Are you stressed about asthma and how it’s ruining your life? You aren’t the only one! Many sufferers want to learn all they can about asthma, but don’t know where to start. Read on to get a firm foundation of knowledge about your asthma, and find some tips and techniques you might not already know.
You should not smoke or be anywhere near smoke if you suffer from asthma. Stay away from jobs that would expose you to toxic or heavy vapors, and refrain from any tobacco use.
Avoid anything that could trigger your asthma. For some people, this is allergy related; things like pollen and dust can start an attack. Others may need to avoid certain physical activities to keep from suffering an attack. 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.
Asthma is a disease that is continuous. As such, it requires long-term health management. Be certain that you are prescribed or using the appropriate medicine to manage your daily symptoms, and that you have an emergency medicine readily available in the event of an attack. A variety of options are available for the treatment of asthmatic attacks. Consult your doctor and an allergist.
If you have asthma, you should keep away from any smoke from cigarettes. You should not smoke yourself! Stay away from vapors and all chemical fumes so you are not able to breathe them in. More often than not, smoke is going to trigger an unavoidable asthma attack. The minute you spot people smoking, immediately remove yourself from the area.
Cigarette smoke will make your asthma worse. Do not smoke! Avoid exposure to chemical fumes or vapors. This can set off an Asthma attack that you might not be able to stop. If you find yourself in a situation where you are around smokers, remove yourself as quickly as possible.
When you are dealing with asthma, try getting a lekotriene inhibitor. A leukotriene inhibitor is for the prevention of leukotrienes. The inflammation caused by this substance can trigger the symptoms of asthma. Leukotriene is an oral therapy for the treatment of asthma, but it is not as effective as inhaled corticosteroids.
If allergy symptoms cause you to have moderate to severe asthma attacks, there is a medication available that can help for extended periods of time. Known as Omalizumab, this antibody medicine can control the body’s allergic senses and lower the symptoms or reactions that asthma patients suffer.
Social Worker
If you have asthma and cannot afford health insurance or have no eligibility, bring up your situation with a social worker. Social workers are often able to locate a hospital or clinic that can offer free or low cost options to make sure you can fill your medication prescriptions.
It is always a problem if you have asthma and don’t have health insurance, but talking to a social worker may help you resolve this issue. 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.
When suffering from asthma, there are vitamins that can help, including E and C. Both vitamins improve lung function, helping you to better resist asthma attacks and other negative symptoms. You can get both of these vitamins from eating certain foods, or by taking the vitamins in supplement form. The vitamins will help improve the immune system, which will help you fight off illnesses that cause asthma.
Make certain that all members of your family get their annual flu shot. Try to avoid getting any respiratory infections if you have asthma. It’s important to take the standard precautions against these illnesses, such as hand washing and vaccinations.
If you use more than four types of chemical cleaning agents in your house the risk of your child having an asthma attack increases. A great way to prevent this is to purchase some organic, non-chemical cleaning products. These all-natural products are safe when inhaled.
Asthma sufferers should take Vitamins E and C. Both vitamins improve lung function, helping you to better resist asthma attacks and other negative symptoms. It doesn’t matter if you get the vitamins for food or a supplement; just get them. The vitamins can help to boost the immune system, which will help you to stay healthy and less ill, which means you will have less asthma attacks.
People who have asthma should stick to using unscented products. If you are using scented products like perfume, incense, or air fresheners you should up the level of air pollution in your home. Fresh paint and new carpeting also produce smells that can cause irritation to the airways. Try to make it your goal to keep the indoor air as fresh and allergen free as possible.
If you have asthma, a dehumidifier is something you should consider purchasing for you home. Lowering humidity will reduce the amount of dust mites in your home, and help your asthma improve. Try running a dehumidifier to dry up the air in your home.
While everyone appreciates the look and feel of a clean house, asthma sufferers in particular benefit from a healthy environment as it can decrease the risk of asthma attacks, especially in a sleeping area. Keep food consumption to the kitchen and the dining room, and never allow anyone to smoke in the house. Don’t use bleach or harsh chemicals inside, and air out the house as much as possible after cleaning.
Your asthma medication may need to be adjusted if you become ill. Treatment may be increased in these cases as many illnesses have side effects that can cause flare ups in your asthma. Your family doctor may recommend adding another treatment or medication to your current regimen until you recover from your illness.
Travel with your rescue medication on your person at all times. Traveling can put additional strain on your body, making you more susceptible to asthma triggers. Controlling your environment is harder when traveling, so this makes it much more probable that you experience worsening symptoms or an attack.
If you’ve been diagnosed with asthma, be sure to get flu shots every year. This is doubly important for asthmatic children. Avoid a lot of these infections by getting vaccinated each year.
Find a good support group in the Internet or in your area. Left untreated, asthma can be very debilitating and prevent you from enjoying your normal activities. Also, other asthma sufferers can alert you to scientific breakthroughs and changes, such as new medications.
The more humid your home is, the easier it is for mildew and mold to grow. These substances are prime triggers for asthma attacks. So try your best to make your home as dry as possible. Use a dehumidifier during the winter time so that you can keep humidity in control when you use a heater. You can use the air conditioning in your household during summer time to get the same affect.
Avoid cold-induced asthma attacks by protecting your mouth and nose with a scarf. Bundling up puts heat between the air and your lungs, which can help lessen your risk of an asthma attack. Studies have consistently shown that cold air can cause your throat and lungs to constrict, triggering asthma attacks. Children are especially susceptible to cold-induced asthma.
Asthma sufferers should minimize their contact with animals and pets. Though dander allergies are often seen in conjunction with asthma, even asthmatics who are not allergic may have attacks that are triggered by the ancillary irritants transported by animals, including pollen and dust.
Allergens, pollen, dust and some other asthma aggravators can collect in your bed linens. Wash sheets on a weekly basis to rid them of allergens. Use hot water to wash the sheets. You should also wash pillowcases. Fresh linens, washed regularly, can ensure you breathe better as you sleep.
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. It is your responsibility to make sure you make these appointments with your doctor so that he can follow up with you and keep you healthy.
Visit at least two different doctors. Your family doctor or primary care physician can be the person you go to regularly for asthma symptoms, but also talk to a few specialists. Asthma centers, pulmonologists, allergists or even nutritionists will be able to work with you, make certain that you check out all outlets offering treatment.
Know what your triggers are to safeguard yourself against asthma. Start an attack journal to help identify these triggers, and share what you record with your doctor. Once they are identified, you should make every attempt to avoid the triggers and remove them from the environment that you live in when at all possible.
It is important to remain calm during an asthma attack. Wait half a minute and try the inhaler one more time. Seek help if your attack gets worse. Go to the hospital. If the attack is particularly bad, have a friend take you or call 911. Try putting a paper bag up to your mouth and breathing into it to help slow your breaths.
Dust Mites
If you are dealing with asthma it is critical you understand how to properly use an inhaler. It is not as simple as spraying it into your mouth and breathing in. Whenever you spray your inhaler, inhale deeply for multiple seconds. Failure to properly use your inhaler can lead to deadly effect.
Keep the place you live clean, and make sure to sweep it regularly. You should wash sheets, pillows, and blankets very frequently. Washing your bedding regularly keeps dust mites away; dust mites are a trigger of attacks for many asthmatics. The buildup of dust in the air is an irritant and increases the possibility of an asthmatic attack.
Learn as much as possible about asthma. By being educated, you can treat your symptoms much more effectively. Keep yourself up to date about new findings and find a good doctor. The only way you can do this is by arming yourself with condition and treatment knowledge.
Be mindful of any allergy attacks that you suffer. If you experience these attacks more than twice each week, you need to switch medications. Asthma attacks are often preventable; there is no reason for anyone to have more than one attack per week, if any. These attacks can be fatal, so you want to reduce them as much as possible.
Follow up with your doctor three or four times a year to manage your asthma. Your doctor can check to see if your condition has changed, and if it has, update your treatment plan. Taking on the responsibility of scheduling these regular appointments will help your doctor help you to stay healthy.
You will want to get stronger, and gradually work to expand your lung capacity. The last thing you should do is a frenetic workout. You will surely trigger an attack. Start slow and build your stamina.
When painting, you should buy a protective mask if you suffer from asthma. You can bother your asthma a lot by painting, if you use a mask it can help protect you. In fact, you should stay vigilant here and avoid any and all chemicals that may trigger an asthma attack.
Pay close attention to any reactions your children have to food. Food allergies often manifest as red, raised hives and difficulty breathing. You may also discuss allergy testing with your child’s pediatrician. Allergies can exacerbate asthma symptoms, and can cause asthma attacks. Allergic asthma is a type of asthma where attacks are brought on by allergies.
Once you know what sets your asthma off, you can keep attacks from happening as frequently. A notebook is a good idea for finding specific triggers, so you can talk about them with your physician. When you know what they are, do everything possible to keep away from these triggers, and get rid of them from your surroundings whenever you can.
It is nothing uncommon for anyone who suffers from asthma to be curious and ask questions about how it can affect them in their life. The purpose here was to show you critical asthma advice that you can hopefully use, to alleviate the stress that this condition provides. Use this advice to improve the situation that asthma is creating for your life so you can get back to the business of living!
Keep an eye on your allergy attacks and consider switching your prescription if you suffer from more than two asthma attacks a week. Doctors and nurses agree that two attacks per week or more can be dangerous, not to mention avoidable.