You may be scared after finding out that you have asthma. It is a severe chronic condition, and that means it lasts a lifetime. Do not despair; life will go on and you can deal with your condition. Here you will see some simple methods to manage your asthma to keep you safe and healthy.
If you suffer from asthma, it is vital that you avoid smoking; if you do, you should quit. When smoke enters your lungs it cuts off your oxygen supply, and if you suffer from asthma it can make breathing extremely difficult, and result in an increased number of attacks.
If asthma is something you suffer from, do not smoke or spend time around smokers, much less any source of vapors and fumes. You should avoid jobs where you might be exposed to fumes and chemicals, such as factories.
Should you wind up inside a really dusty room, don’t activate any fans. This can move the dust around and can trigger an attack easily. If you need airflow, simply opening a window would be better.
Suffer from asthma? It is vital that you not smoke tobacco; if you do, quit. Smoking is bad in general for everyone, but it is particularly worse for asthma suffers because it decreases the amount of oxygen in the lungs, putting you at higher risk for asthma attacks.
Consider getting allergy shots if you have asthma that is caused by allergies that aren’t under control. 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.
Keep clear of anything that you know to be a trigger for your asthma. For many, allergens like dust and pollen, can trigger their attacks. For others, certain physical activities may be the trigger. Determine what sets your asthma off so you can stay away from these things.
If you are having trouble dealing with asthma, a leukotriene inhibitor might be of good use. These work by preventing the formation of leukotrienes. A leukotriene will cause inflammation in the respiratory system, causing an asthma attack. The inhibitor will block leukotrienes from getting into your lungs and lessen the chances of you suffering an asthma attack.
If you find yourself having a mild asthma attack, force the air from your lungs until they are empty. Exhale quickly and forcefully. Truly pump all air from your lungs! Take in three breaths, and then a deeper breath until your lungs are full of air. Then exhale with force again. Paying attention this way will help you stabilize your breathing and make it rhythmic. This technique also forces the air from your lungs to enable more air to come in. This may cause you to cough or it may cause phlegm, but your breathing will be back to normal again.
If you use more than four cleaning products, you are increasing the risks of an asthma attack. Try using organic cleaning products which don’t contain irritating chemicals.
Keep rooms free of dust, and do not turn on a fan if you do have dusty rooms. This will move all the dust around, and can easily trigger an asthma attack. Instead, you should consider opening a window to get some fresh clean air going through your lungs.
You will need to keep your residence really clean, especially the bedroom where the asthma sufferer sleeps in order to help lessen the chances of an attack. Food should only be eaten in the kitchen area, and whatever you do, please don’t smoke. After cleaning around the house, open windows and allow fresh air into the house. This can reduce the smell and pervasiveness of household cleaners like bleach.
To cut the risk of an asthma attack, keep your house as clean as you can, particularly the bedroom of the person with asthma. Don’t smoke indoors, or allow any junk food in your home. Bypass chemicals when cleaning your home if at all possible, and be sure to open doors and windows afterwards.
Be aware that your asthma medication may need to be adjusted if you are suffering from a cold, flu or hay fever. An increase in treatment is necessary sometimes because side effects of other sicknesses can cause your asthma symptoms to flare up. It is possible your doctor will want to add additional therapies to your treatment program until you are back on your feet.
If you’ve been diagnosed with asthma, be sure to get flu shots every year. This is doubly important for asthmatic children. Getting vaccinated yearly can help keep many of these illnesses at bay.
You should know what triggers your asthma attacks; this will allow you to either avoid them or be ready to manage the symptoms. Smoke, pollen, or pet dander are common triggers. Avoid these things when you can to breathe easier.
Make sure you are aware of what triggers your asthma so you can avoid it or prepare properly. The majority of people suffering from asthma have several common triggers, like pet dander, smoke or pollen. Whenever possible, avoid those substances that trigger either symptoms or full-blown attacks.
Sleep with a feather-less pillow if you have asthma. The feathers from a pillow can cause asthma symptoms and decrease your lung function. Same thing with bedding – purchase sheets and a comforter that are constructed from hypoallergenic materials.
If you are dealing with asthma, a good idea is to use a pillow without feathers. Feathers can trigger asthma symptoms and reduce lung function. This applies to bedding, as well. Purchase sheets and comforters that are made of hypoallergenic materials.
Join an online or offline support group. Asthma can be quite debilitating, especially if the asthma is severe, and this condition can interfere with daily life. On top of that, an asthma support group will keep you apprised of the latest developments in asthma medication and other significant medical breakthroughs.
The development of asthma symptoms can occur over time and they can be difficult to pinpoint and diagnose. Some people have even died from having an asthma attack, and they didn’t even know they had asthma. Therefore, if you have trouble breathing or a constant cough, you may want to seek a medical professional to determine if you have asthma. Your physician can also determine whether you need medication for either asthma prevention or asthma treatment.
If you suffer from asthma, avoid being around smoke. Smoke and chemicals have been known to trigger asthma attacks. Stay away from all types of fumes as well as cigarette smoke. Exposure to these substances can worsen your asthma considerably. If someone starts smoking near you, politely inquire whether they can smoke in your absence.
If you are going to be flying and are bringing your asthma medicine with you, take written prescriptions from your physician with you, especially if you will be taking large equipment like a nebulizer. When you can prove that an item is medically necessary, it can save a lot of time and hassle while working through airport security.
Asthma sufferers should have minimal contact with animals including pets. Animals are a danger to asthma sufferers who are already allergic to them, but pets also carry a wide array of dust particles and pollen, so avoiding them is a good move for anyone dealing with asthma.
Preventative Inhaler
Avoid aggravating your asthma condition while sleeping by covering your mattress and pillows with plastic before putting clean linens on. To reduce the chance that your bed linens will induce an asthma attack, wash your sheets every week in hot water. If there are always fresh linens on your bed, you are much more likely to sleep restfully without unexpected asthma attacks.
Use your maintenance or preventative inhaler every day. However, you should know that the drug may cause mouth infections near your gums and teeth. To prevent complications from using a preventative inhaler, brush your teeth immediately after using it and use mouthwash as well.
If you tend to suffer from any allergies or asthmatic conditions, always clean vaporizers very thoroughly, as well humidifiers and any associated apparatus. Bacteria can breed in moist parts of the machine, and if it is unclean when you turn it on, it will just pump out allergens.
You should track how often, in a week’s time, you require the use of a rescue inhaler. If your records start to show you need the inhaler more than two times weekly, your environment might be causing you problems or your asthma is not being controlled as well as it could be. The frequency of your inhaler use is a good way to remember to check out your environmental surroundings and be mindful of all factors relating to your asthma regimen.
If you use an inhaler more than 2 times a week, talk to your doctor about a new medication potentially. 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.
When you clean house, it is recommended that you clean your floor with a wet mop instead of sweeping it. If you choose to sweep, you’re swirling up a tornado of dust and allergens, both of which are common triggers for asthma symptoms. When you dust, use a damp cloth instead of a feather duster which can spread these triggers.
Keep track of allergy attacks; if you have more than two a week, see a doctor about changing your medicine. Medical professionals generally consider two or more allergy attacks weekly to be dangerous, but completely preventable.
Watch the pollen counts and adjust your activity accordingly to protect yourself from seasonal asthma issues. Asthma itself may not be an allergy, many of the same things that affect allergy sufferers also affect those with asthma. You can get the information about air quality in the area you are in; people who suffer from asthma should stay indoors if their air quality is low.
There are certain symptoms that you should look for to help you understand whether your child is having an asthma attack and needs to be transported to the hospital. Some symptoms of a dangerous asthma attack are bluish or gray coloring of the lips and/or fingertips and not getting relief from using the medication more often. Also, the person suffering the attack may be having issues talking.
As you can see, the trick to living with asthma is simply being prepared. If you educate yourself about the type of asthma that is affecting you, and the measures you can take to work through an attack, you can learn to manage your illness on a daily basis. The tips in this article will help you to build the knowledge base that you need to make positive changes in your life!
You should always play close attention to the food that your children eat, specifically for signals that may indicate a serious food allergy. If you see any development of hives, or difficulty in breathing after they have consumed a specific food, you should have the doctor test them for allergies. Allergies can be a sign that asthma is not far behind.