An asthma attack is a dangerous and rather frightening event to experience. The quality of your life can be drastically improved if you understand how to live and deal with your asthma. You may be able to pick up some excellent asthma-fighting suggestions by reading the balance of this article.
What type of asthma do you suffer from? Being aware of your specific condition will help you combat the effects it has over your body day in and day out. For example, if your asthma is brought on by bronchitis, you should keep your rescue inhaler with you during times when you are sick. Knowing your asthma symptom patterns will help keep you safe.
An important part of symptom management is knowing what type of asthma you have. Understanding the specifics of your asthma will help you to avoid attack triggers in your day-to-day life. If people who have asthma suffer attacks triggered by exercise, they should bring an inhaler with them when they work out. You can actually start preventing asthma attacks if you are aware and mindful of any patterns that your symptoms present.
If you suffer from asthma, it is vital that you avoid smoking; if you do, you should quit. While smoking is bad for everyone, it’s particularly hard on an asthma sufferer as it restricts oxygen getting to the lungs.
Prescriptions and over-the-counter medications can actually trigger an asthma attack. Some of these include aspirin and 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.
Certain prescription medications have the potential to cause asthma symptoms. Aspirin along with other NSAIDs can have this effect. Additionally, beta blockers, a type of medication used for heart disease and hypertension, may cause asthma symptoms. If you have asthma and these other conditions, let your physician know.
Social Worker
If you find yourself in a room that is dusty, don’t turn on any kind of fan. An asthma attack can be easily triggered by the moving dust. A fan will just blow around dust without providing fresh air, so opening a window is a better option as it brings in fresh air and ventilation.
Talk to a social worker if you’re not eligible for any health insurance and you’re an asthma sufferer. Asthma patients need their medications, and a social worker might be able to hook you up with programs to help you such as clinics and programs through pharmaceutical companies.
If you have asthma and find yourself having frequent attacks caused by alleries, it may be time to consider a long-lasting medication. An antibody medicine known as omalizumab is very effective at countering asthma attacks related to allergies. Ask your allergist about it.
Consider supplementing your diet with Vitamins E and C when you suffer from asthma. These vitamins help reduce asthma flare-ups by improving lung function. You can gain vitamins from supplements or the old fashioned way, from food! Another great benefit of vitamin C is that it will help to strengthen your immune system overall.
Make sure that your rescue medication is at hand at all times during your travels. Travel adds stress on your physical body, and it might increase your chances of falling prey to asthma triggers. You also have little control over your environment when traveling, which can make you more susceptible to an attack and symptoms of greater severity.
It has been shown that if you use multiple varieties of cleaning products around your house, it will increase the chance of an asthma attack. Choose organic products, and stick to as few products as possible.
Regardless of whether your asthma has been flaring up, don’t neglect routine checkups. Medical science is constantly evolving, so the doctor might know about a new treatment for you. Besides, you can never be sure when another attack might come on, so it’s better to be checked out.
People suffering from asthma should stick to unscented products. Products with a fragrance raise the air pollution indoors, and increase the risk of an attack being triggered. Some of these products include incense, scented body sprays and air fresheners. Certain things around the home, such as newly installed carpet or fresh paint, can also release chemical irritants. Keep the air inside your home clean and fresh, and free of any asthma triggers.
Mold and mildew thrive in homes with high humidity levels. This stuff can easily set off an asthma attack. You should therefore try to keep your home dry. 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.
Your asthma treatments will likely increase when you suffer from hay fever or a cold. These kinds of illness can inflame you asthma to a degree that a treatment increase is necessary. Your doctor could add another treatment into your regimen until the illness is better.
Be sure to thoroughly understand how to utilize asthma medication correctly, particularly any rescue medication. Asthma typically is treated so that the sufferer has a regular maintenance medication, but is also prescribed a rescue medication, like an inhaler. It’s crucial that medication for management of asthma is taken regularly, and that rescue medication is also used when appropriate.
If you’ve been diagnosed with asthma, be sure to get flu shots every year. This is doubly important for asthmatic children. Prevent those flu infections before they happen by getting a flu shot each year.
Asthma takes a long time to develop and doesn’t yield obvious symptoms. There are many cases where people have died from their first asthma attack, without even being aware that they were at risk. Always consult with a doctor to see if a persistent cough or difficulty breathing is a sign that you require treatment for asthma. There may even be things you can do to prevent it from getting worse.
Some of the most notorious causes of asthma attacks exist in normal households. These triggers include dust, spores and mold. An annual visit by a professional inspector can help keep your home free from these agents, and reduce the likelihood of an attack. In addition, cleaning the house regularly can greatly contribute to keeping these substances from building up.
If you are flying with your asthma medications, especially a large piece of equipment such as a nebulizer, be sure to bring along a written prescription from your doctor. Carrying your prescriptions along with written proof that they are medically necessary, will cut down on potential problems at the airport checkpoints.
Rescue Medication
Inhalers are important to use every day, but be aware that inhalers have been known to cause infections near the teeth and gums. A good way to prevent these complications and side effects is to brush your teeth and gargle immediately after using your inhaler.
Take the time to understand the proper usage of your asthma medication, particularly any that is labelled as rescue medication. Asthma typically is treated so that the sufferer has a regular maintenance medication, but is also prescribed a rescue medication, like an 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.
Asthma sufferers should avoid coming into contact with both domestic and farm animals. Having an allergy to dander or animal hair could be possible asthma complications, even sufferers free of these kinds of allergies could still have an asthma attack that is caused by pollen and dust animals seem to carry around with them.
If you’re flying and bringing along your asthma medications, bring a doctor’s written prescription with you. Having written proof that the item in question is in fact medically necessary can cut down on hassles at the security check.
See more than one doctor. Although your primary doctor can treat your asthma, a specialist may be able to provide further help. 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.
You want to make certain you visit more than just one doctor. Your family doctor or primary care physician can be the person you go to regularly for asthma symptoms, but also talk to a few specialists. 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.
Asthma sufferers should stay indoors as much as possible when pollen counts rise. Even though asthma is not technically an allergy, those who suffer from allergies often find their condition is exacerbated by the same irritants and triggers that those afflicted with asthma are affected by as well. The air quality information should be used to find out when it is better to stay indoors to avoid irritants present in the air.
Do not smoke. Most people know that smoking is unhealthy, but the consequences are even worse for someone who has asthma. 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.
If you have asthma and allergies, don’t use a vaporizer or humidifier if it has not been completely cleaned. Bacteria can breed in moist parts of the machine, and if it is unclean when you turn it on, it will just pump out allergens.
Always try your best to remain calm if you begin having an asthma attack. Calmly use the inhaler. Use it again after 30 seconds has elapsed. If your attack continues to worsen, seek help. Get somebody to phone for EMS or even transport you themselves to the nearest emergency medical facility. You can slow your breathing by placing a paper bag over your mouth and nose to slow your breathing until you get medical attention.
Knowing the correct way to use an inhaler is essential. You can’t just spray into your mouth and softly inhale. You must breathe deeply for at least a few seconds when using your inhaler. An inhaler is not of much use if you aren’t taking it correctly.
Be sure you know exactly how to properly use your inhaler if you do have asthma. It isn’t as simple as spraying your mouth with it and lightly inhaling air. You must breathe deeply for at least a few seconds when using your inhaler. Follow the instructions on your inhaler exactly to get the most benefit.
Consume more foods which contain vitamin B6. Vitamin B6, known as pyridoxine, reduces the risks of getting an asthma attack. Pyridoxine improves the flow of blood and oxygen to your bronchial tubes. Chicken and carrots, as well as bananas, are two good food sources which contain vitamin B6.
Anyone who has been diagnosed with asthma should strive to be knowledgeable about the nature of the condition. Once you know how to handle it, asthma can be easier to manage. Fortunately, much can be learned about asthma from this article, and the tips here will help in enhancing the way you live.
Identifying what triggers your asthma attacks will go a long way towards treating them. You may even want to keep an asthma trigger journal so you can discuss this with your doctor. After you identify substances that trigger your asthma symptoms, you can avoid those substances in your environment or ask your doctor whether there is a medication that will allow you to go into an environment with those triggers and remain free of asthma symptoms.