Obviously, healthy lungs are essential, and when an illness like asthma causes problems with them, it has a major effect on your life. It is possible to live a healthy and enjoyable life with asthma. In the following paragraphs, you’ll find suggestions on how to deal with your asthma.
It is important that you try to stay clear of cleaning products if you have asthma. A lot of these products contain harsh chemicals such as ammonia. These chemicals wreak havoc on you and can trigger an attack. If you enjoy cleaning, or are the sole cleaner in the household, you are sure to be able to find one of the many natural cleaners that will be safe for your use.
Do you know the type of asthma that you suffer with? One of the best ways to combat asthma and its limiting effects on your life is to know and understand as much as you can about your specific condition. If your asthma is triggered by exercise, throw an inhaler into 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.
Avoid the things that trigger your asthma. For many people, allergens such as dust and pollen can induce an attack. Others experience an attack from physical activities. Figure out what sets off your asthma so you can avoid it.
If you suffer from asthma, it is vital that you avoid smoking; if you do, you should quit. Although smoking is bad for all people, it is especially worse for asthma patients because it cuts off the oxygen supply that you need in order for your lungs to function and keep away asthma attacks.
Unfortunately, asthma sufferers must realize that their condition is chronic which requires ongoing treatment. Be certain that you are using the right maintenance medicines to control your asthma and that you also have a rescue or emergency medication when you have an acute asthma attack. Speak to an allergist and doctor to see what’s best for you.
If you’re suffering from asthma, it helps if you can avoid any harsh cleaning products out there. It is very possible that one might bring on an asthma attack with some chemicals used for cleaning. If you must do the cleaning in your home, opt for natural products with lower chemical content.
Asthma sufferers should avoid smoking cigarettes and any place that has cigarette smoke. This cannot be emphasized enough: Stay away from cigarette smoke! Avoid all fumes of chemical products or breathing harmful vapors. Chemical fumes will trigger asthma attacks that you won’t be able to put an end to. If you find that you have people smoking around you, get yourself out of that area rather quickly.
Asthma Attacks
If you’re in a room that has a lot of dust in it, don’t turn on a fan. The fan will circulate the dust along with the air, which can cause it to get into your lungs and make your asthma worse. Open a window instead to get the air flowing.
Know situations and conditions that cause asthma attacks for you, and stay away from them in the future as much as possible. For some, allergens such as dust and pollen can trigger an attack. Others have asthma attacks when they participate in physical activities. Know your asthma causes so you can avoid putting yourself in a situation where you may suffer from an attack.
Using more than 4 different kinds of cleaning products for your house has been known to increase risks associated to asthma attacks. Opt for organic cleaning products that do not contain irritating chemicals.
If you have asthma and find yourself having frequent attacks caused by alleries, it may be time to consider a long-lasting medication. An antibody medicine under the name Omalizumab can be used to reduce these symptoms caused by allergies and might be prescribed by your allergist.
If you’ve got asthma, don’t smoke or be near smokers. Tobacco smoke can bring on an asthma attack, especially within areas without good air flow. The smoke restricts the ability of your lungs to breathe, making an attack much more likely to occur.
If you suffer from asthma, don’t expose yourself to secondhand smoke. Inhaled smoke from tobacco can drastically reduce lung function, increasing your chances of an asthma attack. This is especially true in closed-in areas.
If you suffer from asthma, it is best to buy unscented products. Products with a strong smell such as air fresheners, incense or perfume can trigger asthma attacks. Irritating odors are also given off by new carpeting and paints. As much as possible, try to keep your home filled with fresh, pure air.
Unscented products are the safest option for those who suffer from asthma. Products that contain fragrance, such as perfumes, colognes, or air fresheners, can pollute the air triggering your asthma. Fresh paint and new carpeting also produce smells that can cause irritation to the airways. Aim to make the air inside your home allergen free, and as fresh and clean as possible.
If you or someone in your family has asthma, all family members need to get flu shots every year. A yearly vaccination will help minimize the number of infections your children have to deal with.
Stand ready for a boost to your asthma treatment should you suffer from illnesses like colds or hay fever. The side effects of many illnesses can flare up your asthma so bad that you have to have an increase in treatment. It is also possible that your physician will add an additional treatment to your routine until you recover from your illness.
If you plan to take a trip, you must always keep your rescue medication with you at all times. The stress of travel may temporarily weaken your body and make you more vulnerable to attack triggers. Influencing the environment around you is nearly impossible while on the road, which is another opportunity for deteriorating symptoms or attack triggers.
While traveling, always keep emergency asthma medication on hand and close by. Traveling to places can strain your body, and it is more vulnerable to asthma triggers when it is under strain. Influencing the environment around you is nearly impossible while on the road, which is another opportunity for deteriorating symptoms or attack triggers.
Keep all your doctors appointments even if your asthma symptoms aren’t bothering you. Asthma can flare-up at any time, and you never know, perhaps your doctor has safer or better medications which can help your symptoms.
Mildew and mold grow best in a home with high humidity. These can very easily cause an attack. Try, then, to ensure your home is dry. During the winter, you can use a dehumidifier to control humidity when using a heater, and an air conditioner during the summer will help keep your home dry.
Some of the main triggers of asthma attacks happen right inside the home. Typical asthma triggers in the home are dust and mold spores. Have an inspector who focuses on allergens and irritants come into your home once a year to help you detect what you have and learn how to remove it. In addition, cleaning the house regularly can greatly contribute to keeping these substances from building up.
In the winter, prevent attacks by wearing shawls, mufflers and scarves that cover the nose and mouth. This way, the air will be warm before entering your lungs. Cold air can be a nuisance and breathing it has actually proven to trigger asthma attacks. This is especially true for younger children who have severe or moderate asthma.
Be sure you understand how to use your asthma medication, especially emergency medication. Asthma is typically treated with a regular medication supplemented by rescue medicine, such as an inhaler. Asthma is not curable, so it is very important that you take your medication properly and only use your rescue medication if you need it.
Maintenance Medication
If you are traveling by plane and must bring inhalers or nebulizers on board, you should bring a written prescription for the equipment. When you can prove that an item is medically necessary, it can save a lot of time and hassle while working through airport security.
Be sure to thoroughly understand how to utilize asthma medication correctly, particularly any rescue medication. When you have asthma, you should be on a maintenance medication and have an emergency medicine for asthma attacks. Usually this is in the form of an inhaler. Because you will have asthma for the rest of your life, it is important that you take your maintenance medication properly, and that you use your emergency medication correctly.
Track how often you use your inhaler during 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 notice an increased use in your inhaler, reexamine your management plan and check for any changes in your surroundings that may be triggering the asthma.
Asthma typically develops over a long time, and sometimes the symptoms aren’t very obvious. Some people have even died from having an asthma attack, and they didn’t even know they had asthma. If you find yourself with a constant cough or have trouble breathing, consult your doctor, so he can tell you if you have asthma and if you need medication. He might even have suggestions on how to prevent it from worsening.
When you are trying to prevent asthma, you should avoid smoke. Smoke can cause you to have an asthma attack. Stay away from all types of fumes as well as cigarette smoke. These things will aggravate your asthma and worsen the symptoms. Ask any smokers not to smoke in your presence.
Asthma isn’t curable at the present time, but management can be made much easier with the proper advice from this article and a medical professional. With modern technology and asthma treatments on the rise, it will only be a matter of time before it can be handled with ease.
During times that pollen counts are high, asthma sufferers should try to stay indoors. The same pollens and other irritants that cause trouble for allergy sufferers are also concerns for asthma sufferers, even though the two are quite distinct conditions. 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.