Living through a bout of asthma is quite unsettling, as is the knowledge that the disease will never entirely go away. The quality of your life can be drastically improved if you understand how to live and deal with your asthma. Read further to gain some insightful tips on ways to handle asthma.
Do you know the type of asthma that you suffer with? If you identify your specific causes, you can be prepared to treat the symptoms when they appear during your daily routines. For example, if your asthma is brought on by bronchitis, you should keep your rescue inhaler with you during times when you are sick. Treating asthma is less difficult if you and your physician are aware of the triggers that bring on an attack.
Ensure your child is never around smoke to handle their asthma. Secondhand smoke can actually cause asthma to appear. You also need to be sure that your child isn’t around those that choose to smoke.
Avoid anything that is known to trigger your asthma. This is different for everyone, but some people, things like dust or pollen can trigger an attack. Others have asthma attacks when they participate in physical activities. Keep a journal of your attacks so that you can start to learn what your triggers are so that you can prevent flareups before they begin.
If you are an asthma sufferer, it is crucial that you don’t smoke. Smoking is detrimental to anyone’s health, but those with asthma suffer especially because cigarettes lessen the oxygen supply that is crucial for the lungs to function properly and prevent an asthma attack.
If you’re in a room that has a lot of dust in it, don’t turn on a fan. This will move all the dust around, and can easily trigger an asthma attack. It would be better to just open a window if you are needing to get some airflow.
Actually Trigger
Leukotriene inhibitors may be helpful to you if you suffer from asthma. These medications prevent the production of leukotrienes. Leukotriene are chemicals that may cause your lungs to get inflamed which can lead to an asthma attack. Using an inhibitor will counteract the negative effects of leukotriene, thereby decreasing the occurrence of asthma attacks.
Prescriptions and over-the-counter medications can actually trigger an asthma attack. Believe it or not, something as seemingly innocuous as aspirin can actually trigger symptoms. Some medications for blood pressure and heart disease – those referred to as beta blockers – can also exacerbate asthma problems. If you suffer from these conditions and also have asthma, be sure to let your doctor know.
You and your loved ones need to get a flu vaccination every year. Respiratory infections can seriously hurt those who suffer from asthma, so take measures to avoid contracting them. Take standard precautions against any kind of illness, and start washing those hands and getting vaccinations that will protect you from getting very sick.
If you have asthma, avoid cigarette smoke of all kinds. Avoid smoking altogether. Avoid breathing chemical fumes and vapors. More often than not, smoke is going to trigger an unavoidable asthma attack. If others are smoking nearby, leave that area as quickly as you can.
It’s been proven that you should use no more than four cleaning products in the home. If you do it can increase the risk of asthma attacks. Choose natural and organic products which don’t have chemicals that will irritate your disease.
Should you wind up inside a really dusty room, don’t activate any fans. Otherwise, the dust will fly into the air and could give you an attack. If you wish to have a breeze, open a window instead of running a fan.
When suffering from asthma, make sure to choose products that are unscented. Use of scented products, such as perfume, air fresheners and incense, increase the levels of indoor air pollution and can trigger an attack. Fresh paint and new carpeting also give off odors that may aggravate the airways. Try to maintain the air in your house as free from possible asthma triggers as possible.
A leukotriene inhibitor should be taken into consideration when asthma is a struggle. Leukotriene inhibitors block the effects of leukotrienes. Leukotriene, a chemical released by the body in response to an allergen, is responsible for inducing many of the symptoms of an asthma attack. Get the inhibitor to prevent the leukotrienes, and your asthma attacks may drop in number.
In the winter, cover your mouth and nose with a scarf or shawl to prevent asthma attacks. This will warm the air before it gets in your lungs. Cool air has been known to trigger an asthma attack, particularly in very young children who have severe or moderate asthma.
Use the inhaler the right way. Find a comfy spot, and follow the manufacturer’s instructions. The only way the inhaler will work is if your lungs get the proper amount of medication. Inhale deeply and spray the correct dose into your mouth. Hold in your breath for 10 seconds so the medicine works properly.
Be sure you understand how to use your asthma medication, especially emergency medication. Asthma is usually treated by using a regular medicine supplemented with a rescue medicine, like an inhaler. Asthma is considered a chronic condition. For this reason, you should take the management of it very seriously.
Lower the chances of asthma attacks by keeping a spotless home, particularly in the areas where you sleep. Food should not be eaten outside of the kitchen, and there should be no indoor smoking. Don’t use bleach or harsh chemicals inside, and air out the house as much as possible after cleaning.
If you are traveling by plane and must bring inhalers or nebulizers on board, you should bring a written prescription for the equipment. Having written proof that the item in question is in fact medically necessary can cut down on hassles at the security check.
When dealing with hay fever or a cold, you will notice an increase in your asthma symptoms. Many illnesses have side effects that could cause your asthma to flare up so badly that you need to have an increase in treatment. Your physician might also work an additional treatment into your therapy until such time as you are healthier.
Smoke should always be avoided when you suffer from asthma. Smoke is a major cause of asthma attacks. Avoid exposure to chemical fumes and vapors, and any type of wood or cigarette smoke. These are all common triggers and can aggravate asthma symptoms. When anyone lights up a cigarette or cigar in your presence, politely inform them that you have asthma and ask them not to smoke beside you.
Make regular asthma checkups with your doctor, even if you are not having any issues come up. 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.
Consult with multiple doctors. You may use your primary physician for most things, but a specialist can be very helpful as well. Asthma centers, allergists, pulmonologists, and nutritionists can all help ensure you are attacking your asthma on all fronts.
Asthma Treatment
You should not use a vaporizer or humidifier if you have asthma or allergies unless you are sure that it is clean. Bacteria can breed inside the moist machine and you would be releasing them along with the humid air.
Understanding how to properly administer your asthma medications is important, particularly in regard to rescue medications. Asthma treatment is generally two-pronged: Daily asthma treatment and additional emergency medicine to relieve attacks as they happen. It’s important to use both forms of medication properly to treat your chronic condition.
Educate yourself as much as you can about the asthma. 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. You can only properly treat the condition once you gain knowledge about it and the treatments that are available.
Make sure you count how many times, within a week, you have to use your inhaler. If your records start to show you need the inhaler more than two times weekly, your environment might be causing you problems or your asthma is not being controlled as well as it could be. You are able to judge how the environment around you effects your body by how many times you need to use your inhaler.
Going to an asthma support group or just talking to people who also have asthma can really help out. People who have experience with the same disease as you can often provide a number of suggestions or tricks that work in specific situations – all of which can make your battle with asthma a little earlier. You need a strong support system!
When you are removing dust or crumbs from your floor, you should use a vacuum or damp mop to avoid scattering dust in the air. If you are sweeping, you can trigger an asthma attack by stirring up a lot of allergens into the air. A damp rag should be used when dusting because a feather duster can cause dust to kick up and lead to an asthma attack.
Eat more foods that contain vitamin B6. B6, another name for pyridoxine, has been proven to lessen the frequency and severity of attacks related to asthma. Pyridoxine (vitamin B6) is instrumental in the production of specific molecules which help the bronchial tissue to relax. Bananas are an easily accessible source of vitamin B6.
Allergens and asthma triggers, such as dust and pollen can cling to your bed linens. The easiest way to get rid of these triggering agents is by washing all of your bedding using your washer’s hot setting every Sunday. You will breathe easier at night when you have freshly washed and clean bed linens.
Keep track of allergy attacks; if you have more than two a week, see a doctor about changing your medicine. Doctors and nurses agree that two attacks per week or more can be dangerous, not to mention avoidable.
During spring or other high-pollen times, don’t go outside unless you have to so that you can avoid a pollen-triggered asthma attack. Asthma’s not an allergy, but many things that irritate allergies also irritate asthma. These days, information about the quality of local air is readily available, so people with asthma can avoid spending time outside when the air is full of things that irritate their lungs.
It is important to know the warning signs of an impending asthma attack so you can get medical help for your child if one strikes. If the usual doses of asthma medication, including the emergency inhaler, fail to have an effect on wheezing symptoms, the attack is considered serious. Other signs of a severe attack include a bluish tint to the lips, fingernails, or fingertips, as a result of lack of oxygen intake. Also, you kid might have difficulty with speech.
If you are an asthma sufferer you need to understand how to make your life easier. If you arm yourself with knowledge about your asthma, you can learn to live with it easily. Make sure you apply these tips and keep looking for new information regularly.
Lower you chance of getting the flu by getting a vaccination every year. Even if you rarely catch the flu, get your shot to avoid catching a respiratory infection that will greatly decrease your breathing ability. When you are prone to asthma attacks, you are more inclined to suffer seriously from any kind of respiratory and sinus infections that could be caused by the flu virus.