Asthma, like any respiratory condition, can be extremely scary, since it interferes with your ability to take in oxygen, which is required to live. Not only does an attack usually occur suddenly, it can be fatal and constantly limits your quality of life. In this article, you will learn some of the triggers of asthma attacks and some helpful ways to reduce their frequency and severity.
If you suffer from asthma, don’t smoke or expose yourself to smoke, fumes or vapors. This means you should stay away from all tobacco products and carefully consider the jobs you apply to, especially in factories, as you may be exposed to harmful smoke or vapors.
If you have an asthmatic child, do not allow anyone to smoke around him. As far as triggers that cause asthma attacks or causes of the condition in general, secondhand cigarette smoke ranks right up there. Never allow anyone to smoke around your child, and teach them not to smoke as an adult themselves.
If you have an asthmatic child, do not allow anyone to smoke around him. As far as triggers that cause asthma attacks or causes of the condition in general, secondhand cigarette smoke ranks right up there. You should take care to also make sure your child does not get exposed to other environments where people might be smoking.
Always be very mindful of the type of medications you’re taking. Some meds out there might just trigger an asthma attack. Among these medications are aspirin and other NSAIDs. There are some beta blockers that are given to those trying to control their heart disease or who have high blood pressure that may be harmful to an asthmatic, as well. If you have asthma and these other conditions, let your physician know.
Quit smoking or avoid smoke if you suffer from asthma. While smoking is bad for everyone, it’s particularly hard on an asthma sufferer as it restricts oxygen getting to the lungs.
If you are prone to asthma attacks, avoid any cigarette or other tobacco smoke. If you don’t smoke, don’t start. If you do smoke, stop. Avoid vapors and chemical fumes from cigarettes. This can cause an asthma attack, and you may be unable to bring it under control. If others are smoking and you are nearby, get away from them immediately.
Some medications are known to cause asthma symptoms. Aspirin along with other NSAIDs can have this effect. Other medications that may have an effect on the respiratory system include beta blockers used to treat high blood pressure. Make sure your doctor knows if you are taking such medicine and also have asthma.
When you are having a difficult time with asthma, you might want to use a leukotriene inhibitor. This type of inhibitor is designed to prevent leukotrienes. Leukotriene is a substance that may cause inflammation. This can make a person have an asthma attack. The inhibitor prevents leukotrienes, and that can decrease the number of asthma attacks you deal with.
Cigarette smoke will make your asthma worse. This cannot be emphasized enough: Stay away from cigarette smoke! Never breathe in chemical fumes or vapors. A severe asthma attack can be life threatening. If you find yourself in a situation where you are around smokers, remove yourself as quickly as possible.
Always use your inhaler in the proper manner. Find a good place and follow all of the directions that have been provided by the maker of the product. The inhaler is only useful if the medication within it actually gets to your lungs. Breathe in through your mouth while you’re pressing the spray button. Don’t exhale for ten seconds so that the medicine can go through your lungs.
Don’t turn on the fan if the dust in a room is aggravating your asthma. An asthma attack can be easily triggered by the moving dust. Open some windows if you want fresh air.
Asthmatics should have a flu shot every year to prevent contracting a serious respiratory infection. Respiratory infections can seriously hurt those who suffer from asthma, so take measures to avoid contracting them. The easiest way to start is by performing routine hand-washing, limiting your touching of surfaces while in public places, and getting vaccinations recommended by your doctor.
If your asthma attacks are severe, you may want to speak with your doctor about a long lasting injection of medication to control your symptoms. An antibody medicine known as omalizumab is very effective at countering asthma attacks related to allergies. Ask your allergist about it.
Using four or more cleaners in your home can contribute to asthma attacks. Organic cleaning products should be selected due to their lack of irritating chemicals.
Talk to a social worker if you have asthma and no health insurance. You must have the ability to afford your medication, so a social worker might be able to locate a hospital or clinic that can offer them at little cost or free.
Stay away from any tobacco smoke, even people that are smoking tobacco. As soon as you inhale any smoke from tobacco, your lungs become sensitive, which increases your risk of an attack. Just avoid any type of smoke, especially in small areas, and keep your lungs healthy to be safe.
Think about buying a dehumidifier if your asthma symptoms are bad. Cutting down the humidity in the house will lower the amount dust mites in the air, and that will mean fewer asthma flare-ups. Dehumidifiers cause the air in your home to become dry, which means less humidity.
If you or someone in your family has asthma, all family members need to get flu shots every year. Get yearly vaccinations to keep these potential infections at bay.
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. Try organic cleaners that are free of irritating chemicals.
Mold and mildew thrive in homes with high humidity levels. You can get asthma attacks because of these substances. You will benefit greatly from keeping the moisture out of your home’s air. A dehumidifier can be used in the winter, and in the summer, many air conditioner models also help strip moisture from the air.
If your child or yourself are asthma sufferers it is very important that you get the flu shot every single year. Get yearly vaccinations to keep these potential infections at bay.
Wear a covering over your mouth and nose when you go outdoors in the colder weather. A shawl, scarf or muffler would work well. This allows you to warm air before it enters your lungs. Breathing cold air triggers your asthma attacks, particularly in young kids with bad asthma.
You should know what triggers your asthma attacks; this will allow you to either avoid them or be ready to manage the symptoms. Asthma sufferers generally have different triggers in common like pollen, pet dander and smoke. When possible, stay away from triggers of asthma symptoms in an effort to prevent a severe attack.
It is important to know the proper way to use asthma medication, especially the medication that is used in an emergency. A treatment made up of a daily medication plus a rescue inhaler can help to keep asthma under control. Asthma is considered a chronic condition. For this reason, you should take the management of it very seriously.
Inhalers are important to use every day, but be aware that inhalers have been known to cause infections near the teeth and gums. You can prevent any of these mouth issues by brushing your teeth and gargling mouthwash as soon as you use the inhaler.
You can use the preventative inhaler daily, but know that it can cause mouth infections near your gums and teeth. You can prevent this by brushing your teeth and gargling immediately following the use of your inhaler.
Keep notes on how often you are compelled to use your inhaler each week. Your medication may need to be adjusted or an alternative treatment considered if you find that you need to use it 3 or more times per week. If you have to use your inhaler a lot, you will know that you should more closely monitor your surroundings.
For a deeper and more thorough cleaning, mop your floors instead of simply sweeping them. Sweeping sends dust and dander back into the air and could trigger an asthma attack. When dusting, use a damp cloth, as feather dusters just move dust around.
Instead of sweeping your floors, clean them with a damp mop. Those particles that can trigger asthma attacks are stirred up when you sweep. Dust will adhere to a wet towel instead of being loose in the air like feather dusters do where it can aggravate your asthma.
For those struggling with their asthma, avoiding regular contact with pets is important to control symptoms. Even people that do not have allergies are prone to suffer an asthma attack from the pollen and dust on animals.
Smoke should always be avoided when you suffer from asthma. Smoke and chemicals have been known to trigger asthma attacks. You should avoid cigarette smoke, vapors, and chemical fumes as much as possible. All of these will increase your asthma symptoms. If you know someone who smokes, politely ask that they do not smoke in your presence.
Allergens and asthma triggers, such as dust and pollen can cling to your bed linens. You may cut down on these potential inducers of an asthma attack by cleaning your sheets and pillows in hot water each week. If you are sleeping on freshly laundered linens, you will sleep much easier.
For asthma sufferers having contact with pets or other animals need to be minimized. An allergy to an animal will worsen asthma symptoms, and an animal can carry enough dust or pollen to trigger an attack.
Avoid smoking. A lot of people know that smoking is bad for you, but if you have asthma it is far worse. Asthmatics have sensitive lungs and tobacco smoke is very, very irritating. Smoke is so bad, that asthmatics should never allow themselves to be in the same vicinity as someone who is smoking.
Bed linens attract things that cause asthma attacks. A weekly wash cycle using hot water can eliminate these potential triggers for asthma attacks. You will find that having fresh linens will make your breathing while sleeping much easier.
Don’t panic when you have an asthma attack. Locate your inhaler, inhale deeply with the spray, and allow 30 seconds to pass before you reuse it. If this does not lessen the attack, get help quickly. Go to the emergency room, or call an ambulance if it’s extreme. On your way to the hospital, breath in and out in a paper bag in order to help calm yourself and get your breathing down to a normal pace.
Check in with your doctor regularly to ensure that you are maintaining your asthma condition correctly and successfully. Your doctor should make changes to your treatment if they feel your condition has changed. You have to take it upon yourself to make and keep these crucial appointments so that your doctor can assist you in managing your condition as effectively as possible.
If it isn’t taken care of and gotten under control, it can kill. The information in this article should have shed some light on what methods of management are available to asthmatics and what you need to do to be able to live a healthy and happy life with asthma.
If you are having more than a couple of asthma attacks per week, you should go to your doctor and eliminate triggers. Most medical professionals concur that it may be harmful to endure two or more attacks on a weekly basis, and that it is completely preventable with the right medications.