Asthma can turn a normal life into a nightmare after that fateful first attack. However, you should know that most of the symptoms can become manageable if you combine several coping strategies along with effective medication. This article has a lot of different strategies.
Avoid being around any known asthma triggers. For some people, it may be related to allergies, such as a reaction to dust or pollen. Others may need to avoid certain physical activities to keep from suffering an attack. Know your asthma causes so you can avoid putting yourself in a situation where you may suffer from an attack.
If you suffer from asthma, avoid smoke, fumes and 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.
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. Open a window to bring clean, cool air inside instead.
Quit smoking or avoid smoke if you suffer from asthma. 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 a person with asthma and have persistent attacks related to allergy symptoms, a medication that can be used for a long term effect is one that can be injected. Omalizumab can effectively control allergy symptoms you may be experiencing and can be suggested by your local allergist if it fits your needs.
Asthma Symptoms
If you suffer from asthma and do not smoke, make sure to avoid people who do smoke. When tobacco smoke is inhaled, especially in closed-in areas, your lung function can be drastically decreased, which can increase your chances of suffering from an attack.
Some medications can exacerbate asthma symptoms as a side effect. Some anti-inflammatory drugs, such as aspirin or ibuprofen, can flare up asthma symptoms. Some medications can cause your asthma to be worse such as beta blockers for high blood pressure or heart disease. If you suffer from these conditions and also have asthma, be sure to let your doctor know.
When you are traveling, be sure to carry your rescue inhaler with you at all times. Traveling adds strain on the body and increases your susceptibility to asthma triggers. You also have little control over your environment when traveling, which can make you more susceptible to an attack and symptoms of greater severity.
If you have mild to moderate asthma attack, breathe out forcefully to get every bit of air out from your lungs. Exhale hard and fast. You want to force all of the air from 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. This will create a rhythm and will help you be aware of the way you are breathing. It also allows you to take in more air by completely emptying your lungs. You might cough hard or create mucus, but its just a sign your breathing is getting back to normal.
Humidity in the home can create an environment that is ideal for mold and mildew to grow. Asthma attacks are easily triggered by these substances. Try, then, to ensure your home is dry. When you are heating your home during the winter months, a dehumidifier can be used to control the humidity. In the summer, use an air conditioner to maintain dry air.
If you suffer from asthma and allergies that result in attacks, you can get injections of long-lasting medication for relief. Ask your allergist about omalizumab, an antibody drug that can reduce the severity of asthma symptoms and the frequency of attacks.
In the winter, cover your mouth and nose with a scarf or shawl to prevent asthma attacks. This will warm the air up before you breathe it into your lungs. Breathing in the cold air has been shown to trigger asthma attacks, especially in younger children with moderate to severe asthma.
Leukotriene inhibitors can help control the symptoms of asthma. A leukotriene inhibitor helps to prevent leukotrienes. Leukotrienes are inflammation-causing chemicals that can bring on asthma attacks. If you get a leukotriene inhibitor, it can get rid of them in the air and help you with asthma symptoms.
It is crucial that you know how to properly use your asthma treatments, particularly rescue inhalers. A typical asthma treatment plan is daily medication backed up with an emergency inhaler. Because asthma is a chronic condition, it is important to take management medication properly and to use rescue medication appropriately.
Social Worker
A lot of times asthma will develop over time, and has symptoms that aren’t always obvious. In some cases, people do not even know they might have a chance of an asthma attack and their first one proves fatal. Because of this, persistent respiratory problems need to be checked out by a doctor, who may prescribe medication to treat existing symptoms or prevent new ones from appearing.
Talk to a social worker if you’re not eligible for any health insurance and you’re an asthma sufferer. It is essential that you can buy your asthma medicine, and a social worker might help you find a hospital or clinic that can provide your medicine at reduced cost, or free.
Make sure you count how many times, within a week, you have to use your inhaler. Your medication may need to be adjusted or an alternative treatment considered if you find that you need to use it 3 or more times per week. How often you use your rescue inhaler should serve as a reminder that your environment needs to be monitored.
If you have been diagnosed with asthma, you should avoid smoking or even being in the presence of smokers. When you inhale tobacco smoke, particularly in small areas without much ventilation, lung function may be severely impacted, and you have a higher chance of having an attack.
Avoid smoke, if you don’t want to have an asthma attack. Sometimes smoke can cause an asthma attack. Stay away from cigarettes, chemicals, and anything else that may emit smoke. These things can cause your asthma symptoms to greatly increase. If someone is smoking near you, either ask them to stop or remove yourself from the situation.
You should be ready to increase asthma treatments if you suffer from hay fever or a cold. Make sure your doctor prescribes a fast acting inhaler for emergency situations. Your physician might also add more treatments to your regimen until your asthma is under control again.
You should visit your doctor regularly throughout the year, so they can keep you apprised on the status of your asthma. Your doctor will evaluate your condition and make any changes as they see fit. You are responsible for ensuring you schedule checkups with your doctor in order for him or her to follow up on you, and ensure you remain healthy.
Even if your asthma is not acting up, attend all of your doctor’s appointments. Asthma can flare-up at any time, and you never know, perhaps your doctor has safer or better medications which can help your symptoms.
Don’t skimp on vitamin B6. Vitamin B6, aka pyridoxine, is found to reduce asthma attack frequency in a lot of studies. Vitamin B6 is essential for producing chemicals that cause lung tissue to relax. Foods that are rich in B6 include the easy-to-find banana.
Protect yourself against breathing in cold air that aggravates your asthma by wearing a scarf that covers your nose and mouth. This helps warm the air prior to it entering your lungs. Studies have indicated that asthma attacks are sometimes triggered when cold air is inhaled. This is especially true for young children who have asthma that is moderate to severe.
A key way to manage your asthma is working to identify all of the things that trigger your attacks. You may even want to keep an asthma trigger journal so you can discuss this with your doctor. After you identify substances that trigger your asthma symptoms, you can avoid those substances in your environment or ask your doctor whether there is a medication that will allow you to go into an environment with those triggers and remain free of asthma symptoms.
Find out how you are supposed to use your asthma medication and rescue treatments. When you have asthma, you should be on a maintenance medication and have an emergency medicine for asthma attacks. Usually this is in the form of an inhaler. Asthma is not curable, so it is very important that you take your medication properly and only use your rescue medication if you need it.
Asthma may be the result of genetics or something in the environment, or perhaps a bit of both. Common allergens often trigger an asthma attack and create the wheezing breathing
that is characteristic of the disease. Keep an eye out if you have any other family members who have asthma. Environmental conditions like mold spores, extra dust, pollution and smoke may cause asthma, so protect yourself and your kids from these hazards.
Asthma typically develops over a long time, and sometimes the symptoms aren’t very obvious. There are actually many people that have passed away from an asthma attack without ever knowing they were even at risk. That is why it is important to check regularly with your doctor and always point out if you are having any kind of breathing problems or related symptoms. With the proper medical attention, you can prevent attacks and keep asthma under control.
Keep your home dusted and mopped. Wash your bedding, including pillows, regularly. When you do this, you prevent the buildup of dusts and dust mites, both of which often trigger asthma attacks. Dust build up can increase your chances of getting an asthma attack as causes irritation to your breathing.
As discussed previously, unchecked asthma can threaten your health and your happiness. Never leave home without your inhaler. If there’s pollen or other allergens in the air, stay indoors as much as possible, and consider moving to an area of the country where the air is cleaner if pollution is a problem where you live. Use the tips laid out here to conquer your asthma, and stop it from cramping your freedom.
Keep an eye on your allergy attacks and consider switching your prescription if you suffer from more than two asthma attacks a week. Doctors and nurses alike are in agreement that if you suffer from two or more attacks per week, you are at unnecessary risk.