Do not let your asthma become too heavy of a burden for you. However, when you understand how to cope with your asthma, you can live a fuller and happier life. Read on to find out some solid ways to deal with asthma.
Ensure your child is never around smoke to handle their asthma. Secondhand smoke is known to be a reason asthma happens. Ensure that your child is not around other people that smoke, either.
Do you know the type of asthma that you suffer with? If you know as much as you can about the kind of asthma that you have, you can find out how to battle it day-by-day. People suffering from asthma that is exercise-induced, for example, had best be prepared for asthma attacks at the gym! Knowing when an asthma attack is likely to strike can help you avert disaster.
When you have asthma, you need to be careful around chemical cleaning products. Cleaning products may contain chemicals which can trigger an asthmatic episode, such as ammonia. If you’re the one who regularly cleans the house, look for natural cleaning products which are much safer to use.
As a chronic disease, asthma must be managed continuously. You need to always take your medications for your everyday symptoms, and keep your quick relief medication with you in case you do have an attack. Speak to your allergist and doctor to see what they recommend for you.
If you are having an attack that is not severe, push as much air out of the lungs as possible. Blow your breath out as hard and fast as you can. Exhale with maximum force! Inhale three times with short breaths, and then on the fourth one take a deeper breath so your lungs are full of air but still comfortable. Then breath out as hard as you can again. The breathing rhythm that you create by doing this will cause you to be aware of every breath you take. In addition, it repeatedly empties your lungs of air, so that you can draw in more oxygen-rich air. If you cough or produce sputum, don’t worry. Just remain focused on your objective, which is to regain a normal rate of breathing.
When you suffer a medium-intensity attack, try and forcefully exhale all air from your lungs. Breathe out hard and fast. Force your lungs to expel as much air as possible. Take three breaths in succession. These breaths don’t have to be deep, just breathe a little. Then take a deep breath, pulling as much air as possible into your lungs. When your lungs are as full as you can stand, force the air out. This technique develops a breathing rhythm, allowing you to notice the breaths that you take in. This technique also forces the air from your lungs to enable more air to come in. You may generate sputum or cough but that is alright, since your main objective is getting you to breathe normally again.
If you have asthma and cannot afford health insurance or have no eligibility, bring up your situation with a social worker. 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.
Always use your inhaler in the proper manner. Find a quiet spot and follow the instructions the manufacturer has given. The inhaler only can help if it’s medicine reaches the lungs. Inhale air while spraying the necessary amount of medication into your mouth. Continue holding your breath for approximately 10 seconds. This way, the medication will soak into the cells of your lungs.
Make sure that everyone in your family, including you, gets annual flu shots. You do not want to have a respiratory infection if you have asthma. Take the right steps to stop yourself from getting sick, wash your hands and get the right vaccines.
Social Worker
When suffering from asthma, there are vitamins that can help, including E and C. It is thought that these vitamins will help increase lung function and will help control asthma symptoms. Get these nutrients through supplements or food. The vitamins work to strengthen your immunities, thereby warding off sicknesses that tend to exacerbate asthma.
Contact a social worker if you have asthma but do not meet the eligibility requirements for health insurance. Asthma medications are a necessity, and a social worker can help you find an affordable way to keep your prescriptions current.
Those with asthma should always opt for unscented items because they are safest. Using products in your home such as incense, perfume or air fresheners can increase the amount of microscopic pollutants indoors and trigger asthma attacks. Certain things in the home, such as newly installed carpet or fresh paint, can also release chemical irritants. As much as possible, try to keep your home filled with fresh, pure air.
Be sure to take plenty of Vitamins C and E if you have asthma. These vitamins have been known to improve the function of the lungs and reduce some asthma symptoms. You can find the vitamins you need in food or supplements. The vitamins can help to boost the immune system, which will help you to stay healthy and less ill, which means you will have less asthma attacks.
You should be ready to increase asthma treatments if you suffer from hay fever or a cold. These kinds of illness can inflame you asthma to a degree that a treatment increase is necessary. Your doctor may choose to also add an additional treatment until the illness gets better.
If you use any more than four kinds of cleaning product around your home, then the risk of an asthma attack is increased. Opt for organic cleaning products that do not contain irritating chemicals.
Join a support group, online or in “real life”, to find help from your peers. Left untreated, asthma can be very debilitating and prevent you from enjoying your normal activities. If you know other asthma sufferers, you can stay up to date on the latest medicines and treatment options.
If you suffer from asthma, avoid smokers, even if you do not smoke yourself. Inhaling smoke from tobacco products can compromise your lung function, which then makes you more susceptible to an attack. The risk of an attack from cigarette smoke is increased as the space you are in decreases.
Most homes are full of common asthma triggers. These causes are sources, such as, but not limited to dust, mold and spores. Stay on top of your health and reduce the likelihood of attacks. You can do this by having it inspected every year to get rid of triggers. It also helps to clean your home frequently to prevent a buildup of these allergens.
If you are an asthma patient, you may want to sleep with a pillow that does not contain feathers. Feathers can aggravate symptoms of asthma and lower lung function. You should also look into hypoallergenic materials when buying sheets and a comforter.
A humid home environment is a healthy environment for mildew and mold to develop. Both of these substances are known to trigger asthma attacks. Try, then, to ensure your home is dry. During the cold, winter months, a dehumidifier can help. In the summer, an air conditioner naturally takes out a lot of the humidity in the air.
Maintenance Medication
If you are going to be flying and are bringing your asthma medicine with you, take written prescriptions from your physician with you, especially if you will be taking large equipment like a nebulizer. If you have written proof about the item you have,and that it is medically necessary, there will be less hassles going through security.
Find out how you are supposed to use your asthma medication and rescue treatments. Asthma typically is treated so that the sufferer has a regular maintenance medication, but is also prescribed a rescue medication, like an inhaler. Because you will have asthma for the rest of your life, it is important that you take your maintenance medication properly, and that you use your emergency medication correctly.
When cleaning your house, clean floors with a wet mop instead of a broom. Sweeping can stir up some asthmatic triggers that will exacerbate your symptoms. When dusting, use a damp cloth, as feather dusters just move dust around.
Bed linens can collect dust, pollen and other allergens, all of which can further aggravate asthma. If you put your pillowcases and sheets in hot water weekly, these inducers will be reduced or completely eliminated. These fresh, regularly washed linens can help you breathe easier when sleeping.
Anyone with asthma should stay far away from smoke. Smoke is one of the primary triggers of asthma. You should attempt to minimize your contact with cigarette smoke, chemical fumes, and noxious vapors. These environmental conditions can exacerbate your 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.
Go to several doctors. While your asthma treatment should start with your primary care doctor, visiting one or two asthma specialists can make a real difference in how well you understand and manage your condition. Allergists, asthma centers, pulmonologists, and even nutritionists can work with you to make sure you are taking advantage of all avenues of treatment.
Asthma sufferers should avoid coming into contact with both domestic and farm animals. Asthmatics can be affected by the dander or pollen that comes from the animals, even if they have no allergies to them. This can be a very risky situation to put yourself in and should be avoided.
If you suffer form asthma, it is very important that you understand the best ways to manage it. The more information that you can obtain about asthma, the less burdensome it is. Thankfully, we have learned much about asthma, and the advice given in this article is sure to help improve your quality of life.
Refrain from smoking. Most people are aware of the dangers of smoking, but for someone with asthma, the consequences are even more serious. Sensitive asthmatic lungs are easily irritated by smoke, so they need to avoid smoking and to avoid situations where there are people who smoke.