An asthma attack is a dangerous and rather frightening event to experience. The good news is that it is possible to really turn things around and live a normal life with asthma. Keep reading to learn some specific strategies that can help you live a full life despite your asthma.
People afflicted by asthma should make it a priority to always avoid exposure to smoke, vapors and fumes. This means you should stay away from all tobacco products and carefully consider the jobs you apply to, especially in factories, as you may be exposed to harmful smoke or vapors.
If you are an asthma sufferer, you should refrain from smoking or being around any vapors or fumes. You should not smoke and consider which jobs are appropriate for you, especially if you are thinking about working in a factory.
You want to make sure you can avoid situations that could trigger your asthma. For some people, it may be related to allergies, such as a reaction to dust or pollen. Others have asthma attacks when they participate in physical activities. Determine what sets your asthma off so you can stay away from these things.
An important tip to help protect your asthma-afflicted children is to always refrain from smoking around them. Secondhand smoke is one of the leading culprits that causes asthma. Keep your child away from any area where people are smoking.
During an attack that isn’t severe, force all air from your lungs. Exhale quickly and with power. Really force that air out of your lungs! Take in three breaths, and then a deeper breath until your lungs are full of air. Then exhale with force again. This establishes a regular pattern to your breathing routine, which means you have to pay attention to how you are breathing. It pushes air from your lungs so you can breathe more in. This may cause you to cough or it may cause phlegm, but your breathing will be back to normal again.
If you are asthmatic, you absolutely must not subject yourself to any form of cigarette smoke. Smoking is detrimental to anyone’s health, but those with asthma suffer especially because cigarettes lessen the oxygen supply that is crucial for the lungs to function properly and prevent an asthma attack.
Resist the urge to turn on a fan if you find yourself in a room filled with dust. A fan will spread dust and debris all over. This can very easily aggravate your asthma, and cause serious symptoms. A fan will just blow around dust without providing fresh air, so opening a window is a better option as it brings in fresh air and ventilation.
Asthma is a chronic condition that is ongoing over time, and as such, will require a continual treatment and management regimen. Be certain that you are using the right maintenance medicines to control your asthma and that you also have a rescue or emergency medication when you have an acute asthma attack. To determine the best options for you personally, consult your physician and an allergist.
If your health insurance situation cannot help you with your asthma, talk to 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.
Make sure that everyone in your family, including you, gets annual flu shots. Asthma patients should try their best to avoid getting respiratory infections. This includes taking standard precautions against illness, like hand washing, as well as getting vaccinations that can keep you from getting sick.
People suffering from asthma should stick to unscented products. Using products in your home such as incense, perfume or air fresheners can increase the amount of microscopic pollutants indoors and trigger asthma attacks. Fresh paint and new carpeting give off odors that can irritate sensitive airways. Keep the air inside as fresh as you can.
Immune System
You can help to prevent asthma attacks by maintaining a clean home, particularly the asthmatic’s bedroom. Food should not be eaten outside of the kitchen, and there should be no indoor smoking. Thoroughly air out your house after every cleaning, and stay away from bleach and similar harsh chemicals while cleaning indoors.
Vitamins C and E can greatly assist you in fighting asthma attacks. They help to increase the function of the lungs and control the overall symptoms of asthma. You are able to get these vitamins either from food or a supplement. These vitamins are great for your immune system, and a strong immune system wards off illnesses that can trigger asthma attacks.
Some common catalysts of asthma attacks regularly occur in the home. These generally include dust, mold and spores. An annual visit by a professional inspector can help keep your home free from these agents, and reduce the likelihood of an attack. Conscientious house-cleaning can help prevent buildup of substances in your home that might trigger an asthma attack.
If you have asthma, get a dehumidifier for your home. By decreasing the humidity you have in your home, it will decrease the dust mites, which will then decrease your asthma from flaring up. A dehumidifying device reduces the moisture in the air.
You need to know how to properly use asthma medications that are prescribed to you, especially your rescue medication, so that you are prepared if you need to use it during an emergency. Asthma is usually treated with an everyday medication that is sometimes supplemented with an emergency treatment, like an inhaler. Asthma is a lifelong condition; you should correctly take your regular medication and use your rescue medication only as needed.
If you deal with asthma in your life, always choose products that are free of scents. Using products with scents, like perfume, incense and air fresheners, boosts the amount of air pollution indoors and can bring on an attack. Fresh paint and new carpeting also give off odors that may aggravate the airways. Because the dangers these things represent, it is important to always keep indoor air fresh to the best of your ability.
Using a preventative inhaler is important, but you need to know the side effects it can cause such as mouth infections. You can prevent these side effects with proper tooth brushing and gargling after you use your inhaler.
To minimize the chances of triggering a bout of asthma, keep your house extra clean, particularly rooms where asthma patients sleep. Only permit food in designated eating areas, such as the kitchen or dining room, and don’t allow smoking inside the house at all. After you clean, let the house air out completely, and stay away from using any harsh chemicals (especially bleach) inside.
Keep in mind that mopping your floors with a wet mop will cause less asthma problems than sweeping will. Sweeping can trigger an asthma attack due to the copious clouds of minute asthma-triggering particles it kicks up. Dusting with a damp cloth rather than a feather duster can be a considerable help in reducing the amount of dust and other things that might start an attack.
An annual flu shot is crucial if you have asthma or have an asthmatic child. Get vaccinated every flu season to avoid a high number of infections.
Avoid smoke, if you don’t want to have an asthma attack. Inhaling smoke can trigger an asthma attack. You should stay far away from smoke of any kind, chemicals and vapors. These are all common triggers and can aggravate asthma symptoms. Ask people around you not to smoke in your presence. Don’t be rude about it, but don’t be afraid to ask for what you need.
Consider joining a support group, either on or offline. Since severe asthma can be quite debilitating, it can have a huge impact on your everyday life. If you know other asthma sufferers, you can stay up to date on the latest medicines and treatment options.
Allergens, pollen and other irritants can collect in your linens and aggravate your asthma. You can reduce or eliminate these potential asthma attack inducers by laundering your sheets and pillowcases in hot water every week. Fresh bed linens, washed regularly, will ensure that you can breathe a little easier while you sleep.
During cold, winter months, asthma sufferers should wear a shawl, muffler, or scarf that will cover both their nose and mouth. This will warm the air before it gets in your lungs. Breathing cold air triggers your asthma attacks, particularly in young kids with bad asthma.
To improve your asthmatic condition, use a clean humidifier or vaporizer while you sleep. If it is not clean you end up getting bacteria growth in the damp interior of the machine, and that ends up flooding the air you want to humidify with allergens.
You should know how to manage and live with asthma. When you learn more about asthma, it is much easier to deal with. Fortunately, much can be learned about asthma from this article, and the tips here will help in enhancing the way you live.
If you use an inhaler more than 2 times a week, talk to your doctor about a new medication potentially. Frequent use may be a signal that the medication is not effective. Also, if you have to refill your inhaler more than twice in one year, then a visit to the doctor for a medication change is also in order.