Living with asthma may be difficult, but if you manage it properly, it doesn’t have to prevent you from being happy, healthy and active. You can keep your asthma in check and prevent it from lowering your quality of life through a variety of methods, techniques and treatments. The following hints and tips can help you maximize your enjoyment of life, while minimizing the effects of your asthma.
There are some common medications that you could be using that will cause asthma symptoms. Aspirin along with other NSAIDs can have this effect. Some medications can cause your asthma to be worse such as beta blockers for high blood pressure or heart disease. If you have any of these conditions along with your asthma, make sure you tell your doctor.
If you are an asthma patient, do not expose yourself to vapors, fumes and cigarette smoke. You should not smoke and consider which jobs are appropriate for you, especially if you are thinking about working in a factory.
If you’re having an asthma attack, a great way to handle this is to immediately evacuate the air from your lungs. Breathe out fast and hard. Try to force the air out of your lungs! Inhale in a series of three, or three shallow breaths and one deep breath. After your lungs are filled with air, forcefully exhale again. Using this strategy provides your breathing with a rhythm that forces you to focus on it. It will also empty your lungs of air, so that they’re ready to take in new, fresh air. This may cause you to cough or it may cause phlegm, but your breathing will be back to normal again.
Suffer from asthma? It is vital that you not smoke tobacco; if you do, quit. 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 you are an asthmatic who also has allergies, injected allergy medication may be just the thing you need to get relief. Known as Omalizumab, this antibody medicine can control the body’s allergic senses and lower the symptoms or reactions that asthma patients suffer.
Avoid those things that you know can trigger your asthma. Certain outdoor areas may be off-limits because they cause allergies to flare up. Some things, such as physical exertion, can cause an asthma attack. Pay attention to what causes your attacks so you can prevent them from happening.
Make sure if you have an inhaler that you are using it the right way. A lot of people use inhalers improperly, so be sure that you’re adhering to the manufacturer’s suggested instructions. The inhaler only helps if the medication reaches your lungs. Spray the stated dose of medicine into your mouth as you inhale. Then hold it and try not to breathe for a minimum of 10 seconds. This will give enough time for the medication to properly fill out your lungs.
Prescriptions and over-the-counter medications can actually trigger an asthma attack. Aspirin and other NSAIDs are known to be asthma triggers. You can also use medications that can control high blood pressure and heart disease, things like beta blockers. It is important to let your doctor know if you suffer from asthma together with any of these conditions.
If you suffer from asthma, be sure your diet includes lots of Vitamins C and E. It is thought that these vitamins will help increase lung function and will help control asthma symptoms. You can get these vitamins from food or take a supplement. The vitamins will help improve the immune system, which will help you fight off illnesses that cause asthma.
If you suffer from asthma and allergy attacks, ask your doctor for a long-lasting allergy injection. Known as Omalizumab, this antibody medicine can control the body’s allergic senses and lower the symptoms or reactions that asthma patients suffer.
Avoid exposure to secondhand smoke because it is as dangerous to asthmatics as smoking a cigarette. As soon as you inhale any smoke from tobacco, your lungs become sensitive, which increases your risk of an attack. Just avoid any type of smoke, especially in small areas, and keep your lungs healthy to be safe.
Social Worker
In order to minimize the chance of an asthma attack, be sure to keep your living area very clean, most definitely the bedroom area. Also, you should keep food confined to the kitchen, and opt to smoke outdoors only. When cleaning your home, try not to use products that contain harsh chemicals, such as bleach. You should also allow fresh air to thoroughly circulate throughout your home after you’re done cleaning it.
If your health insurance situation cannot help you with your asthma, talk to a social worker. You must have the ability to afford your medication, so a social worker might be able to locate a hospital or clinic that can offer them at little cost or free.
Your asthma treatments will likely increase when you suffer from hay fever or a cold. Some illnesses create issues that make it necessary to increase medication temporarily. Your doctor may prescribe a new medicine or change the dose of your existing medication until the hay fever or cold passes.
Vitamins C and E can greatly assist you in fighting asthma attacks. It is thought that these vitamins will help increase lung function and will help control asthma symptoms. Vitamin C is available in multiple forms. You can find it in citrus fruits, supplements, and in many other places. The vitamins work to strengthen your immunities, thereby warding off sicknesses that tend to exacerbate asthma.
Be certain you are aware of what triggers an asthma attack so you can avoid it, or at least be prepared to handle the symptoms. Those who experience asthma are susceptible to some common things like pet dander, smoke, or pollen. It is best to do all that is possible to avoid triggers that can cause attacks.
Using over four kinds of cleaning products in the home can trigger asthma attacks. Try organic cleaners that are free of irritating chemicals.
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.
Asthma Attacks
Some of the main triggers of asthma attacks happen right inside 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. Cleaning your house on a regular basis is one way to keep these substances from accumulating.
Avoid cold-induced asthma attacks by protecting your mouth and nose with a scarf. This will warm the air before it gets in your lungs. Studies have consistently shown that cold air can cause your throat and lungs to constrict, triggering asthma attacks. Children are especially susceptible to cold-induced asthma.
During the months that are colder, wear a shawl, muffler or scarf that will cover your nose and mouth to help you avoid asthma attacks. Proper winter wear can keep cold air from agitating your lungs. Breathing cold air can set off an asthma attack, particularly in small children who have have somewhat severe asthma.
If you are traveling by plane and taking along your asthma medications, make sure to have with you any written doctors prescriptions, especially when carrying some large asthma equipment like a nebulizer. The written prescription will help you get through security without difficulty, because it establishes that your nebulizer and supplies are medically necessary.
When cleaning your house, clean floors with a wet mop instead of a broom. When you are sweeping with a broom, you stir up triggers like dirt and dust mites that can cause you to go into an asthma attack. Use a dampened rag when dusting, instead of a feather duster, so as to prevent stirring up loose dust particles and other asthma triggers.
Someone suffering from asthma should avoid animals. Some asthma sufferers are allergic to animal fur or dander on top of their asthma, but even those who don’t have such an allergy can bring on an attack if they breathe in too much of these irritants.
Your bed linen could be filled with dust, pollen or other allergens. It is important to wash your bed linens at least once per week in very hot water if you want to reduce or eliminate the potential aggravators. If there are always fresh linens on your bed, you are much more likely to sleep restfully without unexpected asthma attacks.
The tips you just read highlight the variety of methods that exist for dealing with asthma. Asthma does not have to be a death sentence, so if you can make a plan on how to live with asthma, you will have a much more fulfilling life.
Asthmatics should avoid smoking tobacco products whenever possible. Most people are educated about how dangerous smoking is, but it is much more harmful for people who have asthma. Smoke greatly irritates the sensitive lungs of the person with asthma, so in addition to not smoking, someone with asthma should avoid people that are smoking.