If you suffer from asthma, you know that this chronic condition can limit your freedom and happiness. With medication and coping strategies, however, you can live a full, healthy life, despite your asthma. This article can help you discover some of these strategies.
Smoking is extremely harmful if you suffer from asthma. If you are not already a smoker, don’t start, and if you are, quit as soon as possible. Smoking is not recommended for anyone, but it creates worse complications for asthma patients by cutting off part of the oxygen supply needed to breathe properly.
Avoid anything that could trigger your asthma. This could be something you’re allergic to like pollen or dust. For others, attacks can be caused by physical activities. Try to see what cause your asthma so that you can avoid it.
It is imperative that you do your best to avoid cleaning chemicals if you are asthmatic. The chemicals in many cleaning products will trigger asthma attacks or symptoms. If you do the cleaning in your house, use natural solutions that are safer for you to breath in.
Asthma Symptoms
If the room that you’re in is dusty, do not turn on a fan. The wind will move dust around and get into your airways causing an attack. The better way would be to open a window to increase the airflow in the room.
There are some common medications that you could be using that will cause asthma symptoms. Examples of medications that may contribute to asthma are aspirin and other NSAIDs. Additionally, beta blockers, a type of medication used for heart disease and hypertension, may cause asthma symptoms. Talk to a doctor if you have any of these conditions along with asthma.
Make proper use of your inhaler. Try to locate a calming location, and be certain to adhere to any directions given by the inhaler’s maker. Remember that using an inhaler is only going to help you if the medication contained within makes its way to the lungs. As you are inhaling air, spray the correct dosage in your mouth. Then, don’t breathe for around 10 seconds so that the medication permeates your lungs.
Asthma is a chronic respiratory disease that requires constant 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. Have a discussion with your doctor or allergist to determine what the best plan for you might be.
Vitamins C and E can greatly assist you in fighting asthma attacks. These vitamins help to control asthma symptoms and improve the function of your lungs. These vitamins can be easily obtained, either through your diet or a supplement. Another great benefit of vitamin C is that it will help to strengthen your immune system overall.
Always use your inhaler in the proper manner. An inhaler is most effective if used in a relaxed location and according to the maker’s instructions. The inhaler can only help you if the medication actually reaches the lungs. While taking a deep breath, spray in the recommended dosage. Holding your breath for a minimum of 10 seconds gives the medicinal mist from the inhaler time to spread itself throughout your lungs.
If you are using a lot of different cleaners around your house you can trigger a asthma attack. Try using organic cleaning products which don’t contain irritating chemicals.
Consider consulting a social worker if your asthma medication is not covered by an insurance policy. Asthma medications are a necessity, and a social worker can help you find an affordable way to keep your prescriptions current.
Take your rescue inhaler and keep it handy when you travel. It’s easy to get thrown off your regular eating and sleeping routine while traveling, which strains your body and increases your vulnerability to asthma attack triggers. It is also hard to predict what will come up or to control your environment when you travel, which increases the chances of experiencing more severe symptoms or an attack.
If you have asthma, avoid people who smoke. When you inhale tobacco smoke, you are severely increasing the likelihood of an asthma attack. This is especially true in small, confined areas with little to no ventilation.
Join a support group, online or in “real life”, to find help from your peers. Asthma can be an extremely debilitating health issue and can stop you from participating in life the way you want to. Also, other asthma sufferers can help keep you aware of new medications or other medical treatments.
People who have asthma should avoid using scented household products. Simple everyday things such as air fresheners, incense and perfume can cause indoor air pollution levels to increase and trigger an attack. An asthma sufferer’s airways can feel irritated by odors such as fresh paint or new carpeting. Keep the air inside your home clean and fresh, and free of any asthma triggers.
Asthma usually takes an extended interval of time to fully develop, and the warning signs are rarely obvious. People can even die from their very first asthma attack as they’re not prepared for it! 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.
In order to minimize the chance of an asthma attack, be sure to keep your living area very clean, most definitely the bedroom area. Avoid smoking inside, and only let people eat in the kitchen. Let in plenty of fresh air if the weather permits, and avoid using harsh chemicals to bleach.
Avoid smoking and people who are smokers. Most people know that smoking is unhealthy, but the consequences are even worse for someone who has asthma. Smoke greatly irritates the sensitive lungs of the person with asthma, so in addition to not smoking, someone with asthma should avoid people that are smoking.
You should know what triggers your asthma attacks; this will allow you to either avoid them or be ready to manage the symptoms. Common asthma triggers include pollen, smoke or dander. Whenever possible, avoid those substances that trigger either symptoms or full-blown attacks.
During spring or other high-pollen times, don’t go outside unless you have to so that you can avoid a pollen-triggered asthma attack. While asthma isn’t a type of allergy, those with asthma are frequently bothered by the same kinds of irritants that cause problems for allergy sufferers. These days, information about the quality of local air is readily available, so people with asthma can avoid spending time outside when the air is full of things that irritate their lungs.
Many of the biggest triggers for asthma can, and do, exist in your home. These triggers include dust, spores and mold. Have an inspector come visit your house to remove any harmful agents that you have so that you can stay healthy and lower your risk for an asthma attack. Furthermore, thorough and frequent cleaning will ensure that allergens and other possible triggers do not accumulate in your home.
If you have asthma, schedule checkups ever few months with your doctor to stay on top of your condition. Only your doctor can fully evaluate your condition and recommend appropriate changes in treatment. It is up to you to schedule these visits with the doctor so he or she can monitor your progress, and work to keep you healthy.
Protect yourself against breathing in cold air that aggravates your asthma by wearing a scarf that covers your nose and mouth. This will warm the air up before you breathe it into your lungs. Young children are especially at risk for an asthma attack if the air they breathe is too cold, but this problem can affect anybody with asthma.
Try to consume foods that are rich in B6 vitamins. Known as pyridoxine, vitamin B6 has been proven to reduce the intensity and frequency of asthma attacks. Pyridoxine is very important in the production of certain molecules that will help relax bronchial tissues. Bananas are also a wonderful source of vitamin B6.
Written Prescription
Keep your home as clean and dust free as possible. Additionally, you will want to wash your blankets, pillows and sheets often. Washing your bedding regularly keeps dust mites away; dust mites are a trigger of attacks for many asthmatics. If dust increases, the air is more likely to irritate the lungs of asthma sufferers. This can quickly turn into an asthma attack.
If you are traveling by plane and must bring inhalers or nebulizers on board, you should bring a written prescription for the equipment. The written prescription will help you get through security without difficulty, because it establishes that your nebulizer and supplies are medically necessary.
If you suffer from asthma, you should avoid being exposed to smoke in your home, car, or anywhere in your immediate area. Smokers should smoke outdoors and a reasonable distance from your home. Cigarette smoke can quickly trigger someone who suffers from asthma to have an attack, from just the smell being on the smokers clothes.
As the above article has stated, asthma is very serious, and can threaten your life if you do not treat it. To always protect yourself, make sure you have an emergency inhaler on you at all times, and watch for allergens or excessive air pollution. Use what you’ve learned in this article to control your asthma, and stop it from keeping you from living life to it’s fullest!
Lower you chance of getting the flu by getting a vaccination every year. Even if you don’t tend to get hit by the flu, it’s better to be safe than sorry by taking the time to get vaccinated. Asthma makes you more susceptible to all sorts of respiratory ailments, from infections to viruses.