When you’re having an asthma attack, you may have a lot of trouble breathing. This can terrify you even if you’ve had an attack before and know what’s going on. Since asthma attacks can occur without warning and can be fatal if not immediately treated, it’s easy to live in fear of asthma, rather than participating in daily activities. This article empowers you to treat your asthma by helping you understand how and why it happens, and what to do when it does.
If you have asthma, you should definitely avoid smoking or being exposed to any kind of fumes or vapors. You should avoid jobs where you might be exposed to fumes and chemicals, such as factories.
An important tip to help protect your asthma-afflicted children is to always refrain from smoking around them. It has been medically proven that smoking can cause asthma or make existing symptoms worse. It’s best to also keep your child away from places in which others will be smoking.
What type of asthma do you suffer from? You can learn to combat the life changing effects of asthma by understanding your specific type. For instance, people with exercise-induced asthma would do well to carry an inhaler in their gym bag! Knowing the patterns of your symptoms will help you avoid crises.
Smoking is a horrible habit, even deadly, for an asthma sufferer. Smoking is, of course, unhealthy for anyone. The habit is even more dangerous for asthma patients, however, because anything that reduces the amount of oxygen reaching the lungs can trigger an attack.
Asthma is a disease that is ongoing and must be attended to every day. It is crucial that you have the proper medications for controlling asthma, as well as medication, such as a rescue inhaler to treat sudden attacks. A variety of options are available for the treatment of asthmatic attacks. Consult your doctor and an allergist.
Be careful of chemical cleaners if you are asthmatic. Many of the chemicals in cleaning products can trigger asthma symptoms or attacks. It is advisable to consider using products that have an organic base when cleaning.
An increased propensity for asthma attacks has been linked with the utilization of multiple cleaning products. The more you use, the greater the risk of an attack. Try to use organic based cleaning products that are not harmful to asthma sufferers.
Asthma Symptoms
If you have hay fever or a cold, you will probably need increased treatment of your asthma. Many of these illnesses will worsen your asthma symptoms bad enough to require more treatments than you typically need. Your physician might also add more treatments to your regimen until your asthma is under control again.
There are some medications that may contribute to asthma symptoms. Aspirin is a common medication that can affect asthma sufferers. The medication you take for high blood pressure can also cause asthma symptoms. Make sure you consult with your doctor concerning your asthma and possible drug reactions.
Make it a habit to always have some rescue medication available when you travel. Traveling can put additional strain on your body, making you more susceptible to asthma triggers. Traveling can make asthma symptoms worse, and it is difficult, nearly impossible to control environmental triggers during travel.
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. The fan will circulate the dust along with the air, which can cause it to get into your lungs and make your asthma worse. On smog-free, low pollen days, open your windows to improve airflow in the house.
Try joining an in-person or virtual asthma support group. Left untreated, asthma can be very debilitating and prevent you from enjoying your normal activities. Furthermore, these groups will keep you informed about any changes in medicines or any other scientific discoveries that are relevant.
Be sure you and your family members get a yearly flu vaccination. Do everything you can to avoid a respiratory infection if you have asthma. This means that you should take all standard precautions to avoid illness, such as washing your hands, getting vaccinated and avoiding those who are sick.
Your home can be full of the major triggers leading to an asthma attack. These include mold, dust and spores. To ensure health and reduce the potential for asthma attacks, have a yearly inspection for the presence and removal of these hazards. Conscientious house-cleaning can help prevent buildup of substances in your home that might trigger an asthma attack.
Immune System
Mildew and mold grow best in a home with high humidity. They are a nuisance for people with asthma; the asthma attacks they trigger require you to eliminate them. Therefore, it is important to make sure your home is dry. During winter, use a device to dehumidify in the winter, and air condition in the summer.
Vitamins C and E can greatly assist you in fighting asthma attacks. These vitamins help reduce asthma flare-ups by improving lung function. You can choose to ingest this vitamins by eating foods that are rich in the vitamins or through a supplement. Vitamins C and E are necessary for a healthy immune system. If your immune system isn’t healthy, it won’t be able to fight off illnesses that cause asthma attacks.
When the weather starts to turn colder, wear a scarf or shawl that covers your mouth and nose to help prevent asthma attacks. This helps warm the air prior to it entering your lungs. Breathing cold air triggers your asthma attacks, particularly in young kids with bad asthma.
A dehumidifier is an excellent investment for asthma sufferers. When you use a dehumidifier, it will reduce the amount of dust mites. This will reduce asthma attacks. Try running a dehumidifier to dry up the air in your home.
Know how to properly use asthma medicine, especially your rescue medication. Asthma is generally treated with a rescue medication, usually an inhaler, in addition to a regularly-taken maintenance medication. Asthma is an illness that is chronic in nature, so it is imperative to take the management medicine as directed and only using the rescue inhaler when necessary.
Products with no scent are the safest and best option for an asthma sufferer. Products with a fragrance raise the air pollution indoors, and increase the risk of an attack being triggered. Some of these products include incense, scented body sprays and air fresheners. Certain things around the home, such as newly installed carpet or fresh paint, can also release chemical irritants. Keep the air inside as fresh as you can.
You should track how often, in a week’s time, you require the use of a rescue inhaler. If the inhaler is used more than twice, the asthma problems you are suffering from may not be well-managed or something else might be causing additional attacks to come on. The number of times you use your inhaler can serve as a good reminder to monitor your environment and other aspects of your asthma management plan.
Avoid using a feather or down pillow if you have asthma. Feathers can aggravate symptoms of asthma and lower lung function. Patients should also buy hypoallergenic bedding.
Asthma sufferers should stay indoors as much as possible when pollen counts rise. Asthma is in no way an allergy, but a lot of the same burdens that bother allergy suffers also affect people who suffer from asthma. Information about local air quality is available in many areas so that those with asthma can reduce their outdoor exposure if irritants are within the air.
Support Group
Remain calm in the event of an asthma attack. You should immediately use your inhaler and use the inhaler again 30 seconds later. If this does not lessen the attack, get help quickly. Have someone call emergency services or drive you to the nearest hospital. To calm yourself on the drive, bring a paper bag and breathe into it, as this will slow your breathing.
Join a support group, online or in “real life”, to find help from your peers. Asthma, particularly if it is severe, can incapacitate you and keep you from going about your daily activities. Being a part of a support group can help provide you with honest information about products and helpful hints, as well as medical news.
When painting, you should buy a protective mask if you suffer from asthma. Paint fumes can be irritating to asthma sufferers, but a mask creates a protective shield. In general, you should avoid anything that will trigger an asthma attack or worsen your asthma symptoms.
Your home can be full of the major triggers leading to an asthma attack. Some of these irritants include dust, mold and spores. To reduce asthma attacks and stay healthy, have an inspector remove any harmful agents yearly. Clean up your house regularly so these substances do not accumulate.
Going to an asthma support group or just talking to people who also have asthma can really help out. The other members can give you valuable advice on how to cope with the everyday challenges of living with asthma, and how to handle specific situations. Surround yourself with people who understand asthma and support your fight against it.
If you’re flying and bringing along your asthma medications, bring a doctor’s written prescription with you. Having evidence from a doctor that the medication is necessary for your health will greatly help with security at the airport.
In order to ward off asthma attacks, it is crucial that you pinpoint your triggers. A journal is a good way to identify what has triggered an attack and provides you with a simple way to keep your doctor informed. Once you know your triggers, do what you can to eliminate them from where you are, as much as possible.
If not controlled it can become fatal. You can lead a better life if you read this article and use the tips here about controlling your asthma.
Asthma may be caused by environmental factors, genetics, or possibly both. If anyone in your family history had asthma, pay attention to signs of it in you or your children. All sorts of environmental factors can cause asthma, and they include smoke, pollution, excess dust and mold spores. It is best to avoid these hazardous situations, especially if there are children present.