Do your research to learn about asthma symptoms, treatments and the various medications used to treat this chronic disease. You are like many others. Lots of people would like to get more knowledge on asthma but don’t know where to go. Once you finish reading this article, you might be surprised how easy it is to manage your asthma.
Do you know the type of asthma that you suffer with? Understanding the specifics of your asthma will help you to avoid attack triggers in your day-to-day life. For instance, people with exercise-induced asthma would do well to carry an inhaler in their gym bag! If you know and understand your asthma triggers, you can better avoid and handle attacks.
Stay away from smoking, or being around any smoke, vapors or fumes. This means avoiding tobacco products, and making sure that you do not choose any kind of job that could expose you to harmful vapors or smoke, such as factory work.
A great idea to help your child with asthmatic problems is to avoid smoking in any areas they frequent. Secondhand smoke is a trigger for asthma attacks, not to mention the myriad of other diseases it can cause. Keep your child away from any area where people are smoking.
If you have asthma, it is crucial that you do not smoke, or quit if you do. Smoking is, of course, unhealthy for anyone. The habit is even more dangerous for asthma patients, however, because anything that reduces the amount of oxygen reaching the lungs can trigger an attack.
If you have been diagnosed with asthma and you are a smoker, it is time to quit. While smoking is bad for everyone, it’s particularly hard on an asthma sufferer as it restricts oxygen getting to the lungs.
You need ongoing treatment for asthma because it’s an ongoing disease. Be certain that you are using the right maintenance medicines to control your asthma and that you also have a rescue or emergency medication when you have an acute asthma attack. Speak to your allergist and doctor to see what they recommend for you.
Vitamins E and C are beneficial to anyone with asthma. They are believed to aid respiratory function and to be instrumental in keeping your asthma in check. Many foods have these vitamins in abundance, but you can also use a supplemental pill. Your immune system gets a boost with these vitamins, and this helps protect your body against illnesses and asthma.
Smoke Yourself
If you suffer from asthma, it is best to buy unscented products. Using products in your home such as incense, perfume or air fresheners can increase the amount of microscopic pollutants indoors and trigger asthma attacks. Freshly painted walls and brand-new carpet can also give off odors that cause irritation to airways. Clean your indoor air and keep it as fresh as you can.
Anyone suffering from asthma or asthma-like symptoms needs to stay clear of cigarette smoke, whether you smoke yourself, or even if you’re breathing secondhand smoke. Never smoke yourself! Avoid breathing in vapors from smoke or other chemical-type fumes. Inhaling these substances may trigger an unstoppable asthma attack. If you find yourself in a situation where you are around smokers, remove yourself as quickly as possible.
To cut the risk of an asthma attack, keep your house as clean as you can, particularly the bedroom of the person with asthma. Keep food in a kitchen or on the dining room table, and avoid cigarette smoking inside. After cleaning around the house, open windows and allow fresh air into the house. This can reduce the smell and pervasiveness of household cleaners like bleach.
Leukotriene inhibitors can help control the symptoms of asthma. These work by preventing the formation of leukotrienes. Leukotriene, a chemical released by the body in response to an allergen, is responsible for inducing many of the symptoms of an asthma attack. If you get a leukotriene inhibitor, it can get rid of them in the air and help you with asthma symptoms.
Go to your regular medical check-ups, even if your condition seems under control. Your health care provider may have new prescriptions that could benefit you in case the need arises.
If you use more than four types of chemical cleaning agents in your house the risk of your child having an asthma attack increases. Try to use organic based cleaning products that are not harmful to asthma sufferers.
Know the right way to use any asthma medication you are taking, in particular your rescue medication. Most people treat their asthma with regular daily medication, and carry supplemental emergency medication in the form of a rescue inhaler. Because you will have asthma for the rest of your life, it is important that you take your maintenance medication properly, and that you use your emergency medication correctly.
Be prepared for your asthma treatment to be increased if you have a cold or hay fever. Many illnesses have side effects that could cause your asthma to flare up so badly that you need to have an increase in treatment. It is possible your doctor will want to add additional therapies to your treatment program until you are back on your feet.
Asthma generally takes a long time to develop, and the symptoms may be vague at first, making it difficult to diagnose the problem. In some cases, people do not even know they might have a chance of an asthma attack and their first one proves fatal. If you have any trouble breathing or are coughing a lot, you need to see a doctor to determine what it is and if you need any medication or treatment for asthma prevention.
If you suffer with asthma, get a flu shot each year. Therefore, it is very important to avoid as many infections to the lungs as possible by getting a vaccine each year.
If you need to travel with your asthma medication, particularly if you plan on bringing a nebulizer or other large equipment, it can be helpful to obtain a letter from your doctor explaining their use. When you can prove that an item is medically necessary, it can save a lot of time and hassle while working through airport security.
Be certain you are aware of all your asthma attack triggers so you know both how to steer clear of them and also be ready to take care of your symptoms. Those who experience asthma are susceptible to some common things like pet dander, smoke, or pollen. Avoid your asthma triggers as much as you can to prevent attacks.
It is important to track how often you use your fast-acting inhaler each week. If you use it more than two times, your asthma might not be well-controlled or you may have unusual occurrences causing those frequent attacks. How often an inhaler is used can help to monitor the environment.
You should always have your rescue medication with you when you are traveling. Traveling to different places might expose you to unexpected triggers, as your body is put under more strain when you travel. It is also difficult to control your environment while traveling, making it more likely that you may experience an attack or worsening symptoms.
See more than one doctor. Even though your primary care doctor can assist you in the basic care for your asthma, consider visiting a specialist also. The allergists, pulmonologists and nutritionists in asthma centers can help you take full advantage of all treatments available.
To stay out in front of your asthma, make sure that you see the doctor to receive regular checkups. A flare-up can occur at any time, and your physician may have learned of a prescription medication that can treat your symptoms more safely and effectively.
Learn all you can learn about your condition. Having the right information can enable you to choose the treatments that are right for you, and help reduce symptoms. Make sure you are learning the newest information about treatments and get the best doctor to help you with it. The best way to ensure this is to know as much as you can about asthma and your options for treatment.
Asthma Attacks
Make sure you schedule regular checkups with your doctor every few months to keep a heads up on your asthmatic condition. Your physician must check you out regularly to see if you need to do anything differently with your treatment. You are responsible for ensuring you schedule checkups with your doctor in order for him or her to follow up on you, and ensure you remain healthy.
During the months that are colder, wear a shawl, muffler or scarf that will cover your nose and mouth to help you avoid asthma attacks. Filtering and warming air before you inhale it can help prevent asthma attacks. Inhaling cold air can elicit an asthma attack or create other serious respiratory problems.
Asthmatics should always wear a mask when dealing with the harsh chemicals in fresh paint. Asthma is strongly irritated by paint, so a mask will put a shield between you and it, and lessen the problem. Substances and chemicals which have the power to trigger asthma should be widely avoided.
If traveling by plane with your asthma equipment or medications, always carry your written prescription with you to avoid problems. Having written documentation supporting this medically necessary item will eliminate any hassles when going through the security check point.
Talking to other asthma sufferers, or attending a formal support group, can be a very effective way to cope with asthma. The other members can give you valuable advice on how to cope with the everyday challenges of living with asthma, and how to handle specific situations. Having supportive people that care about you is imperative.
Asthma sufferers should minimize their contact with animals and pets. Some asthma sufferers are allergic to animal fur or dander on top of their asthma, but even those who don’t have such an allergy can bring on an attack if they breathe in too much of these irritants.
Keep your home clean and well swept. Also, wash all of your bed linens regularly. By doing this, you are preventing dust and the tiny dust mites that can cause asthma attacks from building up in your home. If dust increases, the air is more likely to irritate the lungs of asthma sufferers. This can quickly turn into an asthma attack.
Bed linens often collect asthma aggravators, such as pollen, dust and allergens. If you put your pillowcases and sheets in hot water weekly, these inducers will be reduced or completely eliminated. Fresh, laundered bedding will help you sleep that much easier at night.
It is important to know the warning signs of an impending asthma attack so you can get medical help for your child if one strikes. Some signs of an attack that is very serious include blue-ish or gray fingernails and lips and increased medication use with diminished or no effect. Speech may also become difficult.
If conclusion, it’s normal for people experiencing asthma to be curious about their condition because it affects their everyday life. This article laid out some useful strategies designed to make living with asthma at least tolerable, and hopefully a breeze. Use the advice, and you can see improvements in your asthma.
Make sure you are annually vaccinated against the flu. Even if you do not normally get affected by the cold or flu seasons, you should still get your flu vaccination just in case. Upper-respiratory infections or sinus infections can cause a significant increase in symptoms if you are at risk of asthma attacks.