You can still live the active life you want, despite having asthma, as long as you find the information you need to face the daily challenges asthma presents. Many solutions can be efficient in your situation. Here are some suggestions that can help you live with asthma.
An important part of symptom management is knowing what type of asthma you have. Learning about your type of asthma will help you to deal with it. People suffering from asthma that is exercise-induced, for example, had best be prepared for asthma attacks at the gym! If you know and understand your asthma triggers, you can better avoid and handle attacks.
If you have an asthmatic child, do not allow anyone to smoke around him. Secondhand smoke is a trigger for asthma attacks, not to mention the myriad of other diseases it can cause. Keep your child away from any area where people are smoking.
Asthma is a chronic respiratory disease that requires constant management. Always be very sure that you're taking the right type of medication for your condition if you hope to control it. It's also important to have a quick-relief medication available. Your physician and allergist are the ones to approach with any questions you have about this disease and its treatment.
Asthma Attack
Any type of smoke can bring on a serious asthma attack. Avoid smoking altogether. Inhaling the chemical-laden fumes and even the vapors from cigarettes can be extremely harmful. Doing so can cause an asthma attack you might not have the ability to stop. If you are around people who smoke, leave the area very fast.
If you are having trouble preventing asthma attacks, you may find success with a leukotriene inhibitor. It works to prevent 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. The inhibitor prevents leukotrienes, and that can decrease the number of asthma attacks you deal with.
Utilize the inhaler correctly. Find a good place and follow all of the directions that have been provided by the maker of the product. The inhaler only helps if the medication reaches your lungs. You need to inhale air while spraying the requisite dosage in your mouth. Then hold it and try not to breathe for a minimum of 10 seconds. This will give enough time for the medication to properly fill out your lungs.
Consider consulting a social worker if your asthma medication is not covered by an insurance policy. You must have the ability to afford your medication, so a social worker might be able to locate a hospital or clinic that can offer them at little cost or free.
If you are someone who suffers from asthma, you should consider buying a dehumidifier for your home. When you use a dehumidifier, it will reduce the amount of dust mites. This will reduce asthma attacks. Dehumidifiers reduce humidity and keep the air in your home dry.
To keep from triggering any bad symptoms of asthma or a full-blown attack, it's important to keep the home clean and tidy, free of dust and other particulates. This is particularly important in a bedroom. Also, you should keep food confined to the kitchen, and opt to smoke outdoors only. Make sure that the home is properly ventilated and aired out, especially after cleaning with harsh products, like bleach or ammonia.
Make sure you get a flu shot each year if you have asthma or if your child does. Regular vaccinations will help you and your children to avoid lung infections.
By now, you have learned a number of techniques that can reduce your asthma to a mere annoyance. Soon, you will consider dealing with asthma as a part of your daily routine and be able to focus on things that matter to you.