For the many sufferers of asthma, just the slightest activity can result in a serious and sudden loss of their very ability to breathe. Thankfully, there are a lot of different treatment plans available that can help to put you at ease in your everyday life. The following article offers you a good selection of tips that will help you manage your asthma while educating you on the condition.
Know your triggers, and know them well. Most types of asthma have specific triggers that will lead to acute asthma attacks. By knowing your triggers, you can either limit your exposure to them or take measures to counteract their presence before you go. Preventing attacks is sometimes as simple as knowing what will cause them.
It may be wise to wear an ID bracelet if you have asthma. This way, if you were to have an asthma attack and you cannot speak for yourself, paramedics will know that you have this condition. If you do not feel comfortable wearing and ID bracelet, be sure to carry something on you that says you have asthma.
Avoid the things that trigger your asthma. Many asthma suffers find that dust or pollen can trigger an attack. Others have asthma attacks when they participate in physical activities. Pay attention to what causes your attacks so you can prevent them from happening.
If you are having an attack that is not severe, push as much air out of the lungs as possible. Breathe out aggressively, as hard as you can. Forcefully 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. This will create a rhythm and will help you be aware of the way you are breathing. It also voids your lungs of old air so that new air can enter. It is okay that you cough up some sputum, you really want to breathe right again.
While exercising, to avoid an attack or to overcome a mild attack take these two steps. Step One: thrust all of the air out of your lungs, really force it. Step Two: create an “O” shape with your lips, almost like you are about to whistle, but not that narrow, then forcibly suck air back into your lungs until you are comfortably filled with air. Repeat these steps as long as you are exercising and are worried about an attack. The breathing creates a rhythm so that you are aware of your breathing. It also causes you to mildly hyperventilate, pumping more oxygen into your bloodstream.
Hopefully, this article has given you some valuable insight as to the measures that can be taken to get control of asthma and more confidence in yourself as a proactive opponent of this condition. Whether you use this advice for yourself or for a loved one with the condition, you should take comfort in knowing that a diagnosis of asthma is not the end of the world.