Asthma is a difficult issue and can hurt your life. If you have asthma you will live a life that is not as enjoyable. However, you should be aware that many of the symptoms of asthma can be manageable if you use several methods of dealing with your disease, in addition to taking your prescribed medication. This article lists such methods that will help you.
If you’re someone who gets an asthma attack related to allergy like symptoms, there’s medication you can use to help. Omalizumab can effectively control allergy symptoms you may be experiencing and can be suggested by your local allergist if it fits your needs.
Stay away from smoking, or being around any smoke, vapors or fumes. You must abstain from using any tobacco products. Also, when job hunting, you need to take into consideration whether or not you will be exposed to anything detrimental to your condition while on the job.
A leukotriene inhibitor should be taken into consideration when asthma is a struggle. As its name suggests, this inhibitor works by preventing the release and build-up of leukotriene. Leukotriene is a substance that can bring about inflammation, resulting in an asthma attack. The inhibitor will block leukotrienes from getting into your lungs and lessen the chances of you suffering an asthma attack.
If you are asthmatic, you absolutely must not subject yourself to any form of cigarette smoke. Although smoking is terrible for everyone, it is even worse for an asthma sufferer due to less oxygen supply in the lungs and that can trigger an attack.
Know how to use your inhaler properly! Find a relaxing spot, and be sure that you follow the directions that the manufacturer provided. The inhaler will only reduce symptoms if the medication can get to your lungs. Inhale deeply as you dispense the correct amount into your mouth. Don’t exhale for ten seconds so that the medicine can go through your lungs.
Cleaning Products
You and your loved ones need to get a flu vaccination every year. Do everything you can to avoid a respiratory infection if you have asthma. Take the right steps to stop yourself from getting sick, wash your hands and get the right vaccines.
When you suffer from asthma, avoiding cleaning products is really important to do. Many chemicals contained in common cleaning products can aggravate your asthma, triggering an attack. If you enjoy cleaning, or are the sole cleaner in the household, you are sure to be able to find one of the many natural cleaners that will be safe for your use.
If you have asthma, get a dehumidifier for your home. Cutting down the humidity in the house will lower the amount dust mites in the air, and that will mean fewer asthma flare-ups. Air is kept dry by dehumidifiers by sucking the humidity out of it.
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. You can also use medications that can control high blood pressure and heart disease, things like beta blockers. Make sure you consult with your doctor concerning your asthma and possible drug reactions.
If you are an asthma patient, be sure to stay away from people who smoke, even if you are not a smoker yourself. When you breathe in smoke, particularly in an enclosed area, your lungs cannot function as well, and it increases your risk of having an asthma attack.
When you suffer a medium-intensity attack, try and forcefully exhale all air from your lungs. Make your exhalations quick and forceful. Get the air all out of the lungs. After that, take in three shallow breaths and one deep breath. Once your lungs are full again, do another forceful exhale. This will create a rhythm and will help you be aware of the way you are breathing. It pushes air from your lungs so you can breathe more in. It may cause you to cough or even generate sputum, but that’s fine, you goal is for your breathing to get back to normal.
People who have asthma should avoid using scented household products. Products that contain strong scents, like incense, perfume, or air freshener can trigger an asthma attack just by lingering in the air. An asthma sufferer’s airways can feel irritated by odors such as fresh paint or new carpeting. Try to maintain fresh air inside your home.
Consider getting injections of medications to treat your asthma if you are prone to attacks induced by allergy symptoms. An antibody medicine known as omalizumab is very effective at countering asthma attacks related to allergies. Ask your allergist about it.
Hay fever and colds can worsen asthma symptoms so prepare to need increased treatments. The side effects of many illnesses can flare up your asthma so bad that you have to have an increase in treatment. The doctor may choose to pursue additional treatment options during your illness as well.
For those who have asthma, the safest choice is to stick with unscented products. Products with a strong smell such as air fresheners, incense or perfume can trigger asthma attacks. In addition, paint that is fresh or carpet that is new release odors that can cause breathing irritations that lead to an asthma attack. Aim to make the air inside your home allergen free, and as fresh and clean as possible.
Make sure you know what triggers asthma attacks so you can either avoid those triggers or be prepared to manage your asthma symptoms. Most asthma sufferers have a few common triggers such as smoke, pet dander or pollen. Whenever you can, stay away from these agents that can trigger symptoms or cause full-blown asthma attacks.
When you are traveling, be sure to carry your rescue inhaler with you at all times. Traveling tends to put extra stain on the body, and you’re more susceptible to your asthma triggers under these conditions. You also have less control of your surroundings while you are away from home, so it is difficult to avoid potential triggers and to maintain control over your attack.
Mold and mildew can grow in your home where there is humidity. Asthma attacks are easily triggered by these substances. So try your best to make your home as dry as possible. In the winter, use a dehumidifier along with your heater, and in the summer months, you can use your air conditioner to help control the amount of water in the air within your home.
You may want to join an online or offline support group. Left untreated, asthma can be very debilitating and prevent you from enjoying your normal activities. Also, communicating with other people with asthma will keep you in the know about changes in how the condition is understood and treated.
You can wear warm things like a shawl, muffler or scarf, which can help cover your nose and mouth in the colder months. This will warm the air up before you breathe it into your lungs. Cool air has been known to trigger an asthma attack, particularly in very young children who have severe or moderate asthma.
Many of the biggest triggers for asthma can, and do, exist in your home. These causes are sources, such as, but not limited to dust, mold and spores. To keep yourself healthy and avoid asthma attacks, you may need to hire an inspector to come out once a year to test your home and remove any irritants. Clean up your house regularly so these substances do not accumulate.
See how many times a week you typically use the rescue inhaler. 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 you use your rescue inhaler should serve as a reminder that your environment needs to be monitored.
Humidity in your home causes an environment where mildew and mold are more likely to grow. You can get asthma attacks because of these substances. Keeping a home dry and mold-free is important. Whenever you use a heater, you should use a dehumidifier, and air conditioning will help in the summer.
Those with asthma should remain inside as much as they can when the pollen count rises. The same pollens and other irritants that cause trouble for allergy sufferers are also concerns for asthma sufferers, even though the two are quite distinct conditions. Now that local air quality information is available in most areas, asthma sufferers can minimize their outdoor exposure when potential irritants are in the air.
Written Prescription
If you have allergies and asthma, you need to avoid using a humidifier or a vaporizer unless it has been thoroughly cleaned. If the machine stays wet, it can breed bacteria and you’ll end up pumping harmful allergens out into the air.
If you are traveling by plane and must bring inhalers or nebulizers on board, you should bring a written prescription for the equipment. Without a written prescription stating that the item is medically necessary, you may experience frustration and delays at security checkpoints.
If you need to use your inhaler more often than twice each week, this means your asthma isn’t adequately controlled and a medication change is required. It means the medication used to calm acute attacks is either ineffective or not effective enough. Additionally, if you must have your inhaler refilled more than two times in a year, you should consult your doctor.
When you are making an effort to control asthma, do not smoke. Smoking can actually trigger an asthma attack. Avoid triggers like vapors, chemical fumes, and cigarette smoke as much as you can. These are all common triggers and can aggravate asthma symptoms. If someone smokes around you, ask them politely if they could smoke when you are not around.
An asthma journal can help you quickly ascertain what triggers your asthma. Write down potential asthma triggers in a journal and talk to your doctor about them. Once identified, do everything you can to avoid triggers and eliminate them from your environment whenever possible.
Your bed linen could be filled with dust, pollen or other allergens. You can reduce or eliminate these potential asthma attack inducers by laundering your sheets and pillowcases in hot water every week. Fresh, laundered bedding will help you sleep that much easier at night.
Take your time and build up the stamina of your body and lungs gradually. Don’t bring on an asthma attack by beginning a strenuous workout that you can’t complete due to asthma.
Asthma can get worse and possibly life-threatening if not taken care of. Make sure you always have an inhaler on you and avoid what triggers attacks. These tips can free you from the fear of asthma and help you live a normal life.
Keep an eye out for any symptoms or signs of a severe asthma attack setting in so you can decide appropriately if you need to get your kid to the ER. If the usual doses of asthma medication, including the emergency inhaler, fail to have an effect on wheezing symptoms, the attack is considered serious. Other signs of a severe attack include a bluish tint to the lips, fingernails, or fingertips, as a result of lack of oxygen intake. Children in the midst of a serious asthma attack may have trouble communicating their condition.