Asthma is a chronic condition of the respiratory system that can be difficult to manage and is potentially life-threatening. However, if you and people close to you are educated about the condition, it is manageable. This article is full of tips on how to manage, treat and cope with asthma.
Clean up your house from food and water. Keep your food inside the fridge. When you let food or water sit, you are attracting small bugs and roaches, which can trigger allergic reactions. If you need to keep food outside of your fridge, consider getting a food pantry or opening your windows.
Learn how to recognize asthma so you can treat it. When you get asthma, you usually have difficulties breathing and feel as if your chest were getting tighter. Asthma is often accompanied by coughing and wheezing. If you experience different symptoms, you might have another illness that requires more medical attention.
If you have asthma, and you have no choice but to live in a cold environment, try not to spend too much outside when it is cold. The cold will worsen your asthma symptoms or cause attacks. Spend as much time as you can in a hot environment and when you have to go outside, wear a scarf.
Change your sheets and comforter once a week, and wash them in hot water. One of the best ways to prevent attacks or common triggers is to ensure your home is clean and dry. Your bedding starts to collect dust, dander, dirt and other debris that can pollute the air you breathe. Frequent washing in hot water ensures these pollutants are kept to a minimum.
If you have asthma and your house is going to be painted, try to leave your house for a few days. Spend some time at a family or friend’s home. The fumes and smells of wet paint can cause asthma symptoms to increase and can even cause serious asthma attacks.
Be careful when starting an exercise program, and always ease into strenuous activities. Physical exertion isn’t an asthma trigger for everyone, but all asthmatics suffer from some degree of airway constriction all the time, by definition, which makes it harder on your system when you work out. For those whose asthma is triggered by exercise, easing in can make it possible to exercise without suffering an attack.
Protect yourself against pneumonia and bronchitis if you have asthma. These illnesses are related to your lungs and cause breathing to be labored. As bad as it is for a regular, healthy person, it is even worse for an asthma patient because your lung function is already low.
If you are an asthma patient, be sure that you are drinking water that has been filtered. Unfiltered water could possibly contain allergens which could cause a severe asthma attack or flare up your symptoms. If you can afford it, you may want to consider only drinking water that has come from a bottle.
No matter what your asthma is triggered by, the effects of asthma symptoms and attacks can range from annoying to life-threatening. To manage your asthma effectively, learn everything you can about your condition and follow the advice outlined in this article. You can live your life and enjoy it when you know how to manage your asthma.