For all the people who have difficulties with their breathing due to asthma, even the smallest physical task can discouraging. Any asthma sufferer’s day-to-day life can feature less worry, though, thanks to the panoply of potential treatments available. These specially selected tips can help you become more aware of your condition, and help you stay informed.
If you are asthmatic, you absolutely must not subject yourself to any form of cigarette smoke. Smoking is bad for everyone, but it’s particularly dangerous for an asthma sufferer, as it cuts off vital oxygen to the lungs.
Do you know which type of asthma you suffer from? Learning about your type of asthma will help you to deal with it. For example, if you have exercise-induced asthma, you will want to always make sure you have an inhaler in your gym bag. If you know and understand your asthma triggers, you can better avoid and handle attacks.
When you have asthma, you need to be careful around chemical cleaning products. The complex list of ingredients on many cleaning products makes it difficult know which ones have the chemical compounds that might aggravate asthma symptoms or even initiate an attack. If you have the job of cleaning your house, you should safer, natural products.
If you have any children who suffer from asthma, avoid smoking around them at all costs. Secondhand smoke is one of the leading culprits that causes asthma. Try to keep your children out of environments that are smokey to ensure the health of their lungs.
There are some medications out there that you could be taking which will actually trigger your asthma symptoms. Some NSAIDs and aspirins will do this for you. Beta blockers, such as those used to control high blood pressure or heart disease may also have this effect. Tell your doctor if you are an asthmatic and you are using these medications.
Cleaning Products
If you’re having an asthma attack, a great way to handle this is to immediately evacuate the air from your lungs. Make your exhalations quick and forceful. Truly pump all air from your lungs! Inhale in three short breaths and one fourth deeper breath so that your lungs are comfortably full of air, then exhale forcefully again. Pay attention to what you are doing and follow a regular rhythm. By repeatedly forcing air out, you make room for new air so that your breathing can get back on track. If you cough up mucus, don’t worry – just get the breathing back to normal.
When you suffer from asthma, avoiding cleaning products is really important to do. It is very possible that one might bring on an asthma attack with some chemicals used for cleaning. While anyone responsible for cleaning their home can’t avoid cleaning products altogether, it’s best to only use natural products.
Proper knowledge of how to use your inhaler is necessary if you have asthma. Find a spot that is out of the way, and follow the manufacturer’s instructions to the letter. The inhaler will only work if the medicine reaches your lungs. Make sure that you spray the required dosage directly into your mouth, inhaling the medication into your lungs. Don’t exhale for ten seconds so that the medicine can go through your lungs.
You want to make sure you can avoid situations that could trigger your asthma. This could be something you’re allergic to like pollen or dust. Others have asthma attacks when they participate in physical activities. It is important to determine what triggers your asthma attacks so you can try to avoid those things.
If you suffer from asthma, you might want to use a pillow that doesn’t contain feathers. The feathers contained in these pillows can aggravate asthma symptoms and reduce lung function. You should also look into hypoallergenic materials when buying sheets and a comforter.
Smoke Yourself
When traveling, make sure to have your rescue medication handy at all times. Traveling can make you more likely to suffer from attacks due to the extra strain and stress on your body. You also have less control of your surroundings while you are away from home, so it is difficult to avoid potential triggers and to maintain control over your attack.
Anyone suffering from asthma or asthma-like symptoms needs to stay clear of cigarette smoke, whether you smoke yourself, or even if you’re breathing secondhand smoke. You should not smoke yourself! Avoid breathing in any of the vapors or other chemical fumes. This can aggravate your asthma and it might not stop. If you are around others who are smoking, remove yourself.
Go to your regular medical check-ups, even if your condition seems under control. You can not predict when an attack might hit you, or if your doctor has found a different medication that is safer and will help your symptoms more.
Never use a fan in a dirty, dust-filled room. The fan will circulate the dust along with the air, which can cause it to get into your lungs and make your asthma worse. It could be better to open the window if you need to get airflow.
During the colder months, avoid asthma attacks by wearing a scarf, shawl or muffler that covers the mouth and nose. This way, the air will be warm before entering your lungs. Inhalation of cold air is proven to initiate asthma attacks, and younger kids afflicted with asthma of moderate or severe proportions are especially at risk.
Social Worker
If you are going on a trip on a plane and need to take your asthma medicine, take your prescription with you! Carrying written prescription information will help you to avoid security hassles, and you won’t have to worry about your medication being confiscated.
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.
Instead of sweeping your floors, clean them with a damp mop. When you sweep, you are stirring up asthma triggers that can cause you to have an asthma attack. When you need to dust, do so with a damp rag instead of a feather duster so that you reduce spreading around anything that will trigger your asthma.
If the air in your home is humid, it provides an ideal incubator for mold or mildew. Both of these allergens can be contributing factors in asthma attacks. Therefore, it is important to maintain a dry home. You can maintain a dry home by using a dehumidifier and heater in the colder months, and air conditioning when it is warm.
Avoid smoke to prevent asthma and asthma attacks. Smoke is a major cause of asthma attacks. Make sure to stay away from chemical fumes and cigarette smoke whenever possible. These can increase symptoms of asthma. If you know someone who smokes, politely ask that they do not smoke in your presence.
In the winter, prevent attacks by wearing shawls, mufflers and scarves that cover the nose and mouth. This will warm the air that you breathe before it enters your lungs. Breathing cold air triggers your asthma attacks, particularly in young kids with bad asthma.
It is important to keep away from humidifiers that have not been sanitized if you suffer from asthma or allergies. Bacteria can grow inside the machine because of the moist environment, and you will be releasing that right into the air if you are using it.
Asthma generally develops over a period of time, and the symptoms are not always obvious. There have even been cases where people die from the first asthma attack they had, without knowing they had the condition. Therefore, if you have trouble breathing or a constant cough, you may want to seek a medical professional to determine if you have asthma. Your physician can also determine whether you need medication for either asthma prevention or asthma treatment.
If you need to use your inhaler more often than twice each week, this means your asthma isn’t adequately controlled and a medication change is required. Having to use your inhaler multiple times means the medicine you’re receiving isn’t working well enough and needs to be changed. In addition, if you must change the cartridge in the inhaler more than two times in a year, you may need to see your doctor regarding a medication switch.
Understanding asthma and how it effects the respiratory system can really help you to identify the signs of an attack quickly. Asthma is not a death sentence. Whether for yourself or a loved one, these tips on asthma will help you cope.
Support groups or talking with others who have asthma, can help you learn to live with your asthma. They can offer you tips about handling different situations and help you manage your asthma. Keeping supportive people in your daily life is very important.