Asthma is a condition that can make life harder to live. There are many ways that you can start to use different coping methods and medications to to get your symptoms under control. Read this article for some great tips to help you cope with asthma.
There are many different types of asthma. When you know in-depth information about your asthma, you can figure out how to fight against it. One example of this is exercise-induced asthma. This type of asthmatic will need to carry his inhaler with him when he goes for a run. Knowing your asthma symptom patterns will help keep you safe.
If you suffer from asthma, don’t smoke, and avoid exposure to secondhand smoke. This means you need to keep away from tobacco products and only seek out jobs where you aren’t exposed to any harmful chemicals, smoke or vapors.
There are medications that can unknowingly cause asthma-like symptoms. Some over the counter medications can irritate your asthma. Beta blockers, such as those used to control high blood pressure or heart disease may also have this effect. If you have asthma paired with heart disease or high blood pressure, tell your doctor.
Smoking should never be done around children, especially a child who suffers from asthma. One of the biggest reasons people have asthma is secondhand smoke. Any place where smoking is allowed should be avoided if you have a child with asthma.
You may want to use a leukotriene inhibitor if your asthma is being particularly problematic. Leukotriene inhibitors block the effects of leukotrienes. Leukotrienes are inflammation-causing chemicals that can bring on asthma attacks. The inhibitor will block leukotrienes from getting into your lungs and lessen the chances of you suffering an asthma attack.
If you are afficted with asthma, it is critical to quit smoking and avoid the use of any other tobacco products. Smoking is bad in general for everyone, but it is particularly worse for asthma suffers because it decreases the amount of oxygen in the lungs, putting you at higher risk for asthma attacks.
Make sure you are using your inhaler properly. Move to a quiet area, and then simply follow manufacturer’s instructions. The inhaler only helps if the medication reaches your lungs. As you are inhaling air, spray the correct dosage in your mouth. Hold in your breath for 10 seconds so the medicine works properly.
Learn what triggers your asthma so that you can avoid it. This could be something you’re allergic to like pollen or dust. For others, attacks can be caused by physical activities. You need to determine what your triggers are so that you can avoid them.
A dehumidifier can significantly reduce the asthma attacks experienced by you or other afflicted members of your household. Not only will a dehumidifier decrease humidity, but it will also be helpful in controlling the dust mite population. Both are causative factors in asthma attacks. Dehumidifiers remove the humidity by drying out the air that flows through your house.
A lot of medications can trigger an asthma attack without you knowing. Believe it or not, something as seemingly innocuous as aspirin can actually trigger symptoms. Many medications for heart disease and hypertension can also cause asthma symptoms. If you suffer from any of these conditions along with your asthma, make sure you tell your doctor.
Using more than 4 different kinds of cleaning products for your house has been known to increase risks associated to asthma attacks. Try to use organic based cleaning products that are not harmful to asthma sufferers.
Dust will make you have an attack, so keep the air calm in dirty rooms. This will move all the dust around, and can easily trigger an asthma attack. On smog-free, low pollen days, open your windows to improve airflow in the house.
If you have hay fever or a cold, chances are your asthma treatment will be increased. Treatment may be increased in these cases as many illnesses have side effects that can cause flare ups in your asthma. Your physician might also work an additional treatment into your therapy until such time as you are healthier.
Immune System
Travel with your rescue medication on your person at all times. Travel adds stress on your physical body, and it might increase your chances of falling prey to asthma triggers. It is also difficult to control your environment while traveling, making it more likely that you may experience an attack or worsening symptoms.
If you are an asthma sufferer, be sure to get the recommended daily dose of Vitamins C and E. These vitamins can help improve your lung function, ultimately controlling asthma. You can get both of these vitamins from eating certain foods, or by taking the vitamins in supplement form. Vitamins C and E are necessary for a healthy immune system. If your immune system isn’t healthy, it won’t be able to fight off illnesses that cause asthma attacks.
There are support groups available to you, both in person or on the Internet. Asthma can be an extremely debilitating health issue and can stop you from participating in life the way you want to. A support group will help you have a good time and forget about your condition once in a while, as well as as keep you informed about the latest innovations.
If you are dealing with asthma, you would benefit from buying a dehumidifier. Though you may not be aware of it, high levels of humidity in indoor spaces can increase dust mites, which then can affect asthma. A dehumidifying device reduces the moisture in the air.
Your home’s humidity can cause mold and mildew growth within it. Both of these substances are known to trigger asthma attacks. You should do your best to maintain a dry home. Whenever you use a heater, you should use a dehumidifier, and air conditioning will help in the summer.
If you suffer from asthma, it is best to buy unscented products. Scented products such as air fresheners, incense and perfume heighten the degree of indoor air impurities and may possibly contribute to an attack. Be aware that fresh paint and new carpet also can emit harmful odors that irritate sensitive airways. Try keeping the air indoors as fresh as it can be.
Bundle up during winter weather if you have asthma. Covering your nose and mouth with a scarf or muffler helps prevent asthma attacks. Filtering and warming air before you inhale it can help prevent asthma attacks. Breathing cold air can trigger severe asthma attacks. This is especially true for young children with asthma.
When you are suffering from asthma and you have hay fever or a cold, you will most likely need an increase in your treatment. The side effects of many illnesses can flare up your asthma so bad that you have to have an increase in treatment. Your doctor may choose to also add an additional treatment until the illness gets better.
Go to several doctors. Your usual doctor will be able to help you, but you should also consider seeing a specialist. Nutritionists, allergists, pulmonologists and asthma centers can all help you, so make sure that you are using all of the different treatment avenues that you can.
Make sure that your rescue medication is at hand at all times during your travels. Traveling can make you more likely to suffer from attacks due to the extra strain and stress on your body. Controlling your environment is harder when traveling, so this makes it much more probable that you experience worsening symptoms or an attack.
Avoid smoking and people who are smokers. A lot of people know that smoking is bad for you, but if you have asthma it is far worse. Smoke is extremely irritating to the already sensitive asthmatic lungs, so care should be taken to not only smoke, but also avoid being in the presence of other people who are smoking.
Asthma often takes time to develop, the symptoms appearing slowly. In some serious cases, people have dropped dead due to an asthma attack without ever knowing they had asthma in the first place. Because of this, persistent respiratory problems need to be checked out by a doctor, who may prescribe medication to treat existing symptoms or prevent new ones from appearing.
Take in every piece of asthma information available to you. Knowledge is power, and enlightened proactive steps yield immeasurable dividends in your treatment and management regimen. You will know that you are using the most effective methods if you stay current with asthma information. The only way to know this is to learn about your condition and your treatment options.
Pay attention to how often you reach for your asthma inhaler each week. If you use it three or more times each week, your treatment plan may not be working effectively or else an atypical situation may be triggering an increased number of attacks. Remembering the times you use the inhaler provides a good way to keep checking your environment, as well as other things in your plan to manage your asthma.
Add more vitamin B6 to your diet. Pyridoxine or vitamin B6 has been demonstrated to reduce the number of asthma attacks in various studies. It seems to work by producing molecular elements that aid it relaxing the tissues of your bronchial system. Chicken and carrots, as well as bananas, are two good food sources which contain vitamin B6.
Asthma can be life threatening if not kept in check or left untreated. Avoid allergens, smoke, and excessive amounts of air pollution and always carry a fast acting inhaler for emergency situations. 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!
Monitor your child’s asthma symptoms to see whether they should be going to the hospital or not. Some symptoms of a dangerous asthma attack are bluish or gray coloring of the lips and/or fingertips and not getting relief from using the medication more often. He may have difficulty saying anything, as well.