Life as an asthmatic can be frustrating, but once you find methods to manage asthma you can live an active, healthy life. You can find many ways to manage your asthma so that it does not interfere with your daily life. The following article will provide you with many suggestions on how you can optimize your life despite having the condition of asthma.
If you are suffering from asthma, it is essential that you quit smoking cigarettes. 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.
Avoid using a fan in any room that has excessive dust. A fan will spread dust and debris all over. This can very easily aggravate your asthma, and cause serious symptoms. On smog-free, low pollen days, open your windows to improve airflow in the house.
Cleaning products should be avoided when you have asthma. Cleaning products are often full of chemicals, and breathing those chemicals in can irritate your lungs. If you are the person in your house who does the cleaning, there natural product solutions which are safe for you to use.
When you are dealing with asthma, try getting a lekotriene inhibitor. A leukotriene inhibitor prevents the formation of leukotrienes. The inflammation caused by this substance can trigger the symptoms of asthma. The inhibitor prevents leukotrienes, and that can decrease the number of asthma attacks you deal with.
Avoid using a fan in any room that has excessive dust. If you do, the dust will move around, and you can trigger your asthma. A fan will just blow around dust without providing fresh air, so opening a window is a better option as it brings in fresh air and ventilation.
When you are suffering from asthma and you have hay fever or a cold, you will most likely need an increase in your treatment. Make sure your doctor prescribes a fast acting inhaler for emergency situations. Your doctor might add additional medication until your sickness gets better.
When suffering from asthma, there are vitamins that can help, including E and C. These vitamins are thought to help improve lung function and control asthma symptoms. You are able to get these vitamins either from food or a supplement. These vitamins can also boost the immune system and help prevent asthma attacks.
Take notes of what can trigger your asthma attacks so that you can be prepared for a future attack or learn how to avoid them all together. Asthma sufferers generally have different triggers in common like pollen, pet dander and smoke. When it is possible avoid substances that make you have symptoms or attacks.
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.
Asthma Attack
Some of the main triggers of asthma attacks happen right inside the home. These causes are sources, such as, but not limited to dust, mold and spores. To keep healthy, lower your risk of an asthma attack by getting rid of these triggers from your home. On top of that, doing housecleaning regularly can prevent build up of these particles.
When you are traveling, be sure to carry your rescue inhaler with you at all times. Being in odd environments can cause undue stress on your body, which makes you more prone to an asthma attack. 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.
If your home is damp, it can encourage the growth of mildew and mold. You can get asthma attacks because of these substances. You should therefore try to keep your home dry. When you are using a heater in winter time, you can run a dehumidifier for help controlling humidity. In the summer, running your air conditioner will allow you to keep your humidity down.
Go to your regular medical check-ups, even if your condition seems under control. It is impossible to predict the next attack. Furthermore, newer or safer asthma medications may be approved in the time since you last visited your doctor.
The development of asthma symptoms can occur over time and they can be difficult to pinpoint and diagnose. Sometimes, a person can die from their first asthma attack without actually knowing they had the disease to begin with! It is advised that you seek out a medical professional if you ever have shortness of breath or experience constant coughing; this may be a sign that you suffer from asthma and need proper medication to prevent an asthma attack and keep your condition under control.
Most of the triggers for attacks, and causes of asthma, are found inside the home. Three triggers comprise the asthma triad of doom: spores, dust and mold. Have an inspector come visit your house to remove any harmful agents that you have so that you can stay healthy and lower your risk for an asthma attack. Conscientious house-cleaning can help prevent buildup of substances in your home that might trigger an asthma attack.
If you are going on a plane trip with asthma medications, make sure to bring your written prescription along with you. Having written proof that the item in question is in fact medically necessary can cut down on hassles at the security check.
Humidity in your home causes an environment where mildew and mold are more likely to grow. Both of these allergens can be contributing factors in asthma attacks. Therefore, you should always strive to maintain a dry home. During winter time, use a dehumidifier if necessary to control humidity while running your heater, and use your air conditioner during summer months to keep air dry.
It’s a very good habit to use your asthma inhaler as a daily preventative, although the drug residue can cause issues for your gums and teeth. To avoid those complications, be sure to brush teeth, gargle, and rinse mouth completely right after you have used the inhaler.
Bundle up during winter weather if you have asthma. Covering your nose and mouth with a scarf or muffler helps prevent asthma attacks. This will warm the air that you breathe before it enters your lungs. Breathing in air that’s cold can trigger an attack, particularly in younger children that have moderate or severe asthma.
When you are cleaning your home, it is always better to use a wet mop rather than sweeping your floors. Vacuuming or wet-mopping are better than sweeping because they don’t stir up dust and debris that might induce an asthma attack. When you need to dust, do so with a damp rag instead of a feather duster so that you reduce spreading around anything that will trigger your asthma.
When flying and bringing along asthma medications and equipment, be sure to pack your prescriptions. This is especially true for large items like a nebulizer. Carrying your prescriptions along with written proof that they are medically necessary, will cut down on potential problems at the airport checkpoints.
Avoiding smoke is key in controlling asthma. Smoking can trigger a person who has asthma to have an attack. Avoid exposure to chemical fumes and vapors, and any type of wood or cigarette smoke. These environmental conditions can exacerbate your asthma symptoms. If someone is smoking around you, you have every right to nicely ask them to not to.
Monitor your weekly inhaler use and tally how many times you need to use it to control an attack. If you use it very often, you may not have it under control. The amount you utilize your inhaler can remind you to always monitor your environment as a means of effectively managing your asthma.
If you have asthma consider staying away from pets or animals. While allergies from animals can complicate asthma, those without allergies can get asthma attacks from dust or pollen that the animals carry.
Dust and other allergens often accumulate in bed sheets. A weekly wash cycle using hot water can eliminate these potential triggers for asthma attacks. Fresh bed linens, laundered on a regular basis, will keep you breathing clearly and easily at night while you slumber.
Learn everything you can about your condition. The more you know about asthma, the more proactive a treatment you can devise for yourself. Keep current with treatments and ensure you have the greatest possible care that you can have. The only way to know this is to learn about your condition and your treatment options.
Smoking cigarettes is not a choice that should be made. If you have asthma, you could have serious health complications from smoking. The lungs of someone with asthma are irritated by smoking, whether by that person or someone nearby.
Attending a support group of asthma sufferers, or just sharing with people who have this condition, can really benefit you. People who have to live with the disease will be able to share their own experiences, and give you tips on how to cope. Support from people around you is key.
Stay Indoors
The etiology of asthma is both genetic and environmental. If anyone in your family suffers from asthma, beware of any symptoms that are suggestive of asthma in you or your children. 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.
If the pollen count is rising, stay indoors when possible. While asthma is different than allergies, often the same types of things that bother those with allergies trigger irritation in asthmatics as well. You can get the information about air quality in the area you are in; people who suffer from asthma should stay indoors if their air quality is low.
Caffeine is a good thing to take if you happen to leave your asthma controller medication at home and then have an asthma attack. It’s best to use a fast acting inhaler to end your asthma attack but caffeine can relieve asthma symptoms until you are able to get to your inhaler. It helps constrict the blood vessels and opens the airways.
As you have read, there are many options available to you that can help control your asthma. Having asthma does not automatically prevent you from enjoying your life. When you monitor and treat your condition properly, you can live a great life.
Make sure you ban any type of smoking inside your home, or any place that can harm someone in your household who suffers from asthma. People who want to smoke should do so outside, away from the house and away from the person with asthma. Just the smell of smoke from a heavy smoker’s garments can trigger asthma attacks.