Whether you find yourself or a relative dealing with asthma, it is definitely a trying and scary experience. You should be well aware of what asthma can do and what the condition entails, so you are able to manage asthma appropriately. The following article will help prepare you on how to deal with asthma, and get back to the business of living.
Avoid being around any known asthma triggers. Allergens such as dust and pollen can bring on an asthma attack at any time. Others may have attacks that are triggered by physical activity. Try to determine your asthma triggers, so you can avoid them and prevent attacks.
Asthmatics should not smoke. If you smoke – quit immediately. 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.
If you have asthma, you should keep away from any smoke from cigarettes. Avoid smoking altogether. Avoid breathing chemical fumes and vapors. This can cause an asthma attack, and you may be unable to bring it under control. When you see people smoking in your area avoid them and move away.
Cleaning Products
If you have asthma and have frequent attacks that are related to allergies, there are medicines that can be injected to provide you with long-term relief. It is called omalizumab, and it is an antibody medicine used to control allergic reaction symptoms. You will need to speak to your allergist to find out if this would be helpful to you.
When you have asthma, you need to be careful around chemical cleaning products. Many of the harsh chemicals inside cleaning products might trigger symptoms or even a full blown asthma attack. There are many all-natural organic cleaning products available that may help eliminate asthmatic problems.
Proper knowledge of how to use your inhaler is necessary if you have asthma. Find a quiet secluded area so that you can calmly take the inhaler as directed by the instructions from the manufacturer. The inhaler will only work if the medicine reaches your lungs. While taking a deep breath, spray in the recommended dosage. You should hold your breath 10 seconds so the medicated mist is able to fill up your lungs.
Avoid exposing yourself to any of your known asthma triggers. For some, allergens such as dust and pollen can trigger an attack. For others, attacks can be caused by physical activities. Do your best to understand and figure what exactly triggers your asthma so that you know what you need to avoid.
Make sure that everyone in your family gets their flu shot. Try to avoid getting any respiratory infections if you have asthma. The preventative measures you can take against such sickness range from simple habits of hand washing to getting your annual flu shot.
If you have mild to moderate asthma attack, breathe out forcefully to get every bit of air out from your lungs. Exhale quickly and forcefully. It can’t be said too strongly: you must force the air out! Inhale a series of three quick breaths, followed by a deeper one, before exhaling with force again. This will create a rhythm and will help you be aware of the way you are breathing. It also helps to push air out from your lungs so new air can come back in. You might cough or produce sputum, but that is fine; you are trying to get breathing under control again.
It has been shown that if you use multiple varieties of cleaning products around your house, it will increase the chance of an asthma attack. Choose organic products, and stick to as few products as possible.
If you have asthma, try to avoid smokers, even if you do not smoke. If you inhale the smoke, it will harm your lungs and increase the possibility of an asthma attack. Always be mindful of this, especially in small spaces that do not have very much air flowing.
If you deal with asthma in your life, always choose products that are free of scents. Use of scented products, such as perfume, air fresheners and incense, increase the levels of indoor air pollution and can trigger an attack. Other asthma irritants include fresh paint fumes and new carpeting. Clean your indoor air and keep it as fresh as you can.
If you or your child suffer from asthma, it is important that you receive a flu shot every year. A yearly vaccination will help minimize the number of infections your children have to deal with.
Lower the chances of asthma attacks by keeping a spotless home, particularly in the areas where you sleep. Only permit food in designated eating areas, such as the kitchen or dining room, and don’t allow smoking inside the house at all. After using chemical to clean, air out the house.
When you travel, your rescue medication should be with you all the time. Traveling is hard on your body, and you might have an asthma attack easier because your body is more likely to respond to triggers. You won’t be able to control factors in your environment, such as air quality, while are away from home. This also adds to the likelihood of an attack or more symptoms than you are used to at home.
Your asthma medication may need to be adjusted if you become ill. A lot of illnesses can cause your asthma to flare up very badly, resulting in the necessity to increase asthma treatment. The doctor may choose to pursue additional treatment options during your illness as well.
Even if you seem to be fine, see your doctor regularly for your asthma checkups. A flare-up can occur at any time, and your physician may have learned of a prescription medication that can treat your symptoms more safely and effectively.
An annual flu shot is crucial if you have asthma or have an asthmatic child. Avoid a lot of these infections by getting vaccinated each year.
Asthma Attacks
When you travel, your rescue medication should be with you all the time. Traveling is hard on your body, and you might have an asthma attack easier because your body is more likely to respond to triggers. It is also difficult to control your environment while traveling, making it more likely that you may experience an attack or worsening symptoms.
Some of the major causes of asthma, and triggers for asthma attacks, can exist right in the home. These generally include dust, mold and spores. To reduce asthma attacks and stay healthy, have an inspector remove any harmful agents yearly. In addition, regularly cleaning the home can stop these things from building up.
Join a support group, online or in “real life”, to find help from your peers. Asthma can be an extremely debilitating health issue and can stop you from participating in life the way you want to. Your peers will be able to provide you with advice and tips that work for them, information about new treatment techniques, and even some home remedies you might not know about.
During the colder months, avoid asthma attacks by wearing a scarf, shawl or muffler that covers the mouth and nose. You can inhale warmer air into your body with these. Breathing in cold air tends to start asthma attacks, especially with younger children that have severe or moderate asthma.
Asthma usually takes an extended interval of time to fully develop, and the warning signs are rarely obvious. A few people have even died from an asthma attack without knowing they even had this dangerous condition. If you have any trouble catching your breath or a cough that won’t go away, consider talking to your doctor to make sure that you aren’t afflicted with asthma. If you are, you’ll need to keep an inhaler with you at all times and possible take other medications.
Asthma sufferers should avoid close contact with all animals. While allergies to dander or animal hair can possibly complicate your asthma, even those with no such allergies can have asthma attacks by inhaling the pollen and dust animals usually carry about with them.
When you are cleaning your home, it is always better to use a wet mop rather than sweeping your floors. 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 dusting, use a damp cloth, as feather dusters just move dust around.
Avoid aggravating your asthma condition while sleeping by covering your mattress and pillows with plastic before putting clean linens on. Use fresh linens to make up your bed on a regular basis. Clean bed linens will help you breathe better while you sleep.
Allergens, pollen, dust and some other asthma aggravators can collect in your bed linens. These threats can be reduced or even eliminated by keeping your bed linens laundered every week using hot water. These fresh, regularly washed linens can help you breathe easier when sleeping.
If you have asthma and you’re also an allergy sufferer, you must only use a vaporizer or humidifier that’s been cleaned thoroughly. Permitting bacteria to grow inside the appliance will result in irritants being dispersed into the air you breathe.
When pollen counts begin to rise, then anyone who suffers from asthma should just stay inside as much as they can. 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. Technology has brought with it real-time air quality reports that can be consulted before exposure to outdoor air that may cause irritation to asthmatics.
If you frequently use your inhaler (more than two to three times per week), you should talk to your doctor about alternative methods of treatment or a different prescription. Using your inhaler this frequently means your prescription is not effectively treating your asthma. It also isn’t working right if you’re having to refill the inhaler more than two times a year.
If you suffer from asthma or allergies, avoid using a vaporizer or humidifier unless it is consistently and thoroughly cleaned. Bacteria can breed inside the moist machine and you would be releasing them along with the humid air.
Paint Fumes
It is important to remain calm during an asthma attack. Take your first dose of your inhaler and then wait thirty seconds. You can use your inhaler again after that. If this doesn’t start to control your attack, get assistance right away. Go to the emergency room, or call an ambulance if it’s extreme. Grab a paper bag and breathe inside it, as that can help to slow down your breathing.
Consider purchasing a breathing mask that filters out paint fumes if a painting project is in your future. Paint fumes can be irritating to asthma sufferers, but a mask creates a protective shield. Do not go use certain chemicals that will make your asthma worse.
Make sure you schedule regular checkups with your doctor every few months to keep a heads up on your asthmatic condition. Your doctor should be recording your current state as a benchmark, and making necessary changes to improve your situation if needed. Your doctor is busy, so it’s on you to set and keep your appointments.
As the article mentioned previously, it is important to know as much about asthma as possible. This article contains just a sampling of hints that are helpful for managing asthma, or to help a friend or family member with the disease. Together, you can minimize the impact that asthma has in your life.
An asthma journal can help you quickly ascertain what triggers your asthma. Keeping a journal will help you and your doctor develop a plan to combat some of the triggers. 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.