Asthma is a very serious, potentially life-threatening disease. You should take all appropriate measures to try and manage the disease. You can use the following tips to take control of your life and not let asthma control it any longer.
Never smoke around a child with asthma, or you could kill them! Secondhand smoke is almost as dangerous to asthmatics as actually smoking a cigarette. If your child is in an area where people are smoking, remove him quickly to avoid an asthma attack.
What type of asthma are you having to deal with? Being aware of your particular asthma condition can help you to effectively treat it on a daily basis. If your asthma is triggered by exercise, throw an inhaler into your gym bag. If you are familiar with your symptoms and their patterns, you will be better able to avoid emergencies.
If asthma is something that you are afflicted with, then don’t smoke or immediately quit. Smoking isn’t healthy for anyone, but if you are afflicted with asthma, preventing oxygen from getting to your lungs is just begging for an attack.
It is vital that neither you, nor anyone else, smoke around a child with asthma. Secondhand smoke is known to be a reason asthma happens. You should take care to also make sure your child does not get exposed to other environments where people might be smoking.
Be aware of certain medications that can lead to asthma problems. Some NSAIDs and aspirin might do this. Beta blockers, such as those used to control high blood pressure or heart disease may also have this effect. 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.
Cleaning Products
If you’re in a dustier room, avoid turning on a fan. If you do, the dust will move around, and you can trigger your asthma. If you need airflow, simply opening a window would be better.
Cleaning products can trigger an asthma attack, so try to keep your exposure to them to a minimum. 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 enjoy cleaning, or are the sole cleaner in the household, you are sure to be able to find one of the many natural cleaners that will be safe for your use.
If you have asthma and suffer persistent attacks caused by allergy symptoms, an injectable medicine can be administered for extended relief. Ask your allergist about omalizumab, an antibody drug that can reduce the severity of asthma symptoms and the frequency of attacks.
Avoid anything that is known to trigger your asthma. For some people, this can be pollen or other allergy triggers. For others, physical activities can cause them. It is important to determine what triggers your asthma attacks so you can try to avoid those things.
If you are dealing with asthma, you would benefit from buying a dehumidifier. Decreasing the humidity in the house decreases dust mites, which decreases asthma flare ups. Try running a dehumidifier to dry up the air in your home.
If you have moderate asthma attacks, exhale forcefully, so that you force air from your lungs. Exhale as fast and hard as you can. Try hard to push the air out from your lungs! Take three short breaths, and then take a fourth, deeper breath to fill your lungs comfortably; then, breathe out with force again. Paying attention this way will help you stabilize your breathing and make it rhythmic. It will also empty your lungs of air, so that they’re ready to take in new, fresh air. You may generate sputum or cough but that is alright, since your main objective is getting you to breathe normally again.
Your asthma medication may need to be adjusted if you become ill. Adjusting your medication may be necessary to manage the symptoms of these and other illnesses. It is possible your doctor will want to add additional therapies to your treatment program until you are back on your feet.
If allergens are causing you to suffer from frequent asthma attacks that are moderate to severe, there is an injectable medication that can provide you with long-term relief. Your allergist might recommend Omalizumab, which is an antibody type medicine that can regulate your symptoms of allergic reactions.
You need to know what the asthma triggers are so that they can be avoided or treated promptly. Asthma sufferers generally have different triggers in common like pollen, pet dander and smoke. Do your best to avoid coming into contact with substances that you know will trigger your symptoms.
Cannot Afford
Make it a habit to always have some rescue medication available when you travel. Traveling can make you more likely to suffer from attacks due to the extra strain and stress on your body. While on the road, it is also hard to control the environment you are in, which also makes an attack more likely.
If you have asthma and cannot afford health insurance or have no eligibility, bring up your situation with a social worker. If you cannot afford medicine for asthma, your social worker can help you locate someone that can help.
Most of the triggers for attacks, and causes of asthma, are found inside the home. These generally include dust, mold and spores. To keep your body healthy and to cut down the frequency of asthma attacks, it is important to have your house professionally inspected and cleaned to remove these harmful substances. Cleaning the house on a regular basis will also help prevent the buildup of these hazardous substances.
Make sure that everyone in your family gets their flu shot. If you have asthma, try to avoid getting respiratory infections if you can. It is important to do things like hand washing and receiving proper vaccinations.
Understand how to properly use your own asthma medication, particularly the rescue medication. Typical asthma treatment includes regular medicine supplemented by a rescue inhaler. Because asthma does not get cured, those afflicted with it must continue to take their regular medication and use their rescue inhaler when needed.
Try to keep your home as clean as possible, especially the bedroom of the asthma sufferer, to reduce the risk of an asthma attack. Also, you should keep food confined to the kitchen, and opt to smoke outdoors only. After cleaning around the house, open windows and allow fresh air into the house. This can reduce the smell and pervasiveness of household cleaners like bleach.
Asthma usually takes an extended interval of time to fully develop, and the warning signs are rarely obvious. There are some cases reported that were so severe that a person died from one asthma attack when they didn’t even know they were considered at risk. So, if you are having trouble coughing and breathing, talk to a doctor to see if you need treatment. You might receive a prescription to treat or prevent asthma.
Be keenly aware of the triggers for your asthma attacks. If you know the cause, you can stay away to prevent asthma attacks. A lot of asthma sufferers have some triggers in common, like pollen, smoke and pet dander. If able, avoid anything that results in symptoms of asthma or an asthma attack.
A preventative inhaler should be used every day, but you should know that this can cause infections near the teeth and gums in your mouth. You may be able to avoid this problem by brushing your teeth or rinsing your mouth thoroughly after each use of the inhaler.
Many people underestimate asthma, or at least think that they can’t do anything about it since it is an incurable disease. However, you’ll be amazed at how much difference you can make simply by following these simple steps to try and relieve symptoms and reduce the sources of asthma attacks.
Monitor how often, each week, you need your rescue inhaler. Using it two times or may may mean that your asthma is not as controlled as you may think it is. It could also mean that something else is bringing on these frequent attacks. Focusing on how often you need your inhaler makes you aware of when you need to make changes to your plan for keeping asthma under control.