Are you a person who, among millions of others, suffers from asthma? The following article has simple advice for keeping asthma under control.
If you are suffering from a moderate or mild attack, do your best to force as much air out of the lungs as possible. Exhale quickly and hard. Force all the air out of the lungs! Take three short breaths, then one last deep breath to ensure your lungs have enough air, then forcefully breath out. This will make your breathing rhythmic and help you pay more attention to it. When air is forcefully exhaled, it allows a fresh intake of air to fill your lungs. This may cause you to cough or it may cause phlegm, but your breathing will be back to normal again.
Do you know the type of asthma that you suffer with? Understanding the specifics of your asthma will help you to avoid attack triggers in your day-to-day life. 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 the patterns related to your symptoms could aid you in avoiding crises.
If you are prone to asthma attacks, avoid any cigarette or other tobacco smoke. If you don’t smoke, don’t start. If you do smoke, stop. Avoid breathing chemical fumes and vapors. Any of these things can trigger an asthma attack. If you find yourself in a situation where you are around smokers, remove yourself as quickly as possible.
If you suffer from asthma, it is critical that you not smoke. Smoking is not recommended for anyone, but it creates worse complications for asthma patients by cutting off part of the oxygen supply needed to breathe properly.
Talk to your doctor about getting a leukotriene inhibitor if you have asthma. These work by preventing the formation of leukotrienes. Leukotrienes are inflammation-causing chemicals that can bring on asthma attacks. When used properly, an inhibitor can help reduce symptoms and prevent attacks.
Cleaning Products
If you suffer from asthma and you are not eligible for health insurance, speak with a social worker. Asthma medications are never cheap, but it’s vital that you receive them and that is the social worker’s goal. He or she will deal with the clinics directly in efforts to remedy the situation.
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. There are many all-natural organic cleaning products available that may help eliminate asthmatic problems.
Get annual flu vaccinations for your entire family. If you suffer from asthma, it is best to avoid respiratory infections of any type as much as possible. Common method of avoiding illnesses can be very effective. Keep your vaccinations up to date and wash your hands frequently.
Use your inhaler as directed. Find a quiet secluded area so that you can calmly take the inhaler as directed by the instructions from the manufacturer. The inhaler is only useful if the medication within it actually gets to your lungs. While inhaling air, spray required dosage in your mouth. You should hold your breath 10 seconds so the medicated mist is able to fill up your lungs.
Allergens, the common cold and influenza can increase your asthma symptoms. Make sure your doctor prescribes a fast acting inhaler for emergency situations. Your doctor may also add another treatment to your regimen until your illness gets better.
If you have asthma and cannot afford health insurance or have no eligibility, bring up your situation with a social worker. It’s vital that you stay on medication, so there may be programs available to help you get them at a discount.
If you suffer with asthma, get a flu shot each year. Get yearly vaccinations to keep these potential infections at bay.
If you suffer from asthma, ensure that your diet contains adequate amounts of Vitamin E and Vitamin C. These vitamins help reduce asthma flare-ups by improving lung function. These vitamins can be easily obtained, either through your diet or a supplement. These vitamins will also help prevent illnesses by boosting your body’s immune system.
Keep your medication with you, especially when you are traveling. Traveling is hard on your body, opening you up to an asthma attack. Traveling can make asthma symptoms worse, and it is difficult, nearly impossible to control environmental triggers during travel.
A dehumidifier is an excellent investment for asthma sufferers. A dehumidifier will reduce attacks by taking extra humidity and, by extension, dust mites and other debris out of your air. Dehumidifiers keep the air in your home dry by eliminating humidity.
It is essential that you learn the proper ways to use all of your asthma medications, especially those used in rescue situations. A treatment made up of a daily medication plus a rescue inhaler can help to keep asthma under control. 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.
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. Consider purchasing and using organic cleaning products since they are void of irritating chemicals.
If you have asthma consider staying away from pets or animals. Though dander allergies are often seen in conjunction with asthma, even asthmatics who are not allergic may have attacks that are triggered by the ancillary irritants transported by animals, including pollen and dust.
In order to minimize the chance of an asthma attack, be sure to keep your living area very clean, most definitely the bedroom area. Only allow food in the kitchen, and never smoke indoors. 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.
Bed linens can collect dust, pollen and other allergens, all of which can further aggravate asthma. You can reduce or eliminate these potential asthma attack inducers by laundering your sheets and pillowcases in hot water every week. Clean bed linens that are washed frequently will help you breathe easier every time your head hits the pillow.
Know that your asthma treatment or medication may have to be increased a bit if you are suffering from allergies, hay fever or a cold. Treatment may be increased in these cases as many illnesses have side effects that can cause flare ups in your asthma. Your physician may even recommend that you take additional medication until you recover.
See more than one doctor. You want to see your primary doctor for asthma help, though you should also see some specialists. Asthma centers, pulmonologists, nutritionists and allergists can all work with you, making sure you are getting all the treatment you need.
Rescue Medication
If you find you need your inhaler too often, more than two times a week, talk to your doctor about changing your prescription. It means the medication used to calm acute attacks is either ineffective or not effective enough. This is also true if your inhaler needs refilling more than two times annually.
Know the right way to use any asthma medication you are taking, in particular your 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. Asthma is considered a chronic condition. For this reason, you should take the management of it very seriously.
Learn as much as possible about asthma. The more you know, the more proactive you’ll be in your own treatment. Keep yourself up to date about new findings and find a good doctor. The best way to ensure this is to know as much as you can about asthma and your options for treatment.
This article contains much helpful advice on how to control your asthma symptoms. The most important step is to take this advice and use it. If you stop following your good habits, your asthma symptoms will come back. Always protect yourself by following these tips and methods to control your asthma symptoms.
Make sure your doctor sees you every two or three months for a check up to see how you are managing with your asthma condition. This will allow your doctor to stay updated on your condition as it improves or weakens, and make the necessary changes to your treatments. The responsibility of scheduling these appointments falls on you. Make sure you attend each and every one so that your doctor can stay updated on how your treatment plan is working in order to help you remain healthy.