Living with asthma, both daily and during an attack, can be frightening and draining. Still, there are plenty of people with asthma who live perfectly normal lives but only because they’ve taken the steps needed to learn and control the situation. This article will give you some great tips to help you understand, and manage your asthma.
An important part of symptom management is knowing what type of asthma you have. Gaining as much knowledge as you can about the type of asthma you have can make your day-to-day activities a little easier. For example, if your asthma is often triggered by workouts, your inhaler should always be on hand when you exercise. Treating asthma is less difficult if you and your physician are aware of the triggers that bring on an attack.
If you suffer from asthma, don’t smoke or expose yourself to smoke, fumes or vapors. This includes all tobacco products, and you also need to be careful if you are going to apply for a job in a factory or where you have the potential to be exposed to vapors and harmful smoke.
Asthma is a chronic respiratory disease that requires constant management. You need to always take your medications for your everyday symptoms, and keep your quick relief medication with you in case you do have an attack. Have a discussion with your doctor or allergist to determine what the best plan for you might be.
You need ongoing treatment for asthma because it’s an ongoing disease. Make sure you are taking the right medications to control your everyday asthma symptoms, and have a quick relief medication on hand if you have an attack. Your physician and allergist are the ones to approach with any questions you have about this disease and its treatment.
If you are having an asthma attack (mild or moderate), you need to try to force air out of the lungs. Breathe out hard and fast. This will force the air from your lungs. Follow this by breathing in three times quickly, and a fourth time deeply to ensure your lungs are filled to capacity, then exhale again as forcefully as possible. This creates a rhythm to your breathing, making you pay attention to the breaths you take. It will also help to get the air to come out of the lungs so more can come in. This may cause you to cough or it may cause phlegm, but your breathing will be back to normal again.
Dust will make you have an attack, so keep the air calm in dirty rooms. The fan will circulate the dust along with the air, which can cause it to get into your lungs and make your asthma worse. A fan will just blow around dust without providing fresh air, so opening a window is a better option as it brings in fresh air and ventilation.
Know how to use your inhaler correctly. Locate a quiet place, and follow the label to a tee. The inhaler is only useful if the medication within it actually gets to your lungs. While taking a deep breath, spray in the recommended dosage. Be sure to hold the mist in your lungs for about ten seconds.
If you have asthma, it might be helpful for you to buy a dehumidifier. Lowering humidity will reduce the amount of dust mites in your home, and help your asthma improve. Dehumidifiers reduce attacks in your home by making the air cleaner and drier.
You should ensure that every family member in your household gets a flu vaccine yearly. If you have asthma, try to avoid getting respiratory infections if you can. You can start by taking simple precautions, such as washing your hands and getting proper vaccinations when due.
Flu Shot
If you’re having asthma problems, a dehumidifier is a beneficial purchase. A reduction in humidity will also lessen the amount of dust mites in your home. This lessens the chance of an asthma flare up. Dehumidifiers work by pulling the moisture out of the air of your home.
Make sure you get a flu shot each year if you have asthma or if your child does. This annual flu shot will prevent infectious damage to your lungs.
The use of multiple (more than four) household cleansers can cause an increase in asthma attacks. Use organic products as often as possible, as these contain fewer harsh chemicals.
Sleep with a feather-less pillow if you have asthma. Feathers can decrease lung function and cause asthma symptoms. This applies to bedding, as well. Purchase sheets and comforters that are made of hypoallergenic materials.
Stay away from any tobacco smoke, even people that are smoking tobacco. When you inhale tobacco smoke, particularly in small areas without much ventilation, lung function may be severely impacted, and you have a higher chance of having an attack.
You may want to join an online or offline support group. Left untreated, asthma can be very debilitating and prevent you from enjoying your normal activities. Being a part of a support group can help provide you with honest information about products and helpful hints, as well as medical news.
Avoid pillows stuffed with goosedown or other feathers if you have an asthma problem. Feathers can aggravate symptoms of asthma and lower lung function. It is also advisable to use hypoallergenic sheets and comforters for the same reason.
You can wear warm things like a shawl, muffler or scarf, which can help cover your nose and mouth in the colder months. You can help warm the air with these things before they bring any harm to your lungs. Breathing in air that’s cold can trigger an attack, particularly in younger children that have moderate or severe asthma.
You can join an online or offline support group. Asthma can be quite debilitating, especially if the asthma is severe, and this condition can interfere with daily life. Others who suffer from asthma can give you immeasurable amounts of support and advice, and help you keep up with new medical developments.
Know the right way to use any asthma medication you are taking, in particular your rescue medication. A treatment made up of a daily medication plus a rescue inhaler can help to keep asthma under control. Managing your medicine properly is important because asthma is a chronic health problem.
Wear scarves, shawls and mufflers to cover your noise and mouth during colder weather. This will keep you from breathing cold air. Young children are especially at risk for an asthma attack if the air they breathe is too cold, but this problem can affect anybody with asthma.
You should use your inhaler everyday regularly; however, be forewarned that the medicine can potentially lead to mouth infections, especially around your gums and teeth. Always brush and gargle as soon as you’ve finished using your inhaler to prevent mouth infections.
Asthma generally develops over a period of time, and the symptoms are not always obvious. In fact, some people who didn’t even realize they had asthma died as a result of their initial attack. It is advised that you seek out a medical professional if you ever have shortness of breath or experience constant coughing; this may be a sign that you suffer from asthma and need proper medication to prevent an asthma attack and keep your condition under control.
Keep an asthma diary and record how often, each week, you must use a rescue inhaler. If your records start to show you need the inhaler more than two times weekly, your environment might be causing you problems or your asthma is not being controlled as well as it could be. Counting how many times you reach for your inhaler can be a good aid to remind you of what environments you need to control and what else you may need to manage.
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. Having written proof that the item in question is in fact medically necessary can cut down on hassles at the security check.
When cleaning your house, clean floors with a wet mop instead of a broom. When you are sweeping with a broom, you stir up triggers like dirt and dust mites that can cause you to go into an asthma attack. When dusting, use a damp cloth, as feather dusters just move dust around.
Using your preventative inhaler should be done daily. It’s important to know, though, that it can cause sores and infections near your gums and teeth. Always brush and gargle as soon as you’ve finished using your inhaler to prevent mouth infections.
You should know how to live with asthma if you suffer from it. Once you learn how to treat asthma it will not be such a heavy burden to you. Fortunately, medical science has discovered much regarding asthma, and the information here can get you started towards better management and clearer understanding of this affliction.
Your bed linens are where pollen, dust and other allergens like to collect. You may cut down on these potential inducers of an asthma attack by cleaning your sheets and pillows in hot water each week. Fresh, laundered bedding will help you sleep that much easier at night.