Asthma can put a damper on your life, as it is a lifelong medical condition. There are ways that you are able to keep the symptoms at bay by using coping strategies and effective medications. Read on to learn some coping strategies for asthmatics.
If you are asthmatic, you absolutely must not subject yourself to any form of cigarette smoke. Smoking is bad for everyone, but it’s particularly dangerous for an asthma sufferer, as it cuts off vital oxygen to the lungs.
If you suffer from asthma, it is vital that you avoid smoking; if you do, you should quit. Smoking is a terrible habit but it’s even worse for someone who suffers from asthma as it decreases the amount of oxygen that gets to your lungs.
It is imperative that you do your best to avoid cleaning chemicals if you are asthmatic. Many chemicals contained in common cleaning products can aggravate your asthma, triggering an attack. It is advisable to consider using products that have an organic base when cleaning.
Learn what triggers your asthma so that you can avoid it. This can vary from person to person, as small particles like dust can cause asthma attacks. Others find themselves suffering from attacks when they overexert themselves. Pay attention to what causes your attacks so you can prevent them from happening.
When suffering a mild or even moderate asthma attack, attempt to push all air from your lungs. Breath out as hard and fast as you can. Get the air all out of the lungs. Inhale three times with short breaths, and then on the fourth one take a deeper breath so your lungs are full of air but still comfortable. Then breath out as hard as you can again. This establishes a regular pattern to your breathing routine, which means you have to pay attention to how you are breathing. It also helps to push air out from your lungs so new air can come back in. This breathing technique may cause some coughing or sputum, but it can help regulate your breathing and reduce the attack.
Asthma Attack
Asthma sufferers should avoid smoking cigarettes and any place that has cigarette smoke. If you smoke, try quitting. Never breathe in chemical fumes or vapors. This can trigger an asthma attack, which may be difficult to stop. When you see people smoking in your area avoid them and move away.
Any type of smoke can bring on a serious asthma attack. Avoid smoking altogether. It is also a good idea to stay away from the fumes or vapors from harsh chemicals, such as those used in cleaning. This can set off an Asthma attack that you might not be able to stop. If people are smoking around you, remove yourself from that area quickly.
If you’re someone who gets an asthma attack related to allergy like symptoms, there’s medication you can use to help. Omalizumab, an antibody medicine, might be suggested by an allergist and controls allergic reactions.
If you suffer from asthma, avoid smokers, even if you do not smoke yourself. Inhaled smoke from tobacco can drastically reduce lung function, increasing your chances of an asthma attack. This is especially true in closed-in areas.
Having a fast acting inhaler is vital to save asthmatics from experiencing severe symptoms. Talk to your physician and find out if a leukotriene inhibitor would be right for you. These medications prevent the production of leukotrienes. The inflammation caused by this substance can trigger the symptoms of asthma. The inhibitor will prevent leukotrienes, which can decrease the amount of asthma attacks that you have.
Try to keep your home as clean as possible, especially the bedroom of the asthma sufferer, to reduce the risk of an asthma attack. Don’t smoke indoors, or allow any junk food in your home. 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, ensure that your diet contains adequate amounts of Vitamin E and Vitamin C. They are believed to aid respiratory function and to be instrumental in keeping your asthma in check. Many foods have these vitamins in abundance, but you can also use a supplemental pill. These vitamins will also help prevent illnesses by boosting your body’s immune system.
Stand ready for a boost to your asthma treatment should you suffer from illnesses like colds or hay fever. The effects of an illness can cause the severity of your asthma to temporarily increase, which necessitates a change in treatment. It is also possible that your physician will add an additional treatment to your routine until you recover from your illness.
If you use more than four cleaning products, you are increasing the risks of an asthma attack. Use organic cleaning products since they don’t have irritating chemicals.
When you are traveling, be sure to carry your rescue inhaler with you at all times. Traveling is hard on your body, and you might have an asthma attack easier because your body is more likely to respond to triggers. It is often hard to maintain the right kind of environment when you are traveling, and this may heighten the risk of an asthma attack or worsening symptoms.
People who have asthma should avoid using scented household products. Products that contain strong scents, like incense, perfume, or air freshener can trigger an asthma attack just by lingering in the air. Fresh paint and new carpeting can also irritate the airway. Keep your indoor air clean and free of pollutants to stay healthy.
Even if you are feeling great, don’t skip your asthma check-ups. Asthma can flare-up at any time, and you never know, perhaps your doctor has safer or better medications which can help your symptoms.
Sleep with a feather-less pillow if you have asthma. The feathers contained in the pillow could trigger the symptoms related to asthma and it could prevent your lungs from functioning efficiently. This also goes for bedding; use sheets, comforters and blankets that are crafted from hypoallergenic materials.
Mold and mildew can thrive in a humid home environment. Mold and mildew can have a hand in making you suffer a 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.
You can wear warm things like a shawl, muffler or scarf, which can help cover your nose and mouth in the colder months. Proper winter wear can keep cold air from agitating your lungs. Breathing in the cold air has been shown to trigger asthma attacks, especially in younger children with moderate to severe asthma.
You should track how often, in a week’s time, you require the use of 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. The number of times you use your inhaler can serve as a good reminder to monitor your environment and other aspects of your asthma management plan.
Take note of how often, from a weekly standpoint, you use the rescue inhaler. When you find you are depending on it more than thrice during a week’s period on an ongoing basis it is a sign your asthma is not under proper control and could lead to serious attacks if not addressed. You can use your frequency of inhaler use to gauge the effectiveness of your asthma treatment plan and make modifications when necessary.
If you have asthma and allergies, do not use a vaporizer or humidifier unless you make sure that it has been cleaned thoroughly. If you allow bacteria to breed in the moist environment of the machine, you will just be pumping allergens into the air that you are trying to humidify.
For asthma sufferers having contact with pets or other animals need to be minimized. 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.
If you are suffering from an asthma attack, try to remain calm and do not panic. Immediately use your asthma inhaler, rest for 30 seconds, then use it once more. Seek help if your attack gets worse. Have someone take you to a hospital, or if necessary call an ambulance. Breathe into a paper bag, which will reduce your breathing rate during the trip.
Consider using more than just one doctor. While your asthma treatment should start with your primary care doctor, visiting one or two asthma specialists can make a real difference in how well you understand and manage your condition. Nutritionists, allergists, pulmonologists and asthma centers can all help you, so make sure that you are using all of the different treatment avenues that you can.
Educate yourself to the maximum regarding asthma. The more educated you are about your asthma, the more proactive you can be about your treatment. Keep yourself up to date about new findings and find a good doctor. To know these things, you must keep learning about your disease and the options available for treatment.
Asthma may be the result of genetics or something in the environment, or perhaps a bit of both. If you have a family member with asthma, watch your children and yourself for asthma symptoms. 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.
Go to your doctor a few times every year to check up on your asthma, and ensure that it is being managed effectively. At your doctor’s visit, the doctor will evaluate your asthma and make any changes to your treatment plan if they are required. You are in charge of scheduling your visits with your physician in order for him or her to properly take care of you.
Be on the lookout for symptoms of allergic reactions to food in your kids. If you happen to notice difficulty breathing, or skin rashes when your child eats a certain food, it would be wise for you to visit a doctor to have them tested for allergies. Allergies can exacerbate asthma symptoms, and can cause asthma attacks. Allergic asthma is a type of asthma where attacks are brought on by allergies.
One of the most important things that you can do to prevent asthma attacks is to identify your triggers. You may even want to keep an asthma trigger journal so you can discuss this with your doctor. Once you know your triggers, you can avoid and eliminate them as much as possible.
When the air is dry and cold outside, someone with asthma should not attempt to do physical exercise. When bronchial airways dry out and become cool they can trigger an asthma attack. Always be sure that the weather is somewhat humid and warm before exercising strenuously outdoors.
The cause of asthma can be hereditary or it can be induced by environmental factors. Sometimes both factors have a role in the disease. If someone in your family has asthma, pay extra attention to any asthma-like symptoms from yourself and your children. Irritants in the environment, including smoke, pollution, dust and mold, can also contribute to asthma development, so you should minimize your family’s exposure to these substances.
Asthma sufferers should take care to warm up before doing and strenuous exercise and cool down well afterwards. The warm up and cool down can be an effective way to exercise safely and reduce the chance of an asthma attack.
Like this article has said, if you don’t keep up with your symptoms, asthma can become life threatening. Stay alert to possible threats to your asthma and be as prepared as possible with all the tools in your medical arsenal. Use what you’ve learned here to ward off asthma symptoms, and never let them prevent you from living a normal life.
You should always have a plan on how you will deal with an asthma attack. It is very important to be prepared when dealing with asthma.