Living with asthma is a burden, and asthma attacks are downright frightening. It is entirely possible to enjoy a full, healthy lifestyle though, as long as you understand how to treat your asthma. Keep reading to learn some specific strategies that can help you live a full life despite your asthma.
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 do the cleaning in your house, use natural solutions that are safer for you to breath in.
Avoid anything that can trigger your asthma. Certain outdoor areas may be off-limits because they cause allergies to flare up. Others may need to avoid certain physical activities to keep from suffering an attack. Do your best to understand and figure what exactly triggers your asthma so that you know what you need to avoid.
Avoid exposing yourself to any of your known asthma triggers. For many, allergens like dust and pollen, can trigger their attacks. For others, physical activity can irritate them. Determine what sets your asthma off so you can stay away from these things.
There are some medications out there that you could be taking which will actually trigger your asthma symptoms. Aspirin along with other NSAIDs can have this effect. Other medications that may have an effect on the respiratory system include beta blockers used to treat high blood pressure. If you suffer from any of these conditions along with your asthma, make sure you tell your doctor.
There are medicines out there that may increase your chance of triggering asthma symptoms. Examples of medications that may contribute to asthma are aspirin and other NSAIDs. Beta blockers that are used to treat high blood pressure and heart disease can develop asthma like symptoms. Make sure your doctor knows if you are taking such medicine and also have asthma.
If you are experiencing a moderately severe attack, try to first exhale completely. Exhale quickly and with power. Try to force the air out of your lungs! Then take three quick breaths, next a deeper breath till your lungs fill with air, then repeat the forceful exhalation again. The breathing rhythm that you create by doing this will cause you to be aware of every breath you take. This is a good way to empty your lungs and let more air come in. It is okay that you cough up some sputum, you really want to breathe right again.
If you’re a sufferer of asthma, stay away from cigarette smoke. If you smoke, try quitting. Avoid all fumes of chemical products or breathing harmful vapors. This can cause an asthma attack, and you may be unable to bring it under control. If people are smoking around you, remove yourself from that area quickly.
If you’re in a room that has a lot of dust in it, don’t turn on a fan. A fan will spread dust and debris all over. This can very easily aggravate your asthma, and cause serious symptoms. On smog-free, low pollen days, open your windows to improve airflow in the house.
A leukotriene inhibitor can be helpful if you have asthma. This prescription will prevent the product of leukotrines and help to abate the symptoms of asthma. Leukotriene is a chemical substance that can lead to inflammation that can cause an asthma attack. By blocking the effects of leukotrienes, a leukotriene inhibitor can reduce the frequency and severity of your asthma attacks.
Make proper use of your inhaler. Find a peaceful spot, and make sure to follow the instructions provided by the manufacturer. The only way the inhaler can help is if the medication can reach your lungs. Spray the stated dose of medicine into your mouth as you inhale. It is then necessary to hold the breath for about ten seconds to give the medication time to work in your lungs.
You might want to purchase a dehumidifier to use at home if you have asthma. Lowering the level of humidity present in your home can reduce the numbers of dust mites, a prime trigger of asthma. Dehumidifiers keep the humidity out of your home by keeping the air dry.
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If you suffer from asthma, avoid smokers, even if you do not smoke yourself. As soon as you inhale any smoke from tobacco, your lungs become sensitive, which increases your risk of an attack. Just avoid any type of smoke, especially in small areas, and keep your lungs healthy to be safe.
If you have asthma and cannot afford health insurance or have no eligibility, bring up your situation with a social worker. Having the financial ability to purchase your asthma medications is essential, and a social worker can help you locate a hospital or clinic that can provide you with these medications for free or at a significantly reduced rate.
Be prepared for your asthma treatment to be increased if you have a cold or hay fever. Some illnesses create issues that make it necessary to increase medication temporarily. Your regular medication may also need to be combined with other treatments your doctor may recommend.
Make sure that everyone in your family, including you, gets annual flu shots. Asthma patients should try their best to avoid getting respiratory infections. To do this you must take extra precautions against getting sick, like washing your hands often and getting vaccinated every year.
Figure out your asthma triggers. Once you know what they are, you can change your lifestyle to prevent asthma attacks. If you can’t avoid a trigger, you can pack your inhaler, take allergy pills or engage in other preventive measures so you don’t have an attack. There are some quite common triggers that can invoke an attack in asthma sufferers, for example cigarette smoke, pollen, or pet hair and dander. Whenever you can, just steer clear of these triggers when you know what they would result in.
If you suffer from asthma, ensure you consume lots of Vitamins E and C. Since both of these have been attributed to better function of the lungs, they also help to control the symptoms of asthma. You can choose to ingest this vitamins by eating foods that are rich in the vitamins or through a supplement. The vitamins work to strengthen your immunities, thereby warding off sicknesses that tend to exacerbate asthma.
Even if you seem to be fine, see your doctor regularly for your asthma checkups. It is important to make sure your condition isn’t worsening, and your doctor may want to prescribe a different medication.
Consider buying a dehumidifier for the home if you have asthma. Decreasing the humidity in the house decreases dust mites, which decreases asthma flare ups. Dehumidifiers work by taking the humidity out of the air.
Your home can be the cause of your asthma and its triggers. Such irritants include mold spores, dust, smoke and chemical fumes. An annual visit by a professional inspector can help keep your home free from these agents, and reduce the likelihood of an attack. Clean up your house regularly so these substances do not accumulate.
Make sure you are aware of what triggers your asthma so you can avoid it or prepare properly. Common triggers among asthma sufferers are smoke, pollen, or pet dander. If able, avoid anything that results in symptoms of asthma or an asthma attack.
Asthma typically develops over a long time, and sometimes the symptoms aren’t very obvious. There are some cases reported that were so severe that a person died from one asthma attack when they didn’t even know they were considered at risk. 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.
Whenever you travel, always keep your rescue inhaler or other fast-acting medication by your side at all times. Travel adds stress on your physical body, and it might increase your chances of falling prey to asthma triggers. You can’t exert as much control over your environment when you travel, so you may have an asthma attack or exacerbation of symptoms under unfamiliar conditions.
Track how often you use your inhaler during each week. It is possible that your asthma may be out of control or that there are extenuating circumstances that are exacerbating your condition. This number can help you monitor your environment for asthma triggers and let you determine if your treatment plan is working properly.
You should know how to manage and live with asthma. Once you know how to handle it, asthma can be easier to manage. There is a lot of information on asthma, such as the advice in this article, and it will help you.
If you use an inhaler more than 2 times a week, talk to your doctor about a new medication potentially. Frequent need of an inhaler is an indication that the medication prescribed is not the right strength. This is also true if your inhaler needs refilling more than two times annually.