Millions of people, no matter what their age, suffer with asthma everyday. Are you somebody who is dealing with this issue? This article has easy tips that you can follow to control the symptoms of your asthma.
Smoking is extremely harmful if you suffer from asthma. If you are not already a smoker, don’t start, and if you are, quit as soon as possible. Smoking is unhealthy for everyone, however it is especially bad for asthmatics. Your lungs are already compromised from the asthma and adding smoke to that will cut off the vital oxygen supply your lungs need to breathe.
What type of asthma are you having to deal with? One of the best ways to combat asthma and its limiting effects on your life is to know and understand as much as you can about your specific condition. For example, if your asthma is brought on by bronchitis, you should keep your rescue inhaler with you during times when you are sick. Knowing when an asthma attack is likely to strike can help you avert disaster.
If you suffer with asthma, avoid cleaning products. Many chemicals contained in common cleaning products can aggravate your asthma, triggering an attack. If you’re the one who regularly cleans the house, look for natural cleaning products which are much safer to use.
If you are afficted with asthma, it is critical to quit smoking and avoid the use of any other tobacco products. Smoking is not recommended for anyone, but it creates worse complications for asthma patients by cutting off part of the oxygen supply needed to breathe properly.
Avoid those things that you know can trigger your asthma. This could be something you’re allergic to like pollen or dust. For others, certain physical activities may be the trigger. Try to see what cause your asthma so that you can avoid it.
Heart Disease
Some medications are known to cause asthma symptoms. Believe it or not, something as seemingly innocuous as aspirin can actually trigger symptoms. Other medications that may have an effect on the respiratory system include beta blockers used to treat high blood pressure. If you suffer from any of these conditions along with your asthma, make sure you tell your doctor.
There are medicines out there that may increase your chance of triggering asthma symptoms. Among these medications are aspirin and other NSAIDs. Beta blockers that are used to treat high blood pressure and heart disease can develop asthma like symptoms. If you have asthma paired with heart disease or high blood pressure, tell your doctor.
If you have asthma and do not have health insurance, you should consider seeing a social worker. You must have the ability to afford your medication, so a social worker might be able to locate a hospital or clinic that can offer them at little cost or free.
If your asthma attacks are severe, you may want to speak with your doctor about a long lasting injection of medication to control your symptoms. 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 asthma, get a dehumidifier for your home. A dehumidifier will reduce attacks by taking extra humidity and, by extension, dust mites and other debris out of your air. Dehumidifiers eliminate your home’s humidity, leaving dry air.
A leukotriene inhibitor should be taken into consideration when asthma is a struggle. A leukotriene inhibitor prevents the formation of leukotrienes. Leukotriene is a type of chemical substance which may cause inflammation and could cause an attack. When used properly, an inhibitor can help reduce symptoms and prevent attacks.
If you or your child suffer from asthma, it is important that you receive a flu shot every year. Avoid a lot of these infections by getting vaccinated each year.
Learn how to properly use your inhaler. Find a spot that is peaceful, and then follow the instructions given by the manufacturer. The inhaler will only work if the medicine reaches your lungs. Spray the stated dose of medicine into your mouth as you inhale. Be sure to hold the mist in your lungs for about ten seconds.
When you travel, your rescue medication should be with you all the time. Traveling tends to put extra stain on the body, and you’re more susceptible to your asthma triggers under these conditions. It’s hard to have much control over your environment when you travel, which makes it more likely you will have some sort of symptoms or an asthma attack.
You should always have your rescue medication with you when you are traveling. It’s easy to get thrown off your regular eating and sleeping routine while traveling, which strains your body and increases your vulnerability to asthma attack triggers. The change in environment can also have a negative impact, since it is impossible to control. This can lead to more frequent attacks or attacks with symptoms that are worse than normal.
Think about the benefits of joining an online or in-person support group. Many people who suffer from asthma are unable to live a full life. Also, communicating with other people with asthma will keep you in the know about changes in how the condition is understood and treated.
Even if you seem to be fine, see your doctor regularly for your asthma checkups. You cannot be certain when you will next have an issue with your asthma, or when there may be a better medication available to utilize for your condition.
A humid home environment is a healthy environment for mildew and mold to develop. This stuff can easily set off an asthma attack. Therefore, try and keep the home dry. During the cold, winter months, a dehumidifier can help. In the summer, an air conditioner naturally takes out a lot of the humidity in the air.
Support Group
Know the right way to use any asthma medication you are taking, in particular your rescue medication. Typically, asthma is treated using normal medications along with rescue medication, like an inhaler, for emergency situations. Asthma lasts a lifetime, so you must manage your treatment and lifestyle to ensure you’re taking the best care of yourself.
You can join an online or offline support group. Suffering from asthma can mean many days are spent at home with your condition stopping you from participating in a full and fulfilling lifestyle. 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.
The development of asthma symptoms can occur over time and they can be difficult to pinpoint and diagnose. In some serious cases, people have dropped dead due to an asthma attack without ever knowing they had asthma in the first place. If you have any trouble catching your breath or a cough that won’t go away, consider talking to your doctor to make sure that you aren’t afflicted with asthma. If you are, you’ll need to keep an inhaler with you at all times and possible take other medications.
Many of the most common asthma triggers are found in the home. These causes can include dust, spores and mold. Have your home inspected for and cleaned of these things to reduce the occurrence of asthma attacks. Regularly cleaning your house can also contribute to preventing buildup of these substances.
Avoid smoke, if you don’t want to have an asthma attack. Smoke is a major cause of asthma attacks. Stay away from cigarettes, chemicals, and anything else that may emit smoke. Exposing yourself to these pollutants can have a significant effect on your asthma symptoms. When anyone lights up a cigarette or cigar in your presence, politely inform them that you have asthma and ask them not to smoke beside you.
Be sure to thoroughly understand how to utilize asthma medication correctly, particularly any rescue medication. Most people treat their asthma with regular daily medication, and carry supplemental emergency medication in the form of a rescue inhaler. Asthma is not curable, so it is very important that you take your medication properly and only use your rescue medication if you need it.
If you have asthma consider staying away from pets or animals. Though dander allergies are often seen in conjunction with asthma, even asthmatics who are not allergic may have attacks that are triggered by the ancillary irritants transported by animals, including pollen and dust.
The development of asthma symptoms can occur over time and they can be difficult to pinpoint and diagnose. In fact, some people who didn’t even realize they had asthma died as a result of their initial attack. Because of this, if you notice that you have trouble breathing or are constantly coughing, you may want to visit your doctor. They can tell you if you have asthma and if there is a medication that you should be taking. Your doctor can also tell you if there is something you can do to prevent asthma from developing.
During spring or other high-pollen times, don’t go outside unless you have to so that you can avoid a pollen-triggered asthma attack. Although asthma is not an allergy, many of the same irritants that trouble allergy sufferers affect asthma sufferers too. These days, information about the quality of local air is readily available, so people with asthma can avoid spending time outside when the air is full of things that irritate their lungs.
This article has a ton of tips you could use to control your asthma symptoms. However, it is a very important factor that you are persistent in applying them. Your symptoms will quickly return if you fail to maintain a regimen of prevention and maintenance, even if it is only briefly. Always protect yourself by following these tips and methods to control your asthma symptoms.
Make sure your doctor shows you how to take your inhaled medication properly, and don’t leave his office until you are entirely comfortable using your inhaler. Spraying it into your mouth and then inhaling doesn’t work. Breath deeply each time you push your inhaler button. An inhaler is not of much use if you aren’t taking it correctly.