Asthma is a serious medical condition that can not only interfere in doing basic, daily tasks, but can also cause severe symptoms that may become fatal if left unchecked. This article contains many useful tips and suggestions that can be helpful in reducing symptoms and helping you overcome your asthma.
Make sure you breathe fresh air as much as possible. This means you should open the windows of your house everyday. Perfumes, incenses or strong smells can trigger asthma: do not lit any candles or wear too much perfume. Stay out of your house if you need to let smelly paint dry.
If you are having an asthma attack (mild or moderate), you need to try to force air out of the lungs. Exhale as fast and hard as you can. This will force the air from your lungs. Do your inhalations in triple bursts of short breaths, and then follow with final deep inhalation so that you fill your lungs comfortably, before exhaling with vehemence once more. This gives your breathing a rhythm, which makes you aware of how many breaths you take. It also expels air from your lungs so more can enter. You may generate sputum or cough but that is alright, since your main objective is getting you to breathe normally again.
Bronchodilators are a common treatment for asthma that is prescribed by a doctor. It is usually in the form of an inhaler, and there are short and long-acting treatments. The short-term will help with an immediate symptom, while the long-acting dose will be for ongoing problems.
Use the right medication to control your asthma. Have you noticed that you can only prevent your asthma attack by using your inhaler more than twice a week? Do you have to refill your prescription several times a year? It might be a sign to visit your doctor and ask for a different medication to control your symptoms better.
Have your home inspected at least once a year for mold and other spores. Many asthmatics, especially children, can have their asthma exacerbated by exposure to these allergens. Living in a home full of mold spores can even trigger repeated asthma attacks to the point of permanently damaging a child’s respiratory system.
Always get your annual flu shot! Even if you are not normally susceptible to colds and the flu during the seasons for them, when you have asthma, it is always best to protect yourself as much as possible from developing sinus infections or respiratory issues – both of which are sometimes caused by the flu.
Avoid bringing plants into your home. Unfortunately, this includes decorative bouquets and similar gifts. The pollen and scents produced by these plants can trigger asthma symptoms, or they can trigger the environmental allergies that go along with asthma for many sufferers. If someone does bring flowers into your home, thank them politely but remove the flowers at the first sign of symptoms.
Many people think that it’s impossible to do anything about asthma because it is an incurable disease. However, many of the symptoms can indeed be improved to the point that it’s almost negligible. As long as you watch out for warning signs of worsening symptoms, these tips will be able to help you relieve your worst symptoms.