It can be difficult to live with asthma. It takes away your ability to do simple every day tasks, like going for a walk outside. But, to make matters worse, there is no cure and its symptoms are hard to manage. This article offers tips on how you can stop your symptoms from getting too severe.
You should avoid smoking at all costs and being exposed to vapors and perfumes if you suffer from asthma. Stay far away from any tobacco products. You should also consider where you work, as factories may expose you to harmful vapors or smoke.
If you suffer from asthma, don’t smoke, and avoid exposure to secondhand smoke. This means avoiding tobacco products, and making sure that you do not choose any kind of job that could expose you to harmful vapors or smoke, such as factory work.
If your child or another loved one suffers from asthma, you should be sure to never smoke cigarettes when you’re near them. As far as triggers that cause asthma attacks or causes of the condition in general, secondhand cigarette smoke ranks right up there. Any place where smoking is allowed should be avoided if you have a child with asthma.
A great idea to help your child with asthmatic problems is to avoid smoking in any areas they frequent. One leading cause of issues in children who have asthma is that people smoke around them. While making sure to never light up around your children, it is also vital that you make sure your kids are not around others who do not show the same courtesy.
If you suffer from asthma, taking enough Vitamin E and C can help you. They help to increase the function of the lungs and control the overall symptoms of asthma. You can choose to ingest this vitamins by eating foods that are rich in the vitamins or through a supplement. These vitamins can boost immune systems, which helps you to avoid illnesses that can be a trigger for your asthma.
If you are an asthma sufferer, it is crucial that you don’t smoke. Smoking is unhealthy for everyone, however it is especially bad for asthmatics. Your lungs are already compromised from the asthma and adding smoke to that will cut off the vital oxygen supply your lungs need to breathe.
If you have asthma, you may wish to consider installing a dehumidifier in your home. 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 you are experiencing a moderately severe attack, try to first exhale completely. Make your exhalations quick and forceful. Really expel the air from your lungs! Inhale three times with short breaths, and then on the fourth one take a deeper breath so your lungs are full of air but still comfortable. Then breath out as hard as you can again. Pay attention to what you are doing and follow a regular rhythm. It also will push all of your air out of the lungs so that you can get more air in. This breathing technique may cause some coughing or sputum, but it can help regulate your breathing and reduce the attack.
Asthma attacks have been found to be more likely in homes where four or more different cleaning products are in use. Organic products are preferable to more chemically loaded, commercially produced cleaning products.
Never turn on a fan when the room you are in is very dusty. This can move the dust around and can trigger an attack easily. It’s better to open the window if you’re in need of fresh air.
Stay away from cigarette smoke, even if it’s secondhand. When you inhale tobacco smoke, the lung’s function can be decreased, and you will increase the chance you have an asthma attack. Smaller areas without proper ventilation make you even more susceptible to an attack.
Asthmatics should have a flu shot every year to prevent contracting a serious respiratory infection. If you have asthma, try to avoid getting respiratory infections if you can. It’s important to take the standard precautions against these illnesses, such as hand washing and vaccinations.
Keep your home free of dust and other triggers, especially where the person who suffers from asthma sleeps. Only permit food in designated eating areas, such as the kitchen or dining room, and don’t allow smoking inside the house at all. 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.
If you use any more than four kinds of cleaning product around your home, then the risk of an asthma attack is increased. Choose instead organic products that are not filled with harmful chemicals.
Even if your asthma is not acting up, attend all of your doctor’s appointments. You never know when you might suffer another flare-up, or when your doctor might have a better or safer medication to prescribe for your symptoms.
Always choose unscented products for your home if you have asthma. Using scented products, like air fresheners and perfume, will increase the level of air pollution and is likely to trigger an attack. Certain things around the home, such as newly installed carpet or fresh paint, can also release chemical irritants. Take all necessary measures to ensure that your home is always filled with fresh, clean air.
If the air in your home is humid, it provides an ideal incubator for mold or mildew. They are a nuisance for people with asthma; the asthma attacks they trigger require you to eliminate them. It is best if you keep the air in your home as dry as possible. When it’s cold, a dehumidifier can keep moisture to a minimum; in hot months, your A/C unit will do the same thing.
Flu Shot
When the weather starts to turn colder, wear a scarf or shawl that covers your mouth and nose to help prevent asthma attacks. This will warm the air before it enters your lungs. Young children are especially at risk for an asthma attack if the air they breathe is too cold, but this problem can affect anybody with asthma.
A yearly flu shot is necessary if you suffer from asthma. Prevent those flu infections before they happen by getting a flu shot each year.
If you are traveling by plane and taking along your asthma medications, make sure to have with you any written doctors prescriptions, especially when carrying some large asthma equipment like a nebulizer. Carrying your prescriptions along with written proof that they are medically necessary, will cut down on potential problems at the airport checkpoints.
Be sure you understand how to use the medication you’re given for asthma properly, especially your rescue medication. A treatment made up of a daily medication plus a rescue inhaler can help to keep asthma under control. Asthma doesn’t go away, so it’s important to be vigilant about taking your daily medication and using your rescue inhaler when an attack occurs.
Use your inhaler when you need to, but be aware that this product can cause infections near your gums and teeth. To avoid those complications, be sure to brush teeth, gargle, and rinse mouth completely right after you have used the inhaler.
If you are traveling by plane and taking along your asthma medications, make sure to have with you any written doctors prescriptions, especially when carrying some large asthma equipment like a nebulizer. Written proof of needing your equipment can help you with any issues you might have in the security line.
When you clean house, it is recommended that you clean your floor with a wet mop instead of sweeping it. An asthma attack is one possible outcome of a sweeping session that fills the air around you with allergens and dust. Using a damp rag instead of a feather duster when you dust will lessen the spread of these triggers.
Make note of how often, on a weekly basis, you use your inhaler. If you use it three or more times each week, your treatment plan may not be working effectively or else an atypical situation may be triggering an increased number of attacks. How frequently you need to use the inhaler can help you recognize any environmental changes you need to make.
Avoid all types of smoke, including cigarette smoke, if you have asthma. Cigarette smoke will often trigger an asthma attack. Stay away from all types of fumes as well as cigarette smoke. These things will aggravate your asthma and worsen the symptoms. If there are smokers around you, you may want to ask them if they will smoke in another area.
When you are removing dust or crumbs from your floor, you should use a vacuum or damp mop to avoid scattering dust in the air. Sweeping sends dust and dander back into the air and could trigger an asthma attack. Use damp rags instead of a dry feather duster so triggers won’t be filling the air.
Sufferers from asthma should stay indoors when the pollen count rises. Asthma is not considered an allergy, but elements that cause allergies usually trigger asthma attacks too. These days, information about the quality of local air is readily available, so people with asthma can avoid spending time outside when the air is full of things that irritate their lungs.
As was previously stated, asthma is a condition whose affects should not be taken lightly. Take all appropriate measures to prevent and reduce symptoms, while also seeking professional help if the condition becomes out of control. Utilize the advice in this article to help make your asthma symptoms more manageable and take back control of your life.
If you find yourself relying on your rescue inhaler more often than twice weekly, it may be necessary to speak with your doctor about changing medication. Frequent need of an inhaler is an indication that the medication prescribed is not the right strength. This same advice also goes for those who must refill their inhalers more frequently than every six months.