You can still live the active life you want, despite having asthma, as long as you find the information you need to face the daily challenges asthma presents. There are a variety of methods you can utilize to maintain and stop asthma from taking over your life. The following hints and tips can help you maximize your enjoyment of life, while minimizing the effects of your asthma.
People afflicted by asthma should make it a priority to always avoid exposure to smoke, vapors and fumes. Thus, you need to avoid cigarettes and cigars and be vigilant about steering clear of environmental or workplace exposure to smoke.
What triggers your asthma? Learning about your type of asthma will help you to deal with it. People who suffer from exercise-induced asthma will need to make sure that they have an inhaler with them inside of their gym bag. Learn what activities trigger your symptoms, and prepare accordingly so that you’re never caught without your inhaler during an asthma attack.
If you are an asthma sufferer, it is crucial that you don’t smoke. Although smoking causes health problems for everyone, it is even more dangerous to asthma sufferers because the smoke causes airway swelling that cuts off oxygen to your lungs, and can trigger an attack.
If your child or another loved one suffers from asthma, you should be sure to never smoke cigarettes when you’re near them. Secondhand smoke is a leading cause of asthma. You also need to be sure that your child isn’t around those that choose to smoke.
Keep clear of anything that you know to be a trigger for your asthma. For some people, this can be pollen or other allergy triggers. Others experience an attack from physical activities. It is important to determine what triggers your asthma attacks so you can try to avoid those things.
As a chronic disease, asthma must be managed continuously. 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. Find out from your allergist and your doctor what is best for you.
You need ongoing treatment for asthma because it’s an ongoing disease. Be sure you are practicing proper self-care, and make sure you have your inhaler ready to go in case you suffer a full-blown attack. Work with your allergist and doctor to find the right treatment program that makes you feel good and allows you to still do the things you want to do.
If you are suffering from a mild or moderate asthma attack, expel all the air from your lungs. Exhale as quickly as possible, expelling air forcefully out of your lungs. You have to force the air out. Then take three quick breaths, next a deeper breath till your lungs fill with air, then repeat the forceful exhalation again. This will force you to pay careful attention to all of your breaths. In addition, it repeatedly empties your lungs of air, so that you can draw in more oxygen-rich air. It is okay to cough, even to generate sputum. Your ultimate goal is getting your breathing regulated.
Consider a leokotriene inhibitor if your asthma is not controlled by other methods. These inhibitors can prevent leukotrienes. Leukotrienes has a hand in causing swelling and inflammation in your lungs, and may trigger a asthma attack. Using an inhibitor will counteract the negative effects of leukotriene, thereby decreasing the occurrence of asthma attacks.
If you suffer from asthma, and have many attacks that are related to your allergy symptoms, there is a medication that is injected and provides long term effects. An antibody medicine under the name Omalizumab can be used to reduce these symptoms caused by allergies and might be prescribed by your allergist.
If you are an asthma sufferer, be sure to get the recommended daily dose of Vitamins C and E. These particular vitamins are believed to better your lung function and help manage your symptoms of asthma. You can get these vitamins from food or take a supplement. These vitamins can boost immune systems, which helps you to avoid illnesses that can be a trigger for your asthma.
Cleaning Products
A dehumidifier can significantly reduce the asthma attacks experienced by you or other afflicted members of your household. By bringing down the humidity level, it will reduce dust mites and reduce asthma flare-ups. Dehumidifiers keep the air in your home dry by eliminating humidity.
There are certain types of household cleaning products that can trigger asthma attacks, and using multiple products is particularly dangerous. Try using organic cleaning products that are not comprised of irritating chemicals.
If you suffer from asthma, don’t expose yourself to secondhand smoke. When you inhale smoke, especially in close quarters, lung functioning is decreased, and it can trigger an attack.
Keep dust and dirt to a minimum in any bedroom where an asthma sufferer sleeps. Avoid smoking inside, and only let people eat in the kitchen. Try not to use bleach or other irritants inside, and always thoroughly change the air in your house after cleaning.
When you are suffering from asthma and you have hay fever or a cold, you will most likely need an increase in your treatment. The effects of an illness can cause the severity of your asthma to temporarily increase, which necessitates a change in treatment. Your doctor might add additional medication until your sickness gets better.
Keep your medication with you, especially when you are traveling. Traveling to different places might expose you to unexpected triggers, as your body is put under more strain when you travel. You also have less control of your surroundings while you are away from home, so it is difficult to avoid potential triggers and to maintain control over your attack.
To stay out in front of your asthma, make sure that you see the doctor to receive regular checkups. Flare-ups can occur at any time; plus, your doctor may have a new medication that he or she can offer you that will make your treatment safer and more effective.
If your home is damp, it can encourage the growth of mildew and mold. Mold and mildew can easily cause severe 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.
Most homes are full of common asthma triggers. These are dust, mold and spores. In order to remain healthy and lessen any chances of having an asthma attack, it is recommended you have your home inspected yearly to have these harmful triggers removed. In addition, regularly cleaning the home can stop these things from building up.
Inhalers are important to use every day, but be aware that inhalers have been known to cause infections near the teeth and gums. One way to reduce the probability of such infections is to immediately brush and gargle after inhaling the medicine.
Do not allow mold or mildew to grow in your home, because they can be extremely dangerous for asthma sufferers. These can very easily cause an attack. Therefore, you should always strive to maintain a dry home. During winter, use a device to dehumidify in the winter, and air condition in the summer.
Asthma Attack
If you’re flying with asthma medications, be sure you get a prescription from your physician. If you’ve got written proof, it’ll save you a lot of hassle when you’re at a security check.
Avoid smoke, if you don’t want to have an asthma attack. Breathing in smoke can trigger an asthma attack. Stay away from cigarettes, chemicals, and anything else that may emit smoke. All of these will increase your asthma symptoms. If someone starts smoking near you, politely inquire whether they can smoke in your absence.
Monitor how many times, on a weekly basis, you are using your rescue inhaler. If you use it more than two times a week, your asthma may need to be better controlled, or you are going through an usual period that brings on more regular attacks. The frequency of use of your inhaler can give you an idea about your surroundings and the need to watch them.
As you can see, there are several ways for you to control or stop asthma from interfering with your life. Asthma is not a death sentence; so create a plan to manage and live with asthma, and your life will be a fulfilling one.
Avoid all types of smoke, including cigarette smoke, if you have asthma. Sometimes smoke can cause an asthma attack. You should stay far away from smoke of any kind, chemicals and vapors. Things like this can make your asthma worse. Politely request that smokers abstain from smoking in your presence.