10% of the population of North America have asthma. That’s an astounding number of people. Luckily, the prevalence of asthma means that a lot of information is available for dealing with the symptoms of this disease. Read on for tips on how to prevent flare up and keep yourself healthy.
You should use the AC as much as possible so that you can breathe fresh air. But make sure you clean up your AC unit regularly. If you are going to use a humidifier, clean it too. An unclean AC system could make your life absolutely miserable if you have asthma.
If you get a bad cough that isn’t clearing up, ask your doctor if it could be related to your asthma. Asthma can trigger both coughs and bronchitis. The treatment for asthma trigger bronchitis is different from the treatment for a normal cough, and finding out if asthma is part of the issue will help you get relief for your cough quickly.
Even if your asthma symptoms have not been acting up, it is important that you still see your doctor every 6 months. Sometimes, your doctor may want to run tests to check your breathing development. If things have gotten better, he may reduce your treatments or keep them the same.
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.
Try to avoid sugary drinks such as soda if you have asthma. The additives that these drinks contain can trigger your asthma symptoms. Also, try not to eat too many candies or other foods with high sugar content. There are many alternatives that taste just as good as the original.
Many of the most common asthma triggers are found in the home. These generally include dust, mold and spores. Have an inspector who focuses on allergens and irritants come into your home once a year to help you detect what you have and learn how to remove it. Cleaning your house on a regular basis is one way to keep these substances from accumulating.
If you have children with asthma, be aware of their symptoms and watch for them. Many children do not want to report symptoms because they are afraid of being removed from a fun activity. If you notice a child suffering from symptoms, gently encourage use of an inhaler without insisting that they be removed from the situation.
Know the right way to use any asthma medication you are taking, in particular your rescue medication. 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. Asthma is a lifelong condition; you should correctly take your regular medication and use your rescue medication only as needed.
It is important to learn what triggers your asthma and how to deal with the effects. Knowledge is the key to dealing with this condition, and hopefully we’ve given you some great advice to help you on the path to controlling your symptoms. Asthma can strike anywhere so pass this advice on to those who may need it.