When asthma makes it hard to breathe, the impact on your ability to participate in your regular activities is enormous. Don’t let asthma control your life. You can still participate in daily activities and live fully despite this disease. Read the good advice in this article, and learn how to make life with asthma doable.
What type of asthma are you having to deal with? Before you can develop a self-care plan for your asthma symptoms, you need to know the specific cause of your symptoms. People suffering from asthma that is exercise-induced, for example, had best be prepared for asthma attacks at the gym! You can avoid any future crisis by knowing and figuring out patterns of the symptoms you have.
Avoid anything that can trigger your asthma. For many, allergens like dust and pollen, can trigger their attacks. For others, physical activities can cause them. Determine what sets your asthma off so you can stay away from these things.
If you have been diagnosed with asthma and you are a smoker, it is time to quit. 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.
Always be very mindful of the type of medications you’re taking. Some meds out there might just trigger an asthma attack. Aspirin along with other NSAIDs can have this effect. Some medications for blood pressure and heart disease – those referred to as beta blockers – can also exacerbate asthma problems. Let your doctor know about your asthma and what prescriptions you’re taking.
You need to avoid all of the asthma triggers that you know. For some, allergens such as dust and pollen can trigger an attack. Some things, such as physical exertion, can cause an asthma attack. Determine what sets your asthma off so you can stay away from these things.
Asthma is a chronic condition that is ongoing over time, and as such, will require a continual treatment and management regimen. You need to always take your medications for your everyday symptoms, and keep your quick relief medication with you in case you do have an attack. Your physician and allergist are the ones to approach with any questions you have about this disease and its treatment.
Some medications can exacerbate asthma symptoms as a side effect. Some over the counter medications can irritate your asthma. Additionally, beta blockers, a type of medication used for heart disease and hypertension, may cause asthma symptoms. Let your doctor know about your asthma and what prescriptions you’re taking.
Cigarette smoke will make your asthma worse. If you don’t smoke, don’t start. If you do smoke, stop. Inhaling the chemical-laden fumes and even the vapors from cigarettes can be extremely harmful. This could trigger a serious asthma attack, and you may have trouble preventing it from happening. Avoid secondhand smoke by leaving physical distance between yourself and the smoker.
Though it should go without saying, do not turn on any fans or circulation systems when in a room containing visible dust that has yet to be cleaned. This will cause the dust to move around, which could cause an asthma attack. If you feel you need airflow, open a window instead.
Avoid using a fan in any room that has excessive dust. This will cause the dust to move around, which could cause an asthma attack. Encourage air to flow throughout the room by just opening a nearby window or door.
If you are having trouble preventing asthma attacks, you may find success with a leukotriene inhibitor. Leukotriene inhibitors are used to prevent things called leukotrienes. Leukotriene, a chemical substance, can cause asthma attacks by causing inflammation. Taking an inhibitor blocks the receptors that leukotrienes normally interact with and leaves your throat less inflamed and attack-prone.
Know how to use your inhaler properly! Find a peaceful spot, and make sure to follow the instructions provided by the manufacturer. The inhaler is only beneficial if the medicine gets to your lungs. While taking a deep breath, spray in the recommended dosage. Hold your breath still for ten seconds at least in order to let the mist with medicine fill your lungs.
Asthma patients without health insurance can get help by asking a social worker and getting access to programs with the resources asthma patients need. Social workers are trained to help people find resources for affording health care, particularly on debilitating conditions such as asthma.
Consider buying a dehumidifier for the home if you have asthma. When your home has less humidity, there are less dust mites, and that minimizes the chances of an asthma flare-up. Dehumidifiers cause the air in your home to become dry, which means less humidity.
Consider buying a dehumidifier for the home if you have asthma. Reducing the amount of humidity in your home reduces the number of dust mites, which in turn reduces the chances of your asthma flaring up. Dehumidifiers keep your home dry by keeping the humidity out.
To lower the chances of an asthma attack, keep your house as clean as can be, especially the bedroom. Never allow anyone to smoke in the home of an asthmatic, and consider using plastic to cover your mattress and pillows. 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.
For those who have asthma, the safest choice is to stick with unscented products. Products that contain fragrance, such as perfumes, colognes, or air fresheners, can pollute the air triggering your asthma. Fresh paint and new carpeting can also irritate the airway. Aim to make the air inside your home allergen free, and as fresh and clean as possible.
Avoid using a feather or down pillow if you have asthma. Feathers in a pillow can bring on the symptoms of asthma and decrease lung function. Be sure to keep the same advice in mind for your bedclothes. They should be made from materials that do not increase allergy symptoms.
Figure out your asthma triggers. Once you know what they are, you can change your lifestyle to prevent asthma attacks. If you can’t avoid a trigger, you can pack your inhaler, take allergy pills or engage in other preventive measures so you don’t have an attack. There are some quite common triggers that can invoke an attack in asthma sufferers, for example cigarette smoke, pollen, or pet hair and dander. When possible, stay away from these triggers that cause symptoms or ultimately, full-blown attacks.
To stay out in front of your asthma, make sure that you see the doctor to receive regular checkups. A flare up can come at any time and your doctor can always look into safer medications for your particular symptoms.
If you suffer from asthma, consider using a feather-free pillow to sleep. Feathers can trigger asthma symptoms and reduce lung function. Patients should also buy hypoallergenic bedding.
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. Having proof that it belongs to you and is medically necessary will make the security check easier.
Your bed linens are where pollen, dust and other allergens like to collect. These threats can be reduced or even eliminated by keeping your bed linens laundered every week using hot water. If there are always fresh linens on your bed, you are much more likely to sleep restfully without unexpected asthma attacks.
Asthma isn’t curable at the present time, but management can be made much easier with the proper advice from this article and a medical professional. Your asthma can be under control, but at the same time you can be on the look out for new, more effective treatments.
If you have asthma, you must know how to use your inhaler properly. You should not just stick it between your lips and spray. Whenever you spray your inhaler, inhale deeply for multiple seconds. An inhaler is not of much use if you aren’t taking it correctly.