Living with asthma poses a unique set of challenges, many of which can be overcome with proper management techniques, leading to the resumption of a healthy and active lifestyle. A number of methods exist to stop asthma from inhibiting you in life. Here are some suggestions that can help you live with asthma.
If you have received a diagnosis of asthma, you are not to smoke or be near vapors or other types of fumes. You should avoid jobs where you might be exposed to fumes and chemicals, such as factories.
Asthma is a chronic condition, requiring constant health management. Be certain that you are prescribed or using the appropriate medicine to manage your daily symptoms, and that you have an emergency medicine readily available in the event of an attack. Consult with your physician and allergist to find out what is best for you.
An important tip to help protect your asthma-afflicted children is to always refrain from smoking around them. Secondhand smoke is a huge health risk and directly plays a role in why people develop asthma. Keep your child away from any area where people are smoking.
Exhale as hard as you can during an asthma attack. If you can’t breathe at all, go to the hospital; however, controlling your exhalation rate can sometimes help stop a less severe attack. Exhale quickly and forcefully. Get the air all out of the lungs. Do your inhalations in triple bursts of short breaths, and then follow with final deep inhalation so that you fill your lungs comfortably, before exhaling with vehemence once more. Paying attention this way will help you stabilize your breathing and make it rhythmic. By repeatedly forcing air out, you make room for new air so that your breathing can get back on track. You may generate sputum, but the primary goal is to start breathing regularly again.
Keep away from any and everything that you know triggers your asthma attacks. Perhaps you have allergies or are sensitive to dust and pollen. Others find themselves suffering from attacks when they overexert themselves. Keep a journal of your attacks so that you can start to learn what your triggers are so that you can prevent flareups before they begin.
If you are someone who suffers from asthma, stay away from all types of cigarette smoke. If you don’t smoke, don’t start. If you do smoke, stop. Never breathe in chemical fumes or vapors. This can set off an Asthma attack that you might not be able to stop. If you find that you have people smoking around you, get yourself out of that area rather quickly.
If you are having an asthma attack (mild or moderate), you need to try to force air out of the lungs. Exhale quickly and with power. Really expel the air from your lungs! After that, take in three shallow breaths and one deep breath. Once your lungs are full again, do another forceful exhale. This creates a rhythm to your breathing, making you pay attention to the breaths you take. It also voids your lungs of old air so that new air can enter. You may cough or generate sputum, this is okay, your main goal is to get your breathing back on track again.
Be sure you and your family members get a yearly flu vaccination. Keep yourself healthy, and without respiratory infections as best you can. The preventative measures you can take against such sickness range from simple habits of hand washing to getting your annual flu shot.
Leukotriene inhibitors can help control the symptoms of asthma. Leukotriene inhibitors are used to prevent things called leukotrienes. Inhibiting this chemical can lead to a decrease in asthma symptoms. The inhibitor will keep the leukotrienes from forming, which can reduce the frequency of asthma attacks that you experience.
Stand ready for a boost to your asthma treatment should you suffer from illnesses like colds 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. Your physician may even recommend that you take additional medication until you recover.
You may want to consider purchasing a dehumidifier for your home if you suffer from asthma. Lowering humidity will reduce the amount of dust mites in your home, and help your asthma improve. Air is kept dry by dehumidifiers by sucking the humidity out of it.
Realize what triggers your attacks, and you can avoid or manage these situations. Common asthma triggers include pollen, smoke or dander. Whenever you can, just steer clear of these triggers when you know what they would result in.
Asthma attacks have been found to be more likely in homes where four or more different cleaning products are in use. Consider purchasing and using organic cleaning products since they are void of irritating chemicals.
When you are traveling, make sure you have a rescue inhaler with you. Traveling can put additional strain on your body, making you more susceptible to asthma triggers. You also have little control over your surroundings as you travel, and this may result in an increase in symptoms or frequency of attacks.
Be keenly aware of the triggers for your asthma attacks. If you know the cause, you can stay away to prevent asthma attacks. A lot of people who suffer from asthma have the same triggers, pet dander, smoke, or pollen. Try to avoid the things that make your asthma flare up.
Do not allow mold or mildew to grow in your home, because they can be extremely dangerous for asthma sufferers. These are harmful substances that can trigger asthma attacks. Therefore, it is important to maintain a dry home. 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.
When you are traveling, make sure you have a rescue inhaler with you. The stress of travel may temporarily weaken your body and make you more vulnerable to attack triggers. You also have little control over your surroundings as you travel, and this may result in an increase in symptoms or frequency of attacks.
During colder months, wear a shawl, scarf or muffler to avoid asthma. This will warm the air before it enters your lungs. Breathing in cold air tends to start asthma attacks, especially with younger children that have severe or moderate asthma.
Even if your asthma seems like it is under control, always keep your asthma appointments with the doctor. You don’t know when you could have another flare-up, or if there are better or safer medications available.
Rescue Medication
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 warm the air that you breathe before it enters your lungs. By breathing in cold air, it has been proven that it could trigger an asthma attack more so in children that are younger and suffer from severe to moderate asthma.
Understand how to properly use your own asthma medication, particularly the rescue medication. Asthma is generally treated with a rescue medication, usually an inhaler, in addition to a regularly-taken maintenance medication. Managing your medicine properly is important because asthma is a chronic health problem.
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. Without a written prescription stating that the item is medically necessary, you may experience frustration and delays at security checkpoints.
Using your preventative inhaler should be done daily. It’s important to know, though, that it can cause sores and infections near your gums and teeth. You can prevent any of these mouth issues by brushing your teeth and gargling mouthwash as soon as you use the inhaler.
It is important to use your maintenance inhaler daily as prescribed. However, understand that most types of inhalers contain ingredients which may make your mouth more susceptible to infections. To best method to prevent these side effects and complications is by brushing your teeth, then gargling directly after using the inhaler.
As you can see, there are several ways for you to control or stop asthma from interfering with your life. Having asthma does not mean that your life has ended; if you develop a strategy on how to cope with it, you will live a much more satisfying life.
Asthma sufferers should have minimal contact with animals including pets. A lot of times the hair or dander will cause an asthma attack, but even if you do not have an allergy to the pet itself they often carry pollen and dust with them.