Asthma attacks are scary and having to live a life with asthma is a hassle. However, if you know how to deal with the asthma, you can improve your quality of life drastically. Keep reading for new, and old, ideas on handling your asthma.
Asthma is an ongoing disease and requires ongoing health management. Always be very sure that you’re taking the right type of medication for your condition if you hope to control it. It’s also important to have a quick-relief medication available. Consult with your physician and allergist to find out what is best for you.
If you are an asthma sufferer, you need to avoid smoking and exposure to fumes or vapors of any kind. This means you need to keep away from tobacco products and only seek out jobs where you aren’t exposed to any harmful chemicals, smoke or vapors.
Avoid exposure to secondhand smoke because it is as dangerous to asthmatics as smoking a cigarette. You can suffer an asthma attack if you are around cigarette smoke because it makes your lungs function poorly. You are even more exposed to an attack when the smoke is in a closed-in room or area.
Do all you can to learn not just about asthma, but your particular asthma. Particular cases of asthma can respond differently to the same treatment, so you need to know all that you can about your case to treat it most effectively. If you have exercised-induced asthma, for example, you’ll want to bring your inhaler with you to the gym or other locations where you might be involved in physical activity. Knowing your symptoms’ patterns can help you avoid big problems.
People suffering from asthma should stick to unscented products. Scented products such as air fresheners and perfumes can trigger an asthma attack. Newly installed carpet or fresh paint in the home are both known to release chemical irritants. Keep the air inside your home clean and fresh, and free of any asthma triggers.
If you’re suffering from asthma, it helps if you can avoid any harsh cleaning products out there. A lot chemicals that are in these items can set off an asthma attack or aggravate other symptoms. Instead of relying on harsh cleaners, check out some organic solutions. They might cost a few dollars more, but the difference is well worth it.
If you or someone in your family has asthma, all family members need to get flu shots every year. You can ward off a great number of these infections by having annual vaccinations.
Avoid anything that can trigger your asthma. For some people, it may be related to allergies, such as a reaction to dust or pollen. For others, physical activity can irritate them. Try and figure out what gets your asthma started so you know what to avoid.
You should always have your rescue medication with you when you are traveling. Being in odd environments can cause undue stress on your body, which makes you more prone to an asthma attack. While on the road, it is also hard to control the environment you are in, which also makes an attack more likely.
Asthma Symptoms
Asthma is a health condition that usually develops over a period of time, and has symptoms that may not be 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.
Some medications that you may take unknowingly can cause you to have asthma symptoms. Some anti-inflammatory drugs, such as aspirin or ibuprofen, can flare up asthma symptoms. You should also pay attention to heart medications you may take, or ones that treat abnormal blood pressure. It is important for your doctor to know your complete medical history, including any medications you are currently taking, so they can best treat your asthma.
While using an inhaler can potentially cause mouth or gum sores, it is still important to use it daily if you suffer from severe asthma. One way to reduce the probability of such infections is to immediately brush and gargle after inhaling the medicine.
When you suffer a medium-intensity attack, try and forcefully exhale all air from your lungs. Blow your breath out as hard and fast as you can. Really expel the air from your lungs! After that, take in three shallow breaths and one deep breath. Once your lungs are full again, do another forceful exhale. This will force you to pay careful attention to all of your breaths. It also expels air from your lungs so more can enter. There may be periods of harsh coughing and a substantial generation of sputum, but this is actually what you want in order to get the airways opened and the breathing back on a regular pattern.
Avoid smoke, if you don’t want to have an asthma attack. Smoking can actually trigger an asthma attack. Vapors, cigarette smoke, and chemical fumes should be avoided. These things will aggravate your asthma and worsen the symptoms. Ask people around you not to smoke in your presence. Don’t be rude about it, but don’t be afraid to ask for what you need.
If your health insurance situation cannot help you with your asthma, talk to a social worker. You will need asthma medications, and if you are unable to afford them, a social worker can find a hospital or clinic that can offer you medication for free or for a little cost.
Contact with pets and other animals should be minimized for the asthma sufferer. While asthma can be triggered from an animal hair allergy, those free of these allergies can have an attack by the pollen and dust that the animals carry.
If you suffer from asthma, be sure your diet includes lots of Vitamins C and E. These particular vitamins are believed to better your lung function and help manage your symptoms of asthma. You can take a supplement or consume these vitamins in food. These vitamins will also provide a boost to your immune system. This will prevent respiratory illnesses that can trigger your asthma attacks.
During times that pollen counts are high, asthma sufferers should try to stay indoors. Even though asthma is not considered to be an allergy, asthma is triggered by the same things that cause allergies. Now that local air quality information is available in most areas, asthma sufferers can minimize their outdoor exposure when potential irritants are in the air.
If you use more than four types of chemical cleaning agents in your house the risk of your child having an asthma attack increases. Try using organic cleaning products that are not comprised of irritating chemicals.
Always try your best to remain calm if you begin having an asthma attack. You should use your inhaler immediately upon the first signs of an attack. Once you have used it, use it again 30 seconds later. If you feel your ashtma attack worsening, get immediate help. Have someone drive you directly to the hospital or call an ambulance for you. Try to breathe into a paper bag so that you can calm your breathing when you’re on the way.
Regular flu shots are important if you or one of your children suffer from asthma. Prevent these infections from occurring by going to get vaccinated each year.
If you’re finding that you need to use your inhaler 3 or more times a week, it’s best to talk to your doctor about switching medications. This level of frequency can mean your medication is ineffective for your needs. Also, if you have to refill your inhaler more than twice in one year, then a visit to the doctor for a medication change is also in order.
If you are an asthma patient, you may want to sleep with a pillow that does not contain feathers. The feathers from a pillow can cause asthma symptoms and decrease your lung function. The same rule holds true for bedding. Choose sheets and a comforter that are constructed from materials known for being hypoallergenic.
It’s important to know absolutely everything you possibly can about your disease. The more educated you are about your asthma, the more proactive you can be about your treatment. Keep up on what the most effective treatments are and ensure you are receiving the best treatments possible. To know these things, you must keep learning about your disease and the options available for treatment.
Asthma Attack
Make certain you have checkups scheduled with your physician every few months so you keep on top of your asthma. This person needs to have the ability to look at your current situation so that they can make any changes as necessary. It is your responsibility to make sure you make these appointments with your doctor so that he can follow up with you and keep you healthy.
Travel with your rescue medication on your person at all times. It’s easy to get thrown off your regular eating and sleeping routine while traveling, which strains your body and increases your vulnerability to asthma attack triggers. It is often hard to maintain the right kind of environment when you are traveling, and this may heighten the risk of an asthma attack or worsening symptoms.
Support groups or talking with others who have asthma, can help you learn to live with your asthma. They can give you pointers and tips on what to do in certain situations, and can help you in your fight against asthma. One of the keys to fighting asthma is having the support of the people in your life.
Mold and mildew can thrive in a humid home environment. They are a nuisance for people with asthma; the asthma attacks they trigger require you to eliminate them. You will benefit greatly from keeping the moisture out of your home’s air. In the winter, use a dehumidifier along with your heater, and in the summer months, you can use your air conditioner to help control the amount of water in the air within your home.
It is important to keep the space you are living in clean and well kept. In addition, wash your sheets, blankets and pillows often. Doing this prevents the build up of dust and dust mites, which can both trigger an asthma attack. Dust build-up causes the air to become more irritating to people who have asthma, which therefore increases the risk that your airways will be compromised.
If you suffer from asthma, it is crucial to learn how to manage it. Asthma can be better dealt with when you have the knowledge on how to cope with it correctly. Luckily, this article is going to provide you with crucial advice for dealing with your asthma so you can live an ideal life.
Keep a close watch on your allergy attacks and switch up your medication when experiencing several attacks per week. That many attacks in a week can be dangerous, and does not even need to happen according to medical professionals.