Living with asthma has definite challenges, but it’s possible to manage it and find solutions to help you live an active and healthy life. There are numerous solutions to help control or even prevent asthma’s interference in your life. Here are some suggestions that can help you live with asthma.
If you are an asthma sufferer, you should refrain from smoking or being around any vapors or fumes. You should avoid jobs where you might be exposed to fumes and chemicals, such as factories.
Do you know which type of asthma you suffer from? If you identify your specific causes, you can be prepared to treat the symptoms when they appear during your daily routines. People who suffer from exercise-induced asthma will need to make sure that they have an inhaler with them inside of their gym bag. You can avoid a crisis by knowing your symptoms’ patterns.
What kind of asthma do you have? If you know as much as you can about the kind of asthma that you have, you can find out how to battle it day-by-day. For example, if your asthma is induced by exercise, it might be wise to always have an inhaler in your gym bag. By knowing the pattern to your symptoms it will be a big help to you avoiding crises.
Cleaning Products
Do not smoke around a child with asthma. Secondhand smoke is a trigger for asthma attacks, not to mention the myriad of other diseases it can cause. Ensure that your child is not around other people that smoke, either.
Asthma can cause increased sensitivity to the ingredients contained in many cleaning products. Cleaning products may contain chemicals which can trigger an asthmatic episode, such as ammonia. Instead of relying on harsh cleaners, check out some organic solutions. They might cost a few dollars more, but the difference is well worth it.
Asthmatics should not smoke. If you smoke – quit immediately. Smoking is unhealthy for anyone, but it is especially dangerous for someone with asthma. This is because your lungs and airway are already compromised by your condition.
Avoid exposing yourself to any of your known asthma triggers. For many people, allergens such as dust and pollen can induce an attack. Others have asthma attacks when they participate in physical activities. Keep a journal of your attacks so that you can start to learn what your triggers are so that you can prevent flareups before they begin.
There are medicines out there that may increase your chance of triggering asthma symptoms. Aspirin and other NSAIDs are known to be asthma triggers. Beta blockers that are used to treat high blood pressure and heart disease can develop asthma like symptoms. If you have any of these conditions along with your asthma, make sure you tell your doctor.
Certain prescription medications have the potential to cause asthma symptoms. A couple of common culprits that do this are aspirin and NSAIDs. Beta blockers can also have this affect, as well as other medications for controlling high blood pressure and heart disease. If you have asthma paired with heart disease or high blood pressure, tell your doctor.
Asthma is not a curable disease and will require life-long health management. Always be very sure that you’re taking the right type of medication for your condition if you hope to control it. It’s also important to have a quick-relief medication available. Speak to your allergist and doctor to see what they recommend for you.
If you’re suffering from an asthma attack that’s moderate or mild, then work to force all the air you can from your lungs. Breathe out fast and hard. Really expel the air from your lungs! Take three short breaths, then one last deep breath to ensure your lungs have enough air, then forcefully breath out. This will create a rhythm and will help you be aware of the way you are breathing. It will also empty your lungs of air, so that they’re ready to take in new, fresh air. If you cough up mucus, don’t worry – just get the breathing back to normal.
If you are experiencing a moderately severe attack, try to first exhale completely. Exhale hard and fast. Force all the air out of the lungs! Do your inhalations in triple bursts of short breaths, and then follow with final deep inhalation so that you fill your lungs comfortably, before exhaling with vehemence once more. 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. Regardless of whether spetum is generated, it will aid in returning breathing back to a normal state.
Leukotriene Inhibitor
Consider getting allergy shots if you have asthma that is caused by allergies that aren’t under control. Your allergist may recommend a variety of medications to control your reactions and the onset of asthma.
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. A leukotriene inhibitor helps to prevent leukotrienes. A leukotriene will cause inflammation in the respiratory system, causing an asthma attack. The prescription will help to decrease home much leukotriene is in your system and therefore, the number of asthma attacks you have.
If you are an asthma patient, be sure to stay away from people who smoke, even if you are not a smoker yourself. When you inhale smoke, especially in close quarters, lung functioning is decreased, and it can trigger an attack.
Use your inhaler as directed. Find a quiet secluded area so that you can calmly take the inhaler as directed by the instructions from the manufacturer. The medicine must go to your lungs for it to work. Spray the stated dose of medicine into your mouth as you inhale. Allow the mist to fill up your lungs by holding your breath at least ten seconds.
Keep dust and dirt to a minimum in any bedroom where an asthma sufferer sleeps. Food should not be eaten outside of the kitchen, and there should be no indoor smoking. Thoroughly air out your house after every cleaning, and stay away from bleach and similar harsh chemicals while cleaning indoors.
Take a lot of Vitamin E and C if you are suffering from asthma. You can buy these vitamins to help you get better function from your lungs and control your asthma symptoms. You can gain vitamins from supplements or the old fashioned way, from food! Your immune system gets a boost with these vitamins, and this helps protect your body against illnesses and asthma.
If you have hay fever or a cold, chances are your asthma treatment will be increased. Illnesses like this can often worsen your asthma symptoms, which may require that you up your dosage of certain medications. Your family doctor may recommend adding another treatment or medication to your current regimen until you recover from your illness.
Humidity in your home causes an environment where mildew and mold are more likely to grow. Both mold and mildew are associated with asthma attacks. It is best if you keep the air in your home as dry as possible. When you are heating your home during the winter months, a dehumidifier can be used to control the humidity. In the summer, use an air conditioner to maintain dry air.
Make sure you get a flu shot each year if you have asthma or if your child does. Make sure your child’s vaccinations are up-to-date to avoid as many infections as possible.
Asthma often takes time to develop, the symptoms appearing slowly. There are actually many people that have passed away from an asthma attack without ever knowing they were even at risk. Given that fact, if you have any kind of consistent cough or respiratory ailments, consulting a physician for testing is a good idea, since you want to know if you are suffering from asthma and if so, what to do about it.
Make sure to examine what it is that causes your asthma attacks in order to best avoid having to deal with them. Common triggers among asthma sufferers are smoke, pollen, or pet dander. When possible, stay away from triggers of asthma symptoms in an effort to prevent a severe attack.
If you have asthma, don’t stop using your inhaler unless your doctor tells you to. However, watch for infections in your gums or other mouth discomfort after using your inhaler. To best method to prevent these side effects and complications is by brushing your teeth, then gargling directly after using the inhaler.
Keep all your regularly scheduled asthma appointments, regardless of how you are feeling. Your doctor may be able to prescribe more effective treatments and you may be suffering symptoms you’re not aware are related to your asthma.
If you have asthma, clean your floors with a wet mop, instead of sweeping with a traditional broom. Sweeping the floor kicks up dust and other debris that can set off an attack of your asthma. Dust will adhere to a wet towel instead of being loose in the air like feather dusters do where it can aggravate your asthma.
Humidity is a problem in the home, because it creates conditions that are perfect for mildew and mold growth. Mold and mildew can easily cause severe asthma attacks. Therefore, it is important to maintain a dry home. In the winter months, use a dehumidifier in order to get rid of moisture. Your air conditioner will keep it dry in the summer.
You can rely on different methods to reduce your asthma attacks and live a normal life. Having asthma isn’t a death sentence, but you need to have a plan for how you are going to live with it, so you have a more fulfilling life.
Know how to properly use asthma medicine, especially your rescue medication. Asthma is generally treated with a rescue medication, usually an inhaler, in addition to a regularly-taken maintenance medication. Managing your medicine properly is important because asthma is a chronic health problem.