As hard as living with asthma is, there are ways to manage your symptoms so you can live a happy and healthy life. You can keep your asthma in check and prevent it from lowering your quality of life through a variety of methods, techniques and treatments. The following tips will make it easier to manage your asthma.
Stay away from smoking, or being around any smoke, vapors or fumes. Stay far away from any tobacco products. You should also consider where you work, as factories may expose you to harmful vapors or smoke.
Some asthmas are specific to certain triggers, so identify what kind you have. Being aware of your specific condition will help you combat the effects it has over your body day in and day out. For instance, people with exercise-induced asthma would do well to carry an inhaler in their gym bag! If you know and understand your asthma triggers, you can better avoid and handle attacks.
An important tip to help protect your asthma-afflicted children is to always refrain from smoking around them. There’s a long list of environmental asthma triggers, and secondhand smoke is at the top of it. Keep your child away from cigarette smoke and any other kind of fumes.
Asthma Attack
Avoid those things that you know can trigger your asthma. Some people have allergies that cause asthma, and allergens such as dust and pollen can cause an attack. Or, you may need to avoid certain activities that overexert your body. Try to see what cause your asthma so that you can avoid it.
Second hand smoke can cause asthma to develop in children, and can trigger an asthma attack if they already suffer from asthma. Secondhand smoke is a leading cause of asthma, and it can also trigger an asthma attack. While making sure to never light up around your children, it is also vital that you make sure your kids are not around others who do not show the same courtesy.
Never take medications without getting your doctor’s approval so you don’t wind up taking one that has a side effect of exacerbating asthma.. Aspirin and some other NSAIDs may do this. Common medications used for controlling high blood pressure often times contain beta blockers, which asthmatics may be more sensitive to. It is important for your doctor to know your complete medical history, including any medications you are currently taking, so they can best treat your asthma.
A leukotriene inhibitor may be an excellent way for you to deal with asthma. As its name suggests, this inhibitor works by preventing the release and build-up of leukotriene. Leukotriene is a chemical substance that can lead to inflammation that can cause an asthma attack. If you get a leukotriene inhibitor, it can get rid of them in the air and help you with asthma symptoms.
Asthma doesn’t just go away, so you can’t just stop managing it. Ensure you’re taking the proper medications in order to manage everyday asthma symptoms. In addition, you should have a quick-fix medication handy in the event you suffer from an attack. Talk to your doctor and allergist to see what is the best idea for you.
If you suffer from asthma, be sure your diet includes lots of Vitamins C and E. These vitamins have been known to improve the function of the lungs and reduce some asthma symptoms. Get these nutrients through supplements or food. These vitamins also help boost your immune system, which helps to prevent illnesses that trigger asthma.
If you are suffering from a mild or moderate asthma attack, expel all the air from your lungs. Breathe out aggressively, as hard as you can. You have to force the air out. Then take three small breaths in, followed by a deeper breath to fill your lungs comfortably. Next, exhale forcefully again. This will make your breathing rhythmic and help you pay more attention to it. This is a good way to empty your lungs and let more air come in. You might cough or produce sputum, but that is fine; you are trying to get breathing under control again.
IF you have asthma, you should consider buying a dehumidifier. By decreasing the humidity you have in your home, it will decrease the dust mites, which will then decrease your asthma from flaring up. Dehumidifiers reduce humidity and keep the air in your home dry.
Take a lot of Vitamin E and C if you are suffering from asthma. These vitamins help reduce asthma flare-ups by improving lung function. You can get both of these vitamins from eating certain foods, or by taking the vitamins in supplement form. These vitamins will also help prevent illnesses by boosting your body’s immune system.
Using more than four different types of cleaning products in your home has been shown to increase the risk of an asthma attack. Use organic products as often as possible, as these contain fewer harsh chemicals.
If you have asthma, get a dehumidifier for your home. Though you may not be aware of it, high levels of humidity in indoor spaces can increase dust mites, which then can affect asthma. Dehumidifiers keep your home dry by keeping the humidity out.
If you suffer from asthma, avoid smokers, even if you do not smoke yourself. 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, avoid smokers, even if you do not smoke yourself. When you breathe in smoke, particularly in an enclosed area, your lungs cannot function as well, and it increases your risk of having an asthma attack.
Stand ready for a boost to your asthma treatment should you suffer from illnesses like colds or hay fever. These illnesses have side effects that can cause asthma to flare up and make an increase in medication necessary. Your doctor might add additional medication until your sickness gets better.
Scented products could cause averse reactions to asthma sufferers. It is safest to use unscented products when possible. Using products in your home such as incense, perfume or air fresheners can increase the amount of microscopic pollutants indoors and trigger asthma attacks. New carpet and fresh paint can also emit odors that can irritate the airways. Try to make it your goal to keep the indoor air as fresh and allergen free as possible.
Realize what triggers your attacks, and you can avoid or manage these situations. Generally, it is found that items such as smoke and pollen can trigger attacks in those that suffer with asthma. Avoid these things when you can to breathe easier.
In order to minimize the chance of an asthma attack, be sure to keep your living area very clean, most definitely the bedroom area. Food should not be eaten outside of the kitchen, and there should be no indoor smoking. Try to avoid using any harsh chemicals or bleach in the home while cleaning; and, once the home is cleaned, air it out.
Sleep with a feather-less pillow if you have asthma. People are often allergic to these natural products that can affect breathing and bring on asthma symptoms. This also goes for bedding; use sheets, comforters and blankets that are crafted from hypoallergenic materials.
You may have to take more asthma medicine if you suffer from seasonal hay fever or catch a cold. Side effects that are associated with most illnesses can serve as triggers for asthma and may cause an increase in your asthma treatment. Your regular medication may also need to be combined with other treatments your doctor may recommend.
Asthma Attacks
Don’t use a humidifier unless it’s been cleaned thoroughly if you suffer from asthma or allergies. Bacteria can breed inside the moist machine and you would be releasing them along with the humid air.
Some of the most notorious causes of asthma attacks exist in normal households. Typical asthma triggers in the home are dust and mold spores. To reduce asthma attacks and stay healthy, have an inspector remove any harmful agents yearly. Additionally, cleaning your home on a regular schedule prevents these unwanted visitors from taking residence en masse.
If you use your inhaler over two times a week, talk to your doctor about changing your medicine. Increased reliance on your inhaler may be an indication that the medication is no longer working well enough. This is also true if you are refilling your rescue inhaler prescription more than twice a year.
Bundle up during winter weather if you have asthma. Covering your nose and mouth with a scarf or muffler helps prevent asthma attacks. This helps warm the air prior to it entering your lungs. Cold air can trigger severe attacks, especially for young children.
In order to ward off asthma attacks, it is crucial that you pinpoint your triggers. Write down potential asthma triggers in a journal and talk to your doctor about them. Once you realize what these triggers are, take measures to eliminate these things from your environment.
If you’re flying and bringing along your asthma medications, bring a doctor’s written prescription with you. If you have written proof about the item you have,and that it is medically necessary, there will be less hassles going through security.
Keep track of how often allergies trigger asthma attacks. If you experience two or more asthma attacks a week after taking allergy medicine, switch to a different allergy medication. 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.
Using your preventative inhaler should be done daily. It’s important to know, though, that it can cause sores and infections near your gums and teeth. Brushing or gargling immediately after use can help reduce the risk of infection and other problems.
Work on gradually training your lungs to be able to take more stress. The last thing you should do is a frenetic workout. You will surely trigger an attack. Start slow and build your stamina.
When you clean your floors, do so with a wet mop instead of a broom. Sweeping your floor can kick allergens into the air, triggering an asthma attack. Dusting can actually just move the dust around, sending particles into the air, and into your lungs triggering an asthma attack, so try wiping things down with a damp cloth to minimize the amount of allergens you are exposed to.
There should be absolutely no smoking around family members with asthma. Additionally, smokers should be asked to smoke nowhere near the house or the asthma sufferer. Heavy smokers can cause an asthma attack by carrying the smoke smell on their clothes.
Smoke should always be avoided when you suffer from asthma. Smoking can actually trigger an asthma attack. Stay away from all types of fumes as well as cigarette smoke. Things like this can make your asthma worse. If someone starts smoking near you, politely inquire whether they can smoke in your absence.
Watch your children carefully for food allergy signs. If you notice any kinds of hives or breathing problems after they have eaten a particular food, you are going to want to have them tested for the allergy at the doctor. Food allergies are often a sign that a child may develop asthma.
Allergens, pollen and other irritants can collect in your linens and aggravate your asthma. Wash sheets on a weekly basis to rid them of allergens. Use hot water to wash the sheets. You should also wash pillowcases. Sleeping with fresh bed linens will ensure you can breathe easy when you sleep.
While exercise can be great for asthmatics, you should never work out in places that are cold and dry. An asthma attack can occur because your bronchial airways end up being cool and dry. Outdoor exercise is best done when the weather is warmer and the humidity higher.
Smoking is particularly bad for people with asthma. Pretty much everyone is aware that smoking is dangerous, but for people suffering with asthma, it can have devastating effects. It can irritate sensitive lungs. People with asthma should not only avoid smoking, but should also avoid other people while they are smoking.
If someone in your home suffers from asthma, always ensure that fresh air is circulating through the home. Try opening doors and windows when you can to have more airflow in your home. If your home is well-ventilated you have 200% less allergen levels than a home that is insulated. You can clean the air through ventilation.
In conclusion, there are plenty of things you can do to prevent asthma from disturbing your life. Asthma does not need to become the be all and end all of your life. Learn of ways to control it and your life will be most enjoyable.
If you or one of your family members is an asthmatic, it is key to keep your home clean and dust free, in order to help prevent asthma attacks. The easiest way to reduce allergens in one’s home is to vacuum. If you can afford one, get a centralized vacuuming system to eliminate allergens from your home.