Not only can asthma be a burden to your everyday life, but it can even be fatal. It is important to do everything you can to keep this disease under control. By using these tips, you can lower your symptoms and avoid having your life consumed by it.
A good tip that can help your child cope with asthma is to make sure you never smoke around them. Secondhand smoke is a leading cause of asthma. Ensure that your child is not around other people that smoke, either.
If you have been diagnosed with asthma and you are a smoker, it is time to quit. Smoking isn’t healthy for anyone, but if you are afflicted with asthma, preventing oxygen from getting to your lungs is just begging for an attack.
If you suffer from asthma, stay away from the fumes of household cleaning products. It is very possible that one might bring on an asthma attack with some chemicals used for cleaning. If you are the person in your house who does the cleaning, there natural product solutions which are safe for you to use.
Asthma Attacks
Asthma is not a curable disease and will require life-long health management. Be sure to take the correct medicines to keep your daily asthma symptoms under control, and always have emergency medication available in case an attack occurs. See your doctor or allergist to find out which treatment plan is best for your situation.
Know situations and conditions that cause asthma attacks for you, and stay away from them in the future as much as possible. This can vary from person to person, as small particles like dust can cause asthma attacks. For other people it may physical activities that will set them off. Determine what your trigger is so you can easily avoid an attack.
Never use a fan in a dirty, dust-filled room. An asthma attack can be easily triggered by the moving dust. Instead, you should consider opening a window to get some fresh clean air going through your lungs.
If you’re suffering from an asthma attack that’s moderate or mild, then work to force all the air you can from your lungs. Blow your breath out as hard and fast as you can. Force your lungs to expel as much air as possible. Take in three breaths, and then a deeper breath until your lungs are full of air. Then exhale with force again. Not only will you breathe in rhythm, but you’ll focus more intently on how you are breathing and become aware of breathing problems. When air is forcefully exhaled, it allows a fresh intake of air to fill your lungs. You may cough or generate sputum, this is okay, your main goal is to get your breathing back on track again.
When you are dealing with asthma, try getting a lekotriene inhibitor. These work by preventing the formation of leukotrienes. Leukotriene, a chemical substance, can cause asthma attacks by causing inflammation. If you use an inhibitor, you may find that the your asthma attacks significantly decrease.
Leukotriene Inhibitor
Learn how to properly use your inhaler. Locate a quiet place, and follow the label to a tee. The medicine must go to your lungs for it to work. While inhaling air, spray the proper amount of inhalant into your mouth. It is then necessary to hold the breath for about ten seconds to give the medication time to work in your lungs.
If you suffer from asthma, try seeing if a leukotriene inhibitor helps. A leukotriene inhibitor stops the release of a chemical that causes the inflammation that is responsible for some asthma attacks. Leukotriene is a chemical substance that can lead to inflammation that can cause an asthma attack. Taking an inhibitor will reduce the amount of this substance your body produces, which should decrease the number of attacks you experience.
Think about buying a dehumidifier if your asthma symptoms are bad. Lowering the level of humidity present in your home can reduce the numbers of dust mites, a prime trigger of asthma. A dehumidifying device reduces the moisture in the air.
If you suffer from asthma and you are not eligible for health insurance, speak with a social worker. You must have the ability to afford your medication, so a social worker might be able to locate a hospital or clinic that can offer them at little cost or free.
You may have to take more asthma medicine if you suffer from seasonal hay fever or catch a cold. Treatment may be increased in these cases as many illnesses have side effects that can cause flare ups in your asthma. Your doctor may need to add new treatments to your typical asthma regimen until you are well.
You and your loved ones need to get a flu vaccination every year. Asthma patients should try their best to avoid getting respiratory infections. This means taking every precaution possible, do things like getting vaccinated to prevent sickness to hand washing on a regular basis.
Asthma develops gradually, and its symptoms may not be very noticeable. There are many cases where people have died from their first asthma attack, without even being aware that they were at risk. If you have any trouble catching your breath or a cough that won’t go away, consider talking to your doctor to make sure that you aren’t afflicted with asthma. If you are, you’ll need to keep an inhaler with you at all times and possible take other medications.
If you use any more than four kinds of cleaning product around your home, then the risk of an asthma attack is increased. Opt for organic cleaning products that do not contain irritating chemicals.
When cleaning your house, clean floors with a wet mop instead of a broom. Sweeping stirs up dust and other things that can trigger your asthma. A moist rag chosen over a feather duster is the best choice for an asthmatic.
Know what causes your asthma attacks, as this will enable you to work around them or prepare to treat the asthma attacks that result. A lot of asthma sufferers have some triggers in common, like pollen, smoke and pet dander. Avoid your asthma triggers as much as you can to prevent attacks.
Stay away from smoking. While smoking is a dangerous habit in general, it is far more damaging to those who have asthma. An asthmatic’s lungs are more vulnerable than those of a healthy individual, which makes it especially important to abstain from smoking and avoid secondhand smoke.
Avoid using a feather or down pillow if you have asthma. The feathers from a pillow can cause asthma symptoms and decrease your lung function. This extends to the rest of your bedding, as well. There are hypoallergenic comforters and sheets you can use to limit asthma symptoms.
If you are using a vaporizer or humidifier, you should thoroughly clean it prior to use. Bacteria can breed inside the moist machine and you would be releasing them along with the humid air.
In the winter, prevent attacks by wearing shawls, mufflers and scarves that cover the nose and mouth. This will warm the air before it enters your lungs. Breathing cold air triggers your asthma attacks, particularly in young kids with bad asthma.
If you suffer from asthma and have to use your inhaler in excess of two or three times per week, you should see a doctor and ask about changing your medication. This frequency of inhaler use means that your inhaler medication is not functioning effectively. This same advice also goes for those who must refill their inhalers more frequently than every six months.
Asthma usually takes an extended interval of time to fully develop, and the warning signs are rarely obvious. In fact, some people who didn’t even realize they had asthma died as a result of their initial attack. Given that fact, if you have any kind of consistent cough or respiratory ailments, consulting a physician for testing is a good idea, since you want to know if you are suffering from asthma and if so, what to do about it.
Finding out as much as you can about asthma is a good way to help you manage your asthma. The more you educate yourself about your asthma condition, the more you are able to be proactive about your treatment. Keep up on what the most effective treatments are and ensure you are receiving the best treatments possible. The only way to know this is to learn about your condition and your treatment options.
When taking asthma medications on a plane trip, bring written medical prescriptions provided by your doctor. Carrying written prescription information will help you to avoid security hassles, and you won’t have to worry about your medication being confiscated.
Buy a mask to keep yourself from breathing in harmful fumes if you plan on painting in your home. Paint chemicals are a powerful irritant that can cause an asthma attack if inhaled without a mask. Refrain from using any substance or chemical that aggravate your asthma.
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. Prevent these unnecessary side effects by gargling and brushing your teeth right after you use the inhaler.
If you are experiencing 3 or more asthma attacks per week, it is a serious signal that you may need to adjust your medication. That many attacks in a week can be dangerous, and does not even need to happen according to medical professionals.
Many people underestimate asthma, or at least think that they can’t do anything about it since it is an incurable disease. However, you’ll be amazed at how much difference you can make simply by following these simple steps to try and relieve symptoms and reduce the sources of asthma attacks.
Make sure that you gradually increase you current lung capacity and build the muscles that you need. A more strenuous exercise program may irritate your airways and bring on an asthma attack so you will want to proceed with caution.