Because asthma attacks are so terrifying, it is easy to allow yourself to be chronically anxious about the condition. However, if you know how to deal with the asthma, you can improve your quality of life drastically. Read on to find out some solid ways to deal with asthma.
If you are an asthma sufferer, you need to avoid smoking and exposure to fumes or vapors of any kind. You must abstain from using any tobacco products. Also, when job hunting, you need to take into consideration whether or not you will be exposed to anything detrimental to your condition while on the job.
If you suffer from asthma, don’t smoke or expose yourself to smoke, fumes or vapors. 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.
An important part of symptom management is knowing what type of asthma you have. Gaining as much knowledge as you can about the type of asthma you have can make your day-to-day activities a little easier. If people who have asthma suffer attacks triggered by exercise, they should bring an inhaler with them when they work out. You can avoid any future crisis by knowing and figuring out patterns of the symptoms you have.
If you have an asthmatic child, do not allow anyone to smoke around him. One of the biggest reasons people have asthma is secondhand smoke. Keep your child away from cigarette smoke and any other kind of fumes.
Be aware of certain medications that can lead to asthma problems. Examples of medications that may contribute to asthma are aspirin and other NSAIDs. Other medications that may have an effect on the respiratory system include beta blockers used to treat high blood pressure. If you have any of these conditions along with your asthma, make sure you tell your doctor.
Asthma Attack
When you are suffering from an asthma attack, exhale all of the oxygen from your lungs. Breathe out hard and fast. Get the air all out of the lungs. Take three short breaths, and then take a fourth, deeper breath to fill your lungs comfortably; then, breathe out with force again. This will force you to pay careful attention to all of your breaths. It also voids your lungs of old air so that new air can enter. You might cough or produce sputum, but that is fine; you are trying to get breathing under control again.
Cleaning products can trigger an asthma attack, so try to keep your exposure to them to a minimum. The chemicals in these products make you more prone to an asthma attack. If you’re the one that cleans your home, try organic or natural cleaning solutions that are much less risky to your health.
If you have asthma, you should keep away from any smoke from cigarettes. Never smoke a cigarette! Air pollution and fumes from harsh chemicals also increase asthma symptoms. This can set off an Asthma attack that you might not be able to stop. If you are around others who are smoking, remove yourself.
Avoid being around any known asthma triggers. For some, allergens such as dust and pollen can trigger an attack. For others, certain physical activities may be the trigger. Try to determine your asthma triggers, so you can avoid them and prevent 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. Omalizumab is one such medication, and can control the allergic symptoms you may be experienced. An allergist will be able to tell you if this is a good option.
There are certain medications that cause or exacerbate asthma symptoms. Not everyone knows this. NSAIDs and aspirin are known for their ability to cause symptoms. You should also pay attention to heart medications you may take, or ones that treat abnormal blood pressure. If you suffer from these conditions and also have asthma, be sure to let your doctor know.
Use the inhaler properly. Get to a place out of the way, and read the directions before starting. The inhaler is only useful if the medication within it actually gets to your lungs. You need to inhale air while spraying the requisite dosage in your mouth. You should keep your breath held for 10 seconds at a minimum to let the medicated mist fill up your lungs.
Dust will make you have an attack, so keep the air calm in dirty rooms. Turning on a fan is going to cause the dust to leave its surface and begin filling the air of your environment. It could be better to open the window if you need to get airflow.
A dehumidifier is an excellent investment for asthma sufferers. By decreasing the humidity you have in your home, it will decrease the dust mites, which will then decrease your asthma from flaring up. Dehumidifiers keep the humidity out of your home by keeping the air dry.
Immune System
If you have asthma, or if your children have asthma, it is vital that you receive the flu shot yearly. Avoid a lot of these infections by getting vaccinated each year.
If you suffer from asthma, be sure your diet includes lots of Vitamins C and E. These vitamins help reduce asthma flare-ups by improving lung function. You can take a supplement or consume these vitamins in food. These vitamins are great for your immune system, and a strong immune system wards off illnesses that can trigger asthma attacks.
Do not allow mold or mildew to grow in your home, because they can be extremely dangerous for asthma sufferers. These fungi are both common triggers for asthma attacks. You should therefore try to keep your home dry. One way to control the humidity in the house is to employ a dehumidifier to pull out the excess moisture.
If you are dealing with asthma, you would benefit from buying a dehumidifier. If you lessen your humidity in the house, you will stave off dust mites that may make your asthma flare. A dehumidifying device reduces the moisture in the air.
Be sure you understand how to use your asthma medication, especially emergency medication. For most asthma cases, an emergency treatment option, such as an inhaler, is used to supplement day-to-day management medication. Because asthma is a chronic condition, it is important to take management medication properly and to use rescue medication appropriately.
If you have asthma, it is imperative that you stay away from smokers. When you breathe in smoke, especially in small spaces, it diminishes breathing ability, which greatly increases the probability of an asthma attack.
Asthma typically develops over a long time, and sometimes the symptoms aren’t very obvious. In some cases, people do not even know they might have a chance of an asthma attack and their first one proves fatal. Discuss with your doctor if you are having problems trying to catch your breath or have had a persistent cough for a while. There is the possibility that you have developed asthma, and if so, your doctor can tell you what the best method to treat it would be.
If you suffer from asthma, you need to learn how to go through your daily life. Asthma may feel like a burden, but it will get much easier as you understand more about it and how you can successfully deal with symptoms. Fortunately, asthma is not a mysterious condition; the tips and insight that you have just read will go a long way in demystifying it.
If you are taking your prescriptions with you on a flight, make sure to take your prescription. Having written proof that the item in question is in fact medically necessary can cut down on hassles at the security check.