Living with asthma is a burden, and asthma attacks are downright frightening. The quality of your life can be drastically improved if you understand how to live and deal with your asthma. Keep reading for new, and old, ideas on handling your asthma.
Are you informed about what type of asthma you suffer from? Being aware of your particular asthma condition can help you to effectively treat it on a daily basis. If your asthma is triggered by exercise, throw an inhaler into your gym bag. By knowing the pattern to your symptoms it will be a big help to you avoiding crises.
If you are having an asthma attack (mild or moderate), you need to try to force air out of the lungs. Breathe out aggressively, as hard as you can. Try to force the air out of your lungs! Then take three small breaths in, followed by a deeper breath to fill your lungs comfortably. Next, exhale forcefully again. This gives your breathing a rhythm and makes you focus on your breathing. It also helps to push air out from your lungs so new air can come back in. You might cough or produce sputum, but that is fine; you are trying to get breathing under control again.
Be certain to properly use your inhaler. Find a spot that is peaceful, and then follow the instructions given by the manufacturer. The inhaler only can help if it’s medicine reaches the lungs. Inhale air while spraying the necessary amount of medication into your mouth. Hold in your breath for 10 seconds so the medicine works properly.
Asthma Attacks
Ask everyone in your family to get a flu shot every year. Respiratory infections can seriously hurt those who suffer from asthma, so take measures to avoid contracting them. This means taking every precaution possible, do things like getting vaccinated to prevent sickness to hand washing on a regular basis.
A leukotriene inhibitor should be taken into consideration when asthma is a struggle. There are modern medicines that are highly effective at blocking leukotrienes. Leukotriene, a chemical substance, can cause asthma attacks by causing inflammation. Get the inhibitor to prevent the leukotrienes, and your asthma attacks may drop in number.
If you suffer from asthma, make sure that you consume enough Vitamin C and Vitamin E. They help to increase the function of the lungs and control the overall symptoms of asthma. You are able to get these vitamins either from food or a supplement. Loading up on these vitamins will energize your immune system, aiding your body in preventing the illnesses that worsen or trigger asthma.
If you suffer from asthma, taking enough Vitamin E and C can help you. These vitamins help to control asthma symptoms and improve the function of your lungs. These vitamins can be easily obtained, either through your diet or a supplement. These vitamins will also provide a boost to your immune system. This will prevent respiratory illnesses that can trigger your asthma attacks.
If you have asthma, you may wish to consider installing a dehumidifier in your home. Lowering the level of humidity present in your home can reduce the numbers of dust mites, a prime trigger of asthma. Dehumidifiers reduce attacks in your home by making the air cleaner and drier.
It has been shown that if you use multiple varieties of cleaning products around your house, it will increase the chance of an asthma attack. Consider purchasing and using organic cleaning products since they are void of irritating chemicals.
Unscented products are the safest option for those who suffer from asthma. Scented products, like air fresheners, incense and perfume, raise indoor pollution levels and can trigger asthma attacks. You should also avoid fresh paints or new carpets, as they give off fumes that can irritate the airway. Try to maintain fresh air inside your home.
Stay away from any tobacco smoke, even people that are smoking tobacco. If you inhale the smoke, it will harm your lungs and increase the possibility of an asthma attack. Always be mindful of this, especially in small spaces that do not have very much air flowing.
To cut the risk of an asthma attack, keep your house as clean as you can, particularly the bedroom of the person with asthma. Don’t smoke indoors, or allow any junk food in your home. Let in plenty of fresh air if the weather permits, and avoid using harsh chemicals to bleach.
When dealing with hay fever or a cold, you will notice an increase in your asthma symptoms. Some illnesses create issues that make it necessary to increase medication temporarily. Your doctor may need to add new treatments to your typical asthma regimen until you are well.
When you are traveling, make sure you have a rescue inhaler with you. Travel adds stress on your physical body, and it might increase your chances of falling prey to asthma 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.
Even if you are feeling great, never skip your regular asthma checkup. Asthma can flare-up at any time, and you never know, perhaps your doctor has safer or better medications which can help your symptoms.
If you are taking an airplane and you need to travel with your asthma apparatus or medications, bring your written prescription with you. Having written documentation supporting this medically necessary item will eliminate any hassles when going through the security check point.
You can wear warm things like a shawl, muffler or scarf, which can help cover your nose and mouth in the colder months. Filtering and warming air before you inhale it can help prevent asthma attacks. Inhaling cold air can elicit an asthma attack or create other serious respiratory problems.
A preventative inhaler should be used every day, but you should know that this can cause infections near the teeth and gums in your mouth. You can prevent any of these mouth issues by brushing your teeth and gargling mouthwash as soon as you use the inhaler.
Instead of sweeping your floors with a broom, it is preferable to clean using a wet mop. Sweeping can cause the rise of dust and dander, which may trigger an asthma attack. In the same vein, choose a damp rag as opposed to a feather duster when dusting, as this prevents dust from flying about.
Pay attention to how often you reach for your asthma inhaler each week. If you are using it more than twice, your asthma may not be as well-controlled as you think or you may be experiencing unusual circumstances bringing on more frequent attacks. You can use your frequency of inhaler use to gauge the effectiveness of your asthma treatment plan and make modifications when necessary.
Asthma Attack
When you are removing dust or crumbs from your floor, you should use a vacuum or damp mop to avoid scattering dust in the air. Sweeping can trigger an asthma attack due to the copious clouds of minute asthma-triggering particles it kicks up. Dust will adhere to a wet towel instead of being loose in the air like feather dusters do where it can aggravate your asthma.
Avoid smoke to prevent asthma and asthma attacks. Smoke can induce an asthma attack. Stay away from all types of fumes as well as cigarette smoke. Any inhalant, which is irritating, can trigger an asthma attack! If there is someone who always smokes around you, you should politely ask this person to smoke when you aren’t present.
Do not smoke cigarettes. Although bad for everyone, cigarettes can cause greater problems for those with asthma. Your lungs could become very irritated if you smoke, and you should avoid being around others that are smoking.
If you have asthma consider staying away from pets or animals. An allergy to an animal will worsen asthma symptoms, and an animal can carry enough dust or pollen to trigger an attack.
Asthma sufferers should definitely stay indoors more when pollen increases. While asthma is different than allergies, often the same types of things that bother those with allergies trigger irritation in asthmatics as well. Air quality readings are often available locally, and utilizing this information is key in minimizing exposure to harmful airborne irritants.
Get a second opinion. Although your primary doctor can treat your asthma, a specialist may be able to provide further help. 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.
If you are experiencing 3 or more asthma attacks per week, it is a serious signal that you may need to adjust your medication. Getting more than two attacks a week is dangerous for your health and you should take action.
Asthma sufferers need to stay inside as much as they can when the air’s pollen content is high. Asthma is not considered an allergy, but elements that cause allergies usually trigger asthma attacks too. Technology has brought with it real-time air quality reports that can be consulted before exposure to outdoor air that may cause irritation to asthmatics.
Keep an eye out for any symptoms or signs of a severe asthma attack setting in so you can decide appropriately if you need to get your kid to the ER. Some symptoms of a dangerous attack include blue or gray nails and lips and a lack of response to medications. Additionally, your child may have trouble speaking.
Thoroughly Cleaned
A yearly vaccination for the flu virus is a wise idea. Even if the flu or cold seasons do not affect you, it is still better to get vaccinated against them. If you’re prone to getting asthma attacks, it’s more likely that you’ll seriously suffer from respiratory or sinus infections caused the a virus or the flu.
If you suffer from asthma or allergies, avoid using a vaporizer or humidifier unless it is consistently and thoroughly cleaned. If the vaporizer or humidifier has not been thoroughly cleaned there could be bacteria growing inside of it. When you turn it on it will pump allergens that you will inevitably breath in.
In order to lower the amount of asthma attacks that you have at home, make sure your house is a dry, clean environment. Regular use of a dehumidifier can control the level of moisture in your home. If you keep the humidity steady, you can lower your seasonal attacks.
Remain calm in the event of an asthma attack. You should immediately use your inhaler and use the inhaler again 30 seconds later. Don’t suffer in silence or wait it out if your breathing gets worse instead of better after using your inhaler. You need immediate medical attention if this happens. Gesture to someone to call 911 if you can’t speak, or have them drive you to the nearest hospital. Try breathing into a paper bag in order to slow down your breathing while on the way to the hospital.
If your child is under age five and has asthma, know the warning signs that could require an emergency room visit. Some symptoms are gasping to breathe, difficulty speaking due to lacking air, etc. Any of these symptoms means you have to seek medical help for your child right away.
Proper use of an inhaler is crucial if you suffer from asthma. It is not as simple as spraying it into your mouth and breathing in. Every time you use your inhaler, be sure to breathe deeply and slowly. Properly using your asthma inhaler is one of the most important ways you, as a person with asthma, can protect your health.
If you have asthma, avoid exercise in weather that is dry and cold. The reason is because the cold and dry air in the bronchial airways may trigger an asthma attack. Thus, if you want to exercise outdoors, ensure it is humid and a little warm before you begin.
Anyone who has been diagnosed with asthma should strive to be knowledgeable about the nature of the condition. The more you know about managing your asthma, the easier it will be to live with it. We have, thankfully, learned a lot about living with asthma and how you can be happier if you have it.
If someone you know has asthma, they need fresh air in the home. If weather permits, keep the doors and windows open to maximize air circulation. If your house is insulated, you will have about 200% more allergens compared to well-ventilated homes. If you ventilate your home it’s easy to get clean air.