Asthma is no joke. It can kill you if it is left untreated. To prevent your asthma from becoming dangerous, you must learn how to properly care for your condition. This article can help you deal with your asthma better.
If you suffer from asthma, avoid smoke, fumes and vapors. That means you have to avoid all tobacco, and seriously consider think about what jobs you take; for example, factories are probably not a healthy place for you because of all the vapors and smoke.
You should not smoke or be anywhere near smoke if you suffer from asthma. Thus, you need to avoid cigarettes and cigars and be vigilant about steering clear of environmental or workplace exposure to smoke.
What kind of asthma do you have? One of the best ways to combat asthma and its limiting effects on your life is to know and understand as much as you can about your specific condition. 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. When you know what triggers your asthma, you will be more prepared to stop attacks before they begin.
Asthmatics should not smoke. If you smoke – quit immediately. Smoking is not recommended for anyone, but it creates worse complications for asthma patients by cutting off part of the oxygen supply needed to breathe properly.
If you have been diagnosed with asthma and you are a smoker, it is time to quit. Smoking is bad in general for everyone, but it is particularly worse for asthma suffers because it decreases the amount of oxygen in the lungs, putting you at higher risk for asthma attacks.
Cleaning Products
If you suffer from asthma, stay away from the fumes of household cleaning products. The chemicals in these products make you more prone to an asthma attack. If you clean the home, there are many natural products that are safe to use.
Cleaning products should be avoided when you have asthma. It is very possible that one might bring on an asthma attack with some chemicals used for cleaning. If you’re the one who regularly cleans the house, look for natural cleaning products which are much safer to use.
Asthma is a chronic condition that is ongoing over time, and as such, will require a continual treatment and management regimen. It is crucial that you have the proper medications for controlling asthma, as well as medication, such as a rescue inhaler to treat sudden attacks. Discuss treatment strategies with both your primary care physician and your allergist.
Avoid using a fan in any room that has excessive dust. While it may seem smart to get the air circulating, in reality this will only stir up the dust, making it easier to inhale and trigger an attack. Open some windows if you want fresh air.
Cigarette smoke and asthma do not mix. If you smoke, try quitting. Avoid vapors and chemical fumes from cigarettes. This can cause your asthma to flare up, causing an attack that may be uncontrollable. Leave a room if people smoke, or ask them to stop.
If you are having trouble preventing asthma attacks, you may find success with a leukotriene inhibitor. Leukotriene inhibitors block the effects of leukotrienes. Leukotriene is a substance that may cause inflammation. This can make a person have an asthma attack. The inhibitor will block leukotrienes from getting into your lungs and lessen the chances of you suffering an asthma attack.
If you are an asthma sufferer, be sure to get the recommended daily dose of Vitamins C and E. These vitamins can help improve your lung function, ultimately controlling asthma. Many foods have these vitamins in abundance, but you can also use a supplemental pill. These vitamins can improve your immune system to prevent asthma triggers.
Social Worker
If you have asthma, you may wish to consider installing a dehumidifier in your home. Reducing the amount of humidity in your home reduces the number of dust mites, which in turn reduces the chances of your asthma flaring up. Dehumidifiers eliminate your home’s humidity, leaving dry air.
Talk to a social worker if you’re not eligible for any health insurance and you’re an asthma sufferer. Asthma medications are a necessity, and a social worker can help you find an affordable way to keep your prescriptions current.
Be knowledgeable about the factors that cause asthma attacks in order to avoid the triggers or develop a plan for managing the symptoms of asthma. The majority of people suffering from asthma have several common triggers, like pet dander, smoke or pollen. When possible, stay away from triggers of asthma symptoms in an effort to prevent a severe attack.
If you have asthma, avoid people who smoke. If you inhale the smoke, it will harm your lungs and increase the possibility of an asthma attack. Always be mindful of this, especially in small spaces that do not have very much air flowing.
Feather pillows can be bad for those with asthma. Feathers may trigger asthma symptoms by irritating your lungs. The same rule holds true for bedding. Choose sheets and a comforter that are constructed from materials known for being hypoallergenic.
Receiving a flu shot annually is very important if you or a loved one are asthmatic. Stave off these infections immediately by getting your vaccinations yearly.
If you plan to take a trip, you must always keep your rescue medication with you at all times. Traveling to different places might expose you to unexpected triggers, as your body is put under more strain when you travel. It is also hard to predict what will come up or to control your environment when you travel, which increases the chances of experiencing more severe symptoms or an attack.
Asthma Attacks
Try joining an in-person or virtual asthma support group. Asthma can be severe enough to keep you away from social activiites. In addition, a community of other asthma sufferers will let you know about changes in medications or other relevant scientific discoveries.
Be keenly aware of the triggers for your asthma attacks. If you know the cause, you can stay away to prevent asthma attacks. The majority of people suffering from asthma have several common triggers, like pet dander, smoke or pollen. It is best to do all that is possible to avoid triggers that can cause attacks.
Asthma often takes time to develop, the symptoms appearing slowly. 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. If you often have difficulty breathing or a persistent cough, it would be wise to make an appointment with your physician, so he or she can confirm whether you have asthma. If you do, your doctor can then prescribe medications to manage or treat it.
Asthmatic patients should avoid using feather pillows. Feathers can have a negative effect on the lungs and can worsen asthma symptoms. This applies to bedding, as well. Purchase sheets and comforters that are made of hypoallergenic materials.
If traveling by plane with your asthma equipment or medications, always carry your written prescription with you to avoid problems. The written prescription will help you get through security without difficulty, because it establishes that your nebulizer and supplies are medically necessary.
You must have regular asthma reviews, even if you are not having any problems. A flare up can come at any time and your doctor can always look into safer medications for your particular symptoms.
Avoid smoking. Most people know that smoking is unhealthy, but the consequences are even worse for someone who has asthma. An asthmatic’s lungs are more vulnerable than those of a healthy individual, which makes it especially important to abstain from smoking and avoid secondhand smoke.
Maintenance Medication
Those with asthma should remain inside as much as they can when the pollen count rises. A lot of the same things that can bother people with allergies will bother people with asthma as well. Many areas provide air quality information publicly, allowing you to stay indoors when the air outside is poor.
Understanding how to properly administer your asthma medications is important, particularly in regard to rescue medications. When you have asthma, you should be on a maintenance medication and have an emergency medicine for asthma attacks. Usually this is in the form of an inhaler. Because asthma has no cure, you must treat it carefully by taking your maintenance medication every day and using your emergency medication responsibly.
Make sure your doctor shows you how to take your inhaled medication properly, and don’t leave his office until you are entirely comfortable using your inhaler. It isn’t as simple as spraying your mouth with it and lightly inhaling air. You must breathe deeply for at least a few seconds when using your inhaler. Using the inhaler in a proper manner can make all the difference for those who deal with asthma.
Use your maintenance or preventative inhaler every day. However, you should know that the drug may cause mouth infections near your gums and teeth. You can prevent this by brushing your teeth and gargling immediately following the use of your inhaler.
If you use an inhaler more than 2 times a week, talk to your doctor about a new medication potentially. Increased reliance on your inhaler may be an indication that the medication is no longer working well enough. Also, if you refill the inhaler more than 2 times each year, there is the same result, which means making an appointment with your doctor.
Use a mop that’s wet to clean your floors instead of a broom. Sweeping stirs up dust and other things that can trigger your asthma. Dust will adhere to a wet towel instead of being loose in the air like feather dusters do where it can aggravate your asthma.
Avoid allergens and consult your doctor if your current medication fails to limit your asthma attacks to less than three each week. Getting more than two attacks a week is dangerous for your health and you should take action.
Asthma sufferers should avoid coming into contact with both domestic and farm animals. Even people that do not have allergies are prone to suffer an asthma attack from the pollen and dust on animals.
Take your time and build up the stamina of your body and lungs gradually. Don’t start an intense workout that you know you can’t get through due to your asthma.
Do not smoke cigarettes. There is a general awareness that smoking is not good for your health. But for the asthmatic, smoking can quickly have serious consequences. Not only should smoking be avoided, you need to be careful to stay away from people who do smoke because it is extremely harmful and will irritate your sensitive asthmatic lungs.
If you or another member of in your household is experiencing asthma, see to it that you ban smoking both in your car and inside the house. You will want to be certain that the people you know understand that you have a policy against any smoking in your home. Heavy smokers can cause a person with asthma to have a full blown asthma attack, because they still carry the smell of smoke in their clothes.
If the pollen count is rising, stay indoors when possible. Although asthma is not an allergy, many of the same irritants that trouble allergy sufferers affect asthma sufferers too. Air quality levels for specific pollutants are now readily available and it is possible to use this information to limit exposure on high level days.
If you suffer from asthma, you should always avoid doing a lot of exercise outside in air that is cold and dry. The bronchial tubes can become irritated by the temperature and low humidity, causing an asthma attack. Outdoor exercise is best done when the weather is warmer and the humidity higher.
Let your asthma specialist know if treatments are not effective. To manage asthma and get more out of life, you should use these tips.
If you frequently suffer severe asthma attacks at night or use your inhaler more than two to three times a week, it’s probably time to look into an alternative medication for your asthma. Make sure to bring this up with your doctor.