How You Can Take Control Of Your Asthma

Asthma is a serious affliction, that can limit your abilities, restrict your lifestyle and, at its worst, become life threatening. Therefore, it’s important to figure out how you can control your asthma symptoms. Use these simple ideas to manage your asthma symptoms and regain your life.

Do not smoke around a child with asthma. Secondhand smoke is a huge health risk and directly plays a role in why people develop asthma. If your child is in an area where people are smoking, remove him quickly to avoid an asthma attack.

If your child has asthma, do not smoke cigarettes near them. Secondhand smoke is a huge health risk and directly plays a role in why people develop asthma. Any place where smoking is allowed should be avoided if you have a child with asthma.

If you are having an asthma attack (mild or moderate), you need to try to force air out of the lungs. Force air out of your lungs with quick, powerful exhalations. Try hard to push the air out from your lungs! Inhale a series of three quick breaths, followed by a deeper one, before exhaling with force again. This gives your breathing a rhythm and makes you focus on your breathing. By repeatedly forcing air out, you make room for new air so that your breathing can get back on track. This breathing technique may cause some coughing or sputum, but it can help regulate your breathing and reduce the attack.

If you have been diagnosed with asthma, you should avoid cleaning products. A lot of these products contain harsh chemicals such as ammonia. These chemicals wreak havoc on you and can trigger an attack. There are many natural alternatives you can use to clean your home, instead of using harsh chemicals.

Dust will make you have an attack, so keep the air calm in dirty rooms. This could trigger an asthma attack because this will move the dust around. It would be better to just open a window if you are needing to get some airflow.

Certain prescription medications have the potential to cause asthma symptoms. Some NSAIDs and aspirins will do this for you. There are some beta blockers that are given to those trying to control their heart disease or who have high blood pressure that may be harmful to an asthmatic, as well. If you suffer from these conditions and also have asthma, be sure to let your doctor know.

Ask everyone in your family to get a flu shot every year. Do everything you can to avoid a respiratory infection if you have asthma. This includes taking standard precautions against illness, like hand washing, as well as getting vaccinations that can keep you from getting sick.

Cigarette Smoke

If you suffer from asthma, be sure your diet includes lots of Vitamins C and E. They help to increase the function of the lungs and control the overall symptoms of asthma. It doesn’t matter if you get the vitamins for food or a supplement; just get them. The vitamins will help improve the immune system, which will help you fight off illnesses that cause asthma.

Cigarette smoke and asthma do not mix. Smoking is off limits. Do not breathe in the vapors or any other chemical fumes. A severe asthma attack can be life threatening. Do everything you can to avoid cigarette smoke, air pollution, allergens and harsh chemical fumes to keep your asthma symptoms under control.

Consider buying a dehumidifier for the 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 remove the humidity by drying out the air that flows through your house.

Try a leukotriene inhibitor if you have asthma. A leukotriene inhibitor stops the release of a chemical that causes the inflammation that is responsible for some asthma attacks. The inflammation caused by this substance can trigger the symptoms of asthma. The inhibitor can prevent them and decrease your asthma attacks.

People who have asthma should stick to using unscented products. Products that contain strong scents, like incense, perfume, or air freshener can trigger an asthma attack just by lingering in the air. You should also avoid fresh paints or new carpets, as they give off fumes that can irritate the airway. Try to keep the indoor air as clean and fresh as possible.

Proper knowledge of how to use your inhaler is necessary if you have asthma. Find a relaxing spot, and be sure that you follow the directions that the manufacturer provided. The only way the inhaler will work is if your lungs get the proper amount of medication. You need to inhale air while spraying the requisite dosage in your mouth. Then, don’t breathe for around 10 seconds so that the medication permeates your lungs.

While everyone appreciates the look and feel of a clean house, asthma sufferers in particular benefit from a healthy environment as it can decrease the risk of asthma attacks, especially in a sleeping area. Keep food in a kitchen or on the dining room table, and avoid cigarette smoking inside. Thoroughly air out your house after every cleaning, and stay away from bleach and similar harsh chemicals while cleaning indoors.

If you’ve got asthma, don’t smoke or be near smokers. Inhaled smoke from tobacco can drastically reduce lung function, increasing your chances of an asthma attack. This is especially true in closed-in areas.

Think about signing up for a support group locally or online. Asthma can be an extremely debilitating health issue and can stop you from participating in life the way you want to. The individuals in this group could also provide you with new insights about medications that are out there, as well as other advice in dealing with asthma.

Products with no scent are the safest and best option for an asthma sufferer. Using scented products, like air fresheners and perfume, will increase the level of air pollution and is likely to trigger an attack. Many things in the home release chemicals that irritate the lungs, such as newly installed carpet or fresh paint. Try to maintain the air in your house as free from possible asthma triggers as possible.

Making mouth and nose coverings such as mufflers, shawls or scarves a routine part of your winter wardrobe can help you ward off asthma attacks. This will keep you from breathing cold air. Studies have consistently shown that cold air can cause your throat and lungs to constrict, triggering asthma attacks. Children are especially susceptible to cold-induced 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 effects of an illness can cause the severity of your asthma to temporarily increase, which necessitates a change in treatment. It is also possible that your physician will add an additional treatment to your routine until you recover from your illness.

Be sure you understand how to use your asthma medication, especially emergency medication. Asthma typically is treated so that the sufferer has a regular maintenance medication, but is also prescribed a rescue medication, like an inhaler. Asthma is a lifelong condition; you should correctly take your regular medication and use your rescue medication only as needed.

You should understand what triggers your asthma attacks in order for you to avoid these causes or prepare yourself for managing your symptoms. The majority of individuals afflicted with asthma know there are common irritants like pollen, pet dander and smoke. If at all possible, strive to avoid substances and locations that trigger your asthma symptoms or attacks.

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.

While traveling, always keep emergency asthma medication on hand and close by. Traveling causes extra strain on your already stressed body, which makes your body more susceptible to bothersome asthma triggers. You can’t control the weather or the environment when you travel, so keep in mind you are more vulnerable to symptoms and attacks when you go to a new area.

Use your maintenance or preventative inhaler every day. However, you should know that the drug may cause mouth infections near your gums and teeth. Always clean your teeth and rinse your mouth after you use your inhaler.

Some common catalysts of asthma attacks regularly occur in the home. Such irritants include mold spores, dust, smoke and chemical fumes. 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. Keep your house clean to keep these asthma triggers out of your home.

Allergens, dust, pollen and other things that can aggravate your asthma tend to collect inside bed linens. You can get rid of these by washing your sheets and other linens in very hot water each week. You will breathe easier at night when you have freshly washed and clean bed linens.

Asthma Attacks

You may want to consider having numerous doctors treat your asthma. The first place to consider visiting is your main doctor, but they might also be able to recommend a specialist. You’ll want to visit an asthma center, or consult with a pulmonologist to get additional help improving your lung function. In addition, you should get tested for allergies so that you can avoid allergic reactions that trigger asthma attacks.

When the weather starts to turn colder, wear a scarf or shawl that covers your mouth and nose to help prevent asthma attacks. This helps warm the air prior to it entering your lungs. Cold air can be a nuisance and breathing it has actually proven to trigger asthma attacks. This is especially true for younger children who have severe or moderate asthma.

Do not make the decision to smoke. Smoking is one of the worst things a person with asthma can do. 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.

It is crucial that you know how to properly use your asthma treatments, particularly rescue inhalers. Asthma is usually treated with an everyday medication that is sometimes supplemented with an emergency treatment, like an inhaler. Because asthma does not get cured, those afflicted with it must continue to take their regular medication and use their rescue inhaler when needed.

Any time that pollen counts go up, anyone suffering from asthma would be wise to keep their outdoors time to a minimum. A lot of the same things that can bother people with allergies will bother people with asthma as well. The same air quality reports available in the local news for allergy problems can also help those with asthma issues stay indoors on particularly hazardous days.

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.

You need to know how to properly use your inhaler if you have been diagnosed with asthma. It’s not enough to spray a little into your mouth and breathe softly. Every time you spray the inhaler, breathe deeply inward for about three seconds. A rescue inhaler will not help you if you aren’t breathing it in correctly.