will help you have a good time and forget about your condition once in a while, as well as as keep you informed about the latest innovations.
A preventative inhaler should be used every day, but you should know that this can cause infections near the teeth and gums in your mouth. You can prevent these side effects with proper tooth brushing and gargling after you use your inhaler.
The more humid your home is, the easier it is for mildew and mold to grow. This stuff can easily set off an asthma attack. So try your best to make your home as dry as possible. When you are using a heater in winter time, you can run a dehumidifier for help controlling humidity. In the summer, running your air conditioner will allow you to keep your humidity down.
Monitor your weekly inhaler use and tally how many times you need to use it to control an attack. If you are utilizing your inhaler more than two times per day, you might not be controlling asthma as well as you think you are! How often you use your rescue inhaler should serve as a reminder that your environment needs to be monitored.
During the months that are colder, wear a shawl, muffler or scarf that will cover your nose and mouth to help you avoid asthma attacks. This allows you to warm air before it enters your lungs. Breathing cold air can trigger severe asthma attacks. This is especially true for young children with asthma.
You should get a second opinion. Your usual doctor will be able to help you, but you should also consider seeing a specialist. Asthma centers, pulmonologists, nutritionists and allergists can all work with you, making sure you are getting all the treatment you need.
It is crucial that you know how to properly use your asthma treatments, particularly rescue inhalers. Asthma is usually treated with an everyday medication that is sometimes supplemented with an emergency treatment, like an inhaler. Asthma doesn’t go away, so it’s important to be vigilant about taking your daily medication and using your rescue inhaler when an attack occurs.
During times that pollen counts are high, asthma sufferers should try to stay indoors. Asthma’s not an allergy, but many things that irritate allergies also irritate asthma. Air quality levels for specific pollutants are now readily available and it is possible to use this information to limit exposure on high level days.
Asthma typically develops over a long time, and sometimes the symptoms aren’t very obvious. There are known cases where someone has actually died from a single asthma attack, because they were unaware that they had the disease. So, if you have a lingering cough or instances of troubled breathing, you should see a doctor to see if you might have asthma and determine whether you may need medication to either prevent or treat asthma.
Try to gain as much information about affliction as possible. The more you know, the more proactive you’ll be in your own treatment. In order to ensure that you are always getting the best possible care, stay abreast of new developments and up-to-date treatments. You can only properly treat the condition once you gain knowledge about it and the treatments that are available.
It’s a very good habit to use your asthma inhaler as a daily preventative, although the drug residue can cause issues for your gums and teeth. One effective way in preventing these side effects and problems is to brush and gargle right away after you use your inhaler.
When you have asthma, it is very important to have regular check-ups with your doctor. Only your doctor can fully evaluate your condition and recommend appropriate changes in treatment. You should always keep your appointments so that your doctor can follow up on your treatment plans, and work with you to maintain your health.
Monitor how often, per week, you find it necessary to use your inhaler. If you use it more than two times, your asthma might not be well-controlled or you may have unusual occurrences causing those frequent attacks. You can use your frequency of inhaler use to gauge the effectiveness of your asthma treatment plan and make modifications when necessary.
If you want to paint something, get a mask to protect yourself from the 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. Avoid substances and chemicals which can worsen your asthma.
If you are cleaning, you should use a mop that is damp instead of a dry broom. If you are sweeping, you can trigger an asthma attack by stirring up a lot of allergens into the air. When dusting, use a damp cloth, as feather dusters just move dust around.
Once you know what sets your asthma off, you can keep attacks from happening as frequently. A daily journal can be a powerful tool to help you pinpoint frequent triggers and it can also help your doctor to prescribe the treatment that is right for you. Many people have success controlling their asthma by eliminating known asthma triggers.
Asthma Attack
Asthma may be the result of genetics or something in the environment, or perhaps a bit of both. If anyone in your family history had asthma, pay attention to signs of it in you or your children. Environmental factors such as pollution, smoke, mold spores and excess dust can cause asthma, so make sure to keep yourself and little ones away from these hazards.
Avoid smoke to prevent asthma and asthma attacks. Sometimes smoke can cause an asthma attack. Stay away from chemical fumes, vapors, and cigarette smoke at all times. Any inhalant, which is irritating, can trigger an asthma attack! If someone is smoking around you, you have every right to nicely ask them to not to.
If you get at least two attacks a week, it might be time to try a different medication. Doctors and nurses agree that two attacks per week or more can be dangerous, not to mention avoidable.
Have your asthma situation checked out by a doctor every so often, so that you are not blindsided by changes in your condition. Frequent check-ups help your doctor evaluate the effectiveness of your current treatment plan and revise the plan as needed. It is up to you to work with your doctor at regular appointments to keep your treatment plan working.
It is important to eliminate cigarette smoking anywhere an asthma sufferer is likely to be. Smokers should smoke outside, far from the house and away from an asthma sufferer. Heavy smokers can cause severe asthma attacks in people who suffer from this condition, as they carry the smell of smoke buildup in their clothing.
As the above article has stated, asthma is very serious, and can threaten your life if you do not treat it. Always follow your asthma treatment plan, whether inhaler or allergen avoidance, to keep your symptoms under control. Use the tips laid out here to conquer your asthma, and stop it from cramping your freedom.
If your child suffers from asthma and he is under five years old, be mindful of the signals of an asthma attack that would require emergency medical care. These signs include: having difficulty when speaking because air intake is insufficient, sucking in the stomach in an attempt to breathe and gasping for air. If even one of these symptoms is present, call 911 immediately to get urgent medical care.