Living with asthma is very hard, but if you manage it correctly, you can lead a better life. There are lots of ways to prevent or control asthma from messing up your life. Read on to find some helpful tips and techniques to take back your life despite the diagnosis of asthma!
Do you know which type of asthma you suffer from? Knowing as much as possible about your specific type of asthma will go an incredibly long way in helping you combat the day-to-day effects it has on you. For example, if you have exercise-induced asthma, you will want to always make sure you have an inhaler in your gym bag. Learn what activities trigger your symptoms, and prepare accordingly so that you’re never caught without your inhaler during an asthma attack.
What kind of asthma do you have? When you know in-depth information about your asthma, you can figure out how to fight against it. If people who have asthma suffer attacks triggered by exercise, they should bring an inhaler with them when they work out. Knowing symptom patterns will help you prevent emergencies.
If you suffer with asthma, avoid cleaning products. Many of the harsh chemicals inside cleaning products might trigger symptoms or even a full blown asthma attack. If you do the cleaning in your house, use natural solutions that are safer for you to breath in.
It is crucial for asthma sufferers not to smoke. Smoking is, of course, unhealthy for anyone. The habit is even more dangerous for asthma patients, however, because anything that reduces the amount of oxygen reaching the lungs can trigger an attack.
Asthma doesn’t just go away, so you can’t just stop managing it. 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. Work with your allergist and doctor to find the right treatment program that makes you feel good and allows you to still do the things you want to do.
Asthma Symptoms
If you find yourself having a mild asthma attack, force the air from your lungs until they are empty. Breathe out fast and hard. Expel the air in your lungs with great force! Take three short breaths, then one last deep breath to ensure your lungs have enough air, then forcefully breath out. Paying attention this way will help you stabilize your breathing and make it rhythmic. 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.
There are certain medications that cause or exacerbate asthma symptoms. Not everyone knows this. Some anti-inflammatory drugs, such as aspirin or ibuprofen, can flare up asthma symptoms. Beta blockers that are used to treat high blood pressure and heart disease can develop asthma like symptoms. If you have asthma and these other conditions, let your physician know.
If you are suffering from asthma, stay away from any type of cigarette smoke. Avoid smoking altogether. Air pollution and fumes from harsh chemicals also increase asthma symptoms. This can cause an asthma attack, and you may be unable to bring it under control. Do everything you can to avoid cigarette smoke, air pollution, allergens and harsh chemical fumes to keep your asthma symptoms under control.
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! Take in three breaths, and then a deeper breath until your lungs are full of air. Then exhale with force again. Using this strategy provides your breathing with a rhythm that forces you to focus on it. It will also empty your lungs of air, so that they’re ready to take in new, fresh air. If you cough or produce sputum, don’t worry. Just remain focused on your objective, which is to regain a normal rate of breathing.
If you suffer from asthma, and have many attacks that are related to your allergy symptoms, there is a medication that is injected and provides long term effects. An excellent antibody medication that works well to control asthma symptoms, brought on by allergic reactions is called Omalizumab, and can be administered by your allergist.
If you find yourself in a room that is dusty, don’t turn on any kind of fan. This will cause the dust to move around, which could cause an asthma attack. Encourage air to flow throughout the room by just opening a nearby window or door.
Make sure you use the inhaler in the proper, prescribed method. Find a good place and follow all of the directions that have been provided by the maker of the product. Proper use delivers the medication to your lungs. Breathe in through your mouth while you’re pressing the spray button. You should hold your breath 10 seconds so the medicated mist is able to fill up your lungs.
If you suffer from asthma and allergies that result in attacks, you can get injections of long-lasting medication for relief. Omalizumab can effectively control allergy symptoms you may be experiencing and can be suggested by your local allergist if it fits your needs.
Make certain that all members of your family get their annual flu shot. If you have asthma, it’s important to prevent all respiratory infections, if at all possible. This means you should also be sure to wash your hands frequently and get vaccinated.
You may want to use a leukotriene inhibitor if your asthma is being particularly problematic. Leukotriene inhibitors are used to prevent things called leukotrienes. Leukotriene is a type of chemical substance which may cause inflammation and could cause an attack. The inhibitor will prevent leukotrienes, which can decrease the amount of asthma attacks that you have.
Vitamins E and C are beneficial to anyone with asthma. These vitamins help to control asthma symptoms and improve the function of your lungs. You can get both of these vitamins from eating certain foods, or by taking the vitamins in supplement form. These vitamins can boost immune systems, which helps you to avoid illnesses that can be a trigger for your asthma.
Social Worker
If you have asthma, try to avoid smokers, even if you do not smoke. When you inhale tobacco smoke, you are severely increasing the likelihood of an asthma attack. This is especially true in small, confined areas with little to no ventilation.
Talk to a social worker if you’re not eligible for any health insurance and you’re an asthma sufferer. It is essential that you can buy your asthma medicine, and a social worker might help you find a hospital or clinic that can provide your medicine at reduced cost, or free.
Be aware that your asthma medication may need to be adjusted if you are suffering from a cold, flu or hay fever. Side effects that are associated with most illnesses can serve as triggers for asthma and may cause an increase in your asthma treatment. Your doctor may also add another treatment to your regimen until your illness gets better.
IF you have asthma, you should consider buying a dehumidifier. With less humidity, there will be fewer dust mites, and that means that there is less of a chance that your asthma will flare up. Dehumidifiers cause the air in your home to become dry, which means less humidity.
A humid home environment is a healthy environment for mildew and mold to develop. These can very easily cause an attack. So try your best to make your home as dry as possible. In the winter, use a dehumidifier along with your heater, and in the summer months, you can use your air conditioner to help control the amount of water in the air within your home.
People suffering from asthma should stick to unscented products. Use of scented products, such as perfume, air fresheners and incense, increase the levels of indoor air pollution and can trigger an attack. An asthma sufferer’s airways can feel irritated by odors such as fresh paint or new carpeting. Keep your indoor air clean and free of pollutants to stay healthy.
It is important to use your maintenance inhaler daily as prescribed. However, understand that most types of inhalers contain ingredients which may make your mouth more susceptible to infections. You can prevent these side effects with proper tooth brushing and gargling after you use your inhaler.
To minimize the chances of triggering a bout of asthma, keep your house extra clean, particularly rooms where asthma patients sleep. Never allow anyone to smoke in the home of an asthmatic, and consider using plastic to cover your mattress and pillows. Try not to use bleach or other irritants inside, and always thoroughly change the air in your house after cleaning.
Avoid all types of smoke, including cigarette smoke, if you have asthma. Smoking can actually trigger an asthma attack. Make sure to stay away from chemical fumes and cigarette smoke whenever possible. These things will aggravate your asthma and worsen the symptoms. If there are smokers around you, you may want to ask them if they will smoke in another area.
While traveling, always keep emergency asthma medication on hand and close by. Traveling is hard on your body, and you might have an asthma attack easier because your body is more likely to respond to triggers. Controlling your environment is harder when traveling, so this makes it much more probable that you experience worsening symptoms or an attack.
See more than one doctor. Your primary physician should always be your first stop when dealing with asthma, but you may find it helpful to add a specialist’s knowledge. Asthma centers, pulmonologists, nutritionists and allergists can all work with you, making sure you are getting all the treatment you need.
As you see, you can use several methods in controlling or preventing asthma from overtaking your life. Asthma need not be such an obtrusive force in your life. In fact, if you can formulate an effective strategy against it, life can be very rewarding and active for you.
During spring or other high-pollen times, don’t go outside unless you have to so that you can avoid a pollen-triggered asthma attack. Asthma’s not an allergy, but many things that irritate allergies also irritate asthma. Air quality readings are often available locally, and utilizing this information is key in minimizing exposure to harmful airborne irritants.