For the many sufferers of asthma, just the slightest activity can result in a serious and sudden loss of their very ability to breathe. Luckily, there are many ways to treat asthma that can eliminate fear from daily life. These tips are here to help you manage your asthma and learn more about your condition.
What triggers your asthma? Gaining as much knowledge as you can about the type of asthma you have can make your day-to-day activities a little easier. Those whose asthma is exacerbated by exercise will know to always have an inhaler on hand. Knowing your asthma symptom patterns will help keep you safe.
Prescriptions and over-the-counter medications can actually trigger an asthma attack. Among these medications are aspirin and other NSAIDs. Beta blockers that are used to treat high blood pressure and heart disease can develop asthma like symptoms. If you have any of these conditions along with your asthma, make sure you tell your doctor.
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 almost as dangerous to asthmatics as actually smoking a cigarette. You should never put your children in a situation where they are exposed to people who are smoking.
Always choose unscented products for your home if you have asthma. Scented products, like air fresheners, incense and perfume, raise indoor pollution levels and can trigger asthma attacks. Other asthma irritants include fresh paint fumes and new carpeting. Because the dangers these things represent, it is important to always keep indoor air fresh to the best of your ability.
Asthma is a disease that is continuous. As such, it requires long-term health management. Make sure that your daily routine includes taking appropriate medication to keep you free of asthma symptoms, along with additional medication to treat you for any sudden asthma attacks. See your doctor or allergist to find out which treatment plan is best for your situation.
You can help to prevent asthma attacks by maintaining a clean home, particularly the asthmatic’s bedroom. Avoid smoking inside, and only let people eat in the kitchen. Bypass chemicals when cleaning your home if at all possible, and be sure to open doors and windows afterwards.
Know how to use your inhaler properly! Find a peaceful spot, and make sure to follow the instructions provided by the manufacturer. The inhaler only helps if the medication reaches your lungs. Spray the required dosage into your mouth while inhaling air. Hold in your breath for 10 seconds so the medicine works properly.
There is good reason to make sure you have your rescue medicine for asthma in a convenient, easy to reach place. When you travel, you sometimes strain your body a little more than you think, which can make you a bit more susceptible to having asthma attacks. While on the road, it is also hard to control the environment you are in, which also makes an attack more likely.
If you have asthma, a dehumidifier is something you should consider purchasing for you home. Cutting down the humidity in the house will lower the amount dust mites in the air, and that will mean fewer asthma flare-ups. A dehumidifier makes the air in your home dry by keeping humidity to a minimum.
For many people, their homes can be triggering their asthma, or even causing their asthma in the first place. These triggers include dust, spores and mold. In order to remain healthy and lessen any chances of having an asthma attack, it is recommended you have your home inspected yearly to have these harmful triggers removed. Cleaning the house on a regular basis will also help prevent the buildup of these hazardous substances.
When suffering from asthma, make sure to choose products that are unscented. Using products with scents, like perfume, incense and air fresheners, boosts the amount of air pollution indoors and can bring on an attack. Certain things around the home, such as newly installed carpet or fresh paint, can also release chemical irritants. Aim to make the air inside your home allergen free, and as fresh and clean as possible.
Your home’s humidity can cause mold and mildew growth within it. You can get asthma attacks because of these substances. You should do your best to maintain a dry home. During winter, use a device to dehumidify in the winter, and air condition in the summer.
If you have hay fever or a cold, you will probably need increased treatment of your asthma. Treatment may be increased in these cases as many illnesses have side effects that can cause flare ups in your asthma. It is also possible that your physician will add an additional treatment to your routine until you recover from your illness.
During colder months, wear a shawl, scarf or muffler to avoid asthma. This allows you to warm air before it enters your lungs. Inhaling cold air can elicit an asthma attack or create other serious respiratory problems.
Make sure you get a flu shot each year if you have asthma or if your child does. Keep yourself safe from these outbreaks by getting a yearly shot.
Asthma is a condition that typically will develop over a long period of time, with symptoms that are not very obvious. In a lot of cases, people die from an asthma attack because they didn’t know they had the condition. So, if you are having trouble coughing and breathing, talk to a doctor to see if you need treatment. You might receive a prescription to treat or prevent asthma.
Think about the benefits of joining an online or in-person support group. Asthma, particularly if it is severe, can incapacitate you and keep you from going about your daily activities. Your peers will be able to provide you with advice and tips that work for them, information about new treatment techniques, and even some home remedies you might not know about.
Using a preventative inhaler is important, but you need to know the side effects it can cause such as mouth infections. Prevent these unnecessary side effects by gargling and brushing your teeth right after you use the inhaler.
Your home is where most asthma triggers are located. Such irritants include mold spores, dust, smoke and chemical fumes. To ensure health and reduce the potential for asthma attacks, have a yearly inspection for the presence and removal of these hazards. Conscientious house-cleaning can help prevent buildup of substances in your home that might trigger an asthma attack.
Make sure you count how many times, within a week, you have to use your inhaler. If you find that you are relying on it more than two times a week, your asthma is possibly not being well-controlled. The frequency of use of your inhaler can give you an idea about your surroundings and the need to watch them.
You can wear warm things like a shawl, muffler or scarf, which can help cover your nose and mouth in the colder months. Filtering and warming air before you inhale it can help prevent asthma attacks. Studies have indicated that asthma attacks are sometimes triggered when cold air is inhaled. This is especially true for young children who have asthma that is moderate to severe.
Asthma Attack
You should definitely use your preventative inhaler on a daily basis. However, you should be warned that the drug can also cause infections in your mouth, particularly near your teeth and gums. You can prevent these side effects with proper tooth brushing and gargling after you use your inhaler.
Instead of sweeping your floors, clean them with a damp mop. When you are sweeping with a broom, you stir up triggers like dirt and dust mites that can cause you to go into 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.
Anyone with asthma needs to avoid all types of smoke when trying to decrease asthma attacks. Smoke can trigger an asthma attack. Avoid any kind of chemical fumes, vapors, and tobacco smoke as much as you can. The more you are exposed to fumes, vapors and smoke, the more likely you are to have an asthma attack. If a person is smoking around you, politely ask him to smoke at times when you are somewhere else.
If you have asthma and allergies, don’t use a vaporizer or humidifier if it has not been completely cleaned. The moist environment of a humidifier can become a breeding ground for bacteria, which can irritate allergies or trigger an asthma attack.
You should have limited contact with animals, as it can cause you to have an asthmatic reaction. While an allergy to animal hair or dander is a possible asthma complication, even those sufferers free of such allergies can experience an asthma attack caused by the dust and pollen all animals tend to carry along with them.
If you have asthma, you must know how to use your inhaler properly. Simply spraying it and then inhaling in a shallow manner will negate the inhaler’s benefits. Every single time that you spray the inhaler into your mouth, you must, for a couple of seconds, breathe deeply. Without proper breathing techniques with your inhaler, your symptoms will worsen.
Consult with more than one physician. Your PCP can be the person you go to for help with asthma, but it’s also a good idea to talk to a specialist. Asthma centers, allergists, pulmonologists, and nutritionists can all help ensure you are attacking your asthma on all fronts.
Always use an appropriately-designed mask when painting to guard against breathing paint fumes. The fumes from paint are very irritating to the lungs of asthma sufferers, but a mask goes a long way towards filtering out these irritants. Avoid chemicals, substances and scents that aggravate your asthma.
When pollen counts begin to rise, then anyone who suffers from asthma should just stay inside as much as they can. While asthma and allergies are separate illnesses, you’ll find that the triggers for one tend to be mirrored in the other. Information about local air quality is available in many areas so that those with asthma can reduce their outdoor exposure if irritants are within the air.
This article has surely helped you understand the many ways asthma can be treated and dealt with; you are now ready to offer support to others who may be experiencing the same things as you. Asthma is not a terminal illness nor is it guaranteed to cause you suffering, so work hard on controlling it and enjoy your life!
If you are experiencing 3 or more asthma attacks per week, it is a serious signal that you may need to adjust your medication. Two asthma attacks a week or more is very avoidable danger to your overall health.