Not only can asthma be a burden to your everyday life, but it can even be fatal. You should take all appropriate measures to try and manage the disease. Apply the advice from this article so that you can start to lessen your symptoms while stopping asthma from taking control of your life.
If you suffer from asthma, strong cleaning products should be avoided. Many chemicals contained in common cleaning products can aggravate your asthma, triggering an attack. If you clean the home, there are many natural products that are safe to use.
When you suffer from asthma, avoiding cleaning products is really important to do. It is very possible that one might bring on an asthma attack with some chemicals used for cleaning. Use natural cleaners instead of chemical cleaners to reduce your chances of asthma attacks after cleaning.
Asthma is an ongoing disease and requires ongoing health management. You need to keep taking your medications to control the asthma symptoms every day, and if an attack should occur, you should have quick relief medication at your disposal. Consult with your physician and allergist to find out what is best for you.
Asthma Attacks
Though it should go without saying, do not turn on any fans or circulation systems when in a room containing visible dust that has yet to be cleaned. The fan will circulate the dust along with the air, which can cause it to get into your lungs and make your asthma worse. On smog-free, low pollen days, open your windows to improve airflow in the house.
Know situations and conditions that cause asthma attacks for you, and stay away from them in the future as much as possible. This can vary from person to person, as small particles like dust can cause asthma attacks. For others, physical activity can irritate them. Pay attention to what causes your attacks so you can prevent them from happening.
Always choose unscented products for your home if you have asthma. Products that contain fragrance, such as perfumes, colognes, or air fresheners, can pollute the air triggering your asthma. New carpeting and even a fresh coat of paint can aggravate the airway and lungs as well. Try to maintain fresh air inside your home.
Dust will make you have an attack, so keep the air calm in dirty rooms. Otherwise, the dust will fly into the air and could give you an attack. It would be better to just open a window if you are needing to get some airflow.
You will need to keep your residence really clean, especially the bedroom where the asthma sufferer sleeps in order to help lessen the chances of an attack. Food should be eaten only in the kitchen or dining room, and cigarettes are best relegated to outdoor smoking areas. When cleaning your home, try not to use products that contain harsh chemicals, such as bleach. You should also allow fresh air to thoroughly circulate throughout your home after you’re done cleaning it.
If you suffer from asthma, and have many attacks that are related to your allergy symptoms, there is a medication that is injected and provides long term effects. Omalizumab can effectively control allergy symptoms you may be experiencing and can be suggested by your local allergist if it fits your needs.
Those who have asthma should avoid down pillows. Pillow feathers are known to worsen asthma and affect the lungs. Your other bedding, such as sheets, blankets and comforters, should be hypoallergenic, too.
A leukotriene inhibitor may be an excellent way for you to deal with asthma. These medications prevent the production of leukotrienes. Leukotriene is a type of chemical substance which may cause inflammation and could cause an attack. If you use an inhibitor, you may find that the your asthma attacks significantly decrease.
Look into becoming a part of a support group. There are many to choose from both online and offline. Asthma can be severe enough to keep you away from social activiites. Being a part of a support group can help provide you with honest information about products and helpful hints, as well as medical news.
You should ensure that every family member in your household gets a flu vaccine yearly. When you are afflicted with asthma, steer as clear as you can of all types of respiratory infections. Making sure to consistently wash your hands, and getting the proper vaccinations are two standard precautions.
Asthma develops over an extended time period, and its symptoms aren’t always obvious. In a lot of cases, people die from an asthma attack because they didn’t know they had the condition. Discuss with your doctor if you are having problems trying to catch your breath or have had a persistent cough for a while. There is the possibility that you have developed asthma, and if so, your doctor can tell you what the best method to treat it would be.
You might want to purchase a dehumidifier to use at home if you have asthma. If you lessen your humidity in the house, you will stave off dust mites that may make your asthma flare. Try running a dehumidifier to dry up the air in your home.
If traveling by plane with your asthma equipment or medications, always carry your written prescription with you to avoid problems. Having written proof that the item in question is in fact medically necessary can cut down on hassles at the security check.
You should be ready to increase asthma treatments if you suffer from hay fever or a cold. Make sure your doctor prescribes a fast acting inhaler for emergency situations. Your physician might also add more treatments to your regimen until your asthma is under control again.
Instead of sweeping your floors with a broom, it is preferable to clean using a wet mop. Those particles that can trigger asthma attacks are stirred up when you sweep. Use a dampened rag when dusting, instead of a feather duster, so as to prevent stirring up loose dust particles and other asthma triggers.
Annual Flu Shot
You may want to consider having numerous doctors treat your asthma. You may use your primary physician for most things, but a specialist can be very helpful as well. You’ll want to visit an asthma center, or consult with a pulmonologist to get additional help improving your lung function. In addition, you should get tested for allergies so that you can avoid allergic reactions that trigger asthma attacks.
If you have asthma or you live with an asthma sufferer, you should ensure you receive an annual flu shot. This annual flu shot will prevent infectious damage to your lungs.
Smoking cigarettes is not a choice that should be made. Smoking is an unhealthy habit for everyone, but it poses an even greater danger to people with asthma. Sensitive asthmatic lungs are easily irritated by smoke, so they need to avoid smoking and to avoid situations where there are people who smoke.
Your home’s humidity can cause mold and mildew growth within it. You can get asthma attacks because of these substances. To halt the growth of mold and mildew keep your home’s humidity low. 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.
Make sure that you protect yourself if you’re planning on doing anything like painting your home. You should purchase a protective mask to cut back on fume inhalation. Asthma is strongly irritated by paint, so a mask will put a shield between you and it, and lessen the problem. Avoid substances and chemicals which can worsen your asthma.
If you are going on a trip on a plane and need to take your asthma medicine, take your prescription with you! Having evidence from a doctor that the medication is necessary for your health will greatly help with security at the airport.
Talking to other asthma sufferers, or attending a formal support group, can be a very effective way to cope with asthma. People who have to live with the disease will be able to share their own experiences, and give you tips on how to cope. Surround yourself with people who understand asthma and support your fight against it.
Track how often you use your inhaler during each week. If you find that you are relying on it more than two times a week, your asthma is possibly not being well-controlled. The frequency of your inhaler use is a good way to remember to check out your environmental surroundings and be mindful of all factors relating to your asthma regimen.
Finding out what causes your asthma attacks can be the most effective way to prevent them. Consider keeping a journal to help you identify possible asthma triggers and discuss the results with your doctor. After you figure them out, try to stay away from your triggers, and take them out of your environment if you can.
When you clean house, it is recommended that you clean your floor with a wet mop instead of sweeping it. If you choose to sweep, you’re swirling up a tornado of dust and allergens, both of which are common triggers for asthma symptoms. Also, use damp rags instead of feather dusters to dust your furniture.
Keep your home dusted and mopped. Also, wash all of your bed linens regularly. Keeping your home clean allows you to keep dust and dust mite levels low; both of these can trigger an asthma attack. When dust builds, the air becomes much more irritating to those with asthma and can raise the chances of an attack.
Many people underestimate asthma, or at least think that they can’t do anything about it since it is an incurable disease. However, you’ll be amazed at how much difference you can make simply by following these simple steps to try and relieve symptoms and reduce the sources of asthma attacks.
Be on the lookout for allergy attacks. You should switch medications if you have more than two asthma attacks each week. Medical professionals generally consider two or more allergy attacks weekly to be dangerous, but completely preventable.