You are starting to panic because you have been told you have asthma. There is no known cure to asthma, and this condition will flare up regularly. Life goes on after you have been diagnosed with asthma. This guide will give you a few ways on how you can manage asthma effectively and safely.
Do you know the type of asthma that you suffer with? Learning about your type of asthma will help you manage its impact on your life. For instance, people with exercise-induced asthma would do well to carry an inhaler in their gym bag! Knowing your symptoms’ patterns can help you avoid big problems.
You may be unaware that certain medications you might be on could cause asthma symptoms. Some anti-inflammatory drugs, such as aspirin or ibuprofen, can flare up asthma symptoms. Common medications used for controlling high blood pressure often times contain beta blockers, which asthmatics may be more sensitive to. If you suffer from any of these conditions along with your asthma, make sure you tell your doctor.
If you are afflicted with asthma, it is critical that you don’t smoke. Smoking is terrible for everyone, but it lowers the oxygen supply in asthma patients who need as much oxygen as possible.
If you have asthma, avoid cigarette smoke of all kinds. You should not smoke yourself! Don’t breathe vapor or chemical fumes. These can trigger a severe asthma attack that can be difficult to get under control. Avoid secondhand smoke by leaving physical distance between yourself and the smoker.
When you suffer from asthma, avoiding cleaning products is really important to do. Cleaning products may contain chemicals which can trigger an asthmatic episode, such as ammonia. If you must do the cleaning in your home, opt for natural products with lower chemical content.
If you have asthma and find yourself having frequent attacks caused by alleries, it may be time to consider a long-lasting medication. Known as Omalizumab, this antibody medicine can control the body’s allergic senses and lower the symptoms or reactions that asthma patients suffer.
Asthma sufferers should avoid smoking cigarettes and any place that has cigarette smoke. Don’t smoke! Stay away from vapors and all chemical fumes so you are not able to breathe them in. More often than not, smoke is going to trigger an unavoidable asthma attack. If you find that you have people smoking around you, get yourself out of that area rather quickly.
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, a chemical released by the body in response to an allergen, is responsible for inducing many of the symptoms of an asthma attack. The inhibitor can prevent them and decrease your asthma attacks.
Dust will make you have an attack, so keep the air calm in dirty rooms. This will move all the dust around, and can easily trigger an asthma attack. Encourage air to flow throughout the room by just opening a nearby window or door.
Asthma Patients
If you have asthma that is not covered by health insurance, contact someone in a government agency, like a social worker. It is critical that every asthma sufferer have access to the proper medicines to keep the condition under control, and a social worker could help you locate a hospital or clinic that will provide you the necessary medication on a low or no-fee basis.
Asthma patients without health insurance can get help by asking a social worker and getting access to programs with the resources asthma patients need. It’s vital that you stay on medication, so there may be programs available to help you get them at a discount.
When suffering from asthma, make sure to choose products that are unscented. Products that contain fragrance, such as perfumes, colognes, or air fresheners, fill the air with irritants that can trigger an asthma attack. Fresh paint and new carpeting give off odors that can irritate sensitive airways. Clean your indoor air and keep it as fresh as you can.
IF you have asthma, you should consider buying a dehumidifier. When your home has less humidity, there are less dust mites, and that minimizes the chances of an asthma flare-up. Dehumidifiers keep your home dry by keeping the humidity out.
If someone in your home has asthma, make sure to keep a clean house, especially their bedroom so that the risk of an attack is reduced. Do not allow smoking in your house, and keep food in your kitchen. When cleaning your home, try not to use products that contain harsh chemicals, such as bleach. You should also allow fresh air to thoroughly circulate throughout your home after you’re done cleaning it.
The use of multiple (more than four) household cleansers can cause an increase in asthma attacks. Try using organic cleaning products which don’t contain irritating chemicals.
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. Most asthma sufferers have a few common triggers such as smoke, pet dander or pollen. When it is possible avoid substances that make you have symptoms or attacks.
Products with no scent are the safest and best option for an asthma sufferer. Products that contain fragrance, such as perfumes, colognes, or air fresheners, fill the air with irritants that can trigger an asthma attack. Newly installed carpet or fresh paint in the home are both known to release chemical irritants. Keep the air inside as fresh as you can.
When you are traveling, make sure you have a rescue inhaler with you. Traveling causes extra strain on your already stressed body, which makes your body more susceptible to bothersome asthma triggers. Controlling your environment is harder when traveling, so this makes it much more probable that you experience worsening symptoms or an attack.
Figure out your asthma triggers. Once you know what they are, you can change your lifestyle to prevent asthma attacks. If you can’t avoid a trigger, you can pack your inhaler, take allergy pills or engage in other preventive measures so you don’t have an attack. Those who experience asthma are susceptible to some common things like pet dander, smoke, or pollen. Try to avoid these items as much as humanly possible so as to not trigger a full attack.
A humid home will cause mold or mildew to appear. These substances can easily trigger asthma attacks. To halt the growth of mold and mildew keep your home’s humidity low. Use a dehumidifier during the winter time so that you can keep humidity in control when you use a heater. You can use the air conditioning in your household during summer time to get the same affect.
Your home’s humidity can cause mold and mildew growth within it. Protect yourself against allergens, dust mites and fungus to avoid exacerbating your asthma symptoms. Therefore, it is important to make sure your home is dry. During the winter, you can use a dehumidifier to control humidity when using a heater, and an air conditioner during the summer will help keep your home dry.
During the week, you should take note each time your rescue inhaler is used. If the inhaler is used more than twice, the asthma problems you are suffering from may not be well-managed or something else might be causing additional attacks to come on. How often an inhaler is used can help to monitor the environment.
Asthma generally develops over a period of time, and the symptoms are not always obvious. There are actually many people that have passed away from an asthma attack without ever knowing they were even at risk. Because of this, if you notice that you have trouble breathing or are constantly coughing, you may want to visit your doctor. They can tell you if you have asthma and if there is a medication that you should be taking. Your doctor can also tell you if there is something you can do to prevent asthma from developing.
If you have asthma attacks, remember to stay calm. You should use your inhaler immediately upon the first signs of an attack. Once you have used it, use it again 30 seconds later. If your attack worsens, get help. Have someone drive you directly to the hospital or call an ambulance for you. Inhaling and exhaling into a paper bag can slow your breathing while en route.
Monitor how often, each week, you need your 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. If you have to use your inhaler a lot, you will know that you should more closely monitor your surroundings.
Finding out as much as you can about asthma is a good way to help you manage your asthma. The more you know about asthma, the more proactive a treatment you can devise for yourself. Look into cutting-edge treatments, and seek the best medical care you can find. There is no other way to get the best care possible than educating yourself on asthma, and staying informed about your treatment options.
Don’t smoke. Although bad for everyone, cigarettes can cause greater problems for those with asthma. Asthmatic lungs are extremely sensitive, and should not be exposed to smoke. Someone who has asthma should not only avoid smoking, but should also try to avoid being exposed to people smoking in their vicinity.
Asthma can be the result of genetics, environment or a combination of both. If you have a family member with asthma, keep a close watch on your children and yourself for any asthma related symptoms. There are many environmental factors, like mold, great deals of dust, smoke and pollution that can lead to asthma, so it’s important to keep both yourself and your children away from these things.
You must use a protective mask when you paint, so make sure you have one before you start your project. Paint can irritate asthma a great deal, so a mask will create a protective shield to combat this issue. Learn what type of chemicals trigger your asthma and try to stay away from them.
Keep your home is clean, and sweep often. You should wash sheets, pillows, and blankets very frequently. By doing this, you are preventing dust and the tiny dust mites that can cause asthma attacks from building up in your home. When there is a lot of dust in your house, the air will be irritating to any asthma sufferer, and they will be at a higher risk for having an attack.
As seen here, it is important that you are prepared in order to manage asthma. A good knowledge of how to prevent asthma attacks and how to manage your symptoms will make living with asthma easier. This article is a building block in your knowledge to combat asthma effectively!
If you are experiencing 3 or more asthma attacks per week, it is a serious signal that you may need to adjust your medication. Getting more than two attacks a week is dangerous for your health and you should take action.