Asthma is a serious medical condition that can affect anyone, from a teenager to a senior citizen. Not only should you regularly see a medical professional, but you should also keep an eye on certain triggers. This article provides several easy tips on making your symptoms better and reducing the likelihood of asthma attacks.
Avoid living with smokers. Ask your partner to quit if you have asthma. If you absolutely have to live with smokers, try to get them to smoke outside the house. In the worst case scenario, buy some smoke-eating candles and air out your house as much as possible so that no harmful chemicals remain in the air.
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.
If you suffer from asthma, it is crucial that you are using your inhaler properly. Make sure that you take a deep breath before taking your asthma pump. By not using your asthma inhaler properly, you may not be getting the proper treatment in order to control your asthma symptoms.
If you have moderate asthma attacks, exhale forcefully, so that you force air from your lungs. Breathe out aggressively, as hard as you can. Get the air all out of the lungs. Follow this by breathing in three times quickly, and a fourth time deeply to ensure your lungs are filled to capacity, then exhale again as forcefully as possible. This method forces you to pay close attention to your breathing and create a steady rhythm. When air is forcefully exhaled, it allows a fresh intake of air to fill your lungs. You might cough hard or create mucus, but its just a sign your breathing is getting back to normal.
There are two types of asthma medications that are used by people in their on going hunt for relief from their condition. One is a long term management medication and the other is one to control an asthma attack. Your doctor may recommend one or a combination of both of them.
You may want to consider not getting pregnant if you have severe asthma. Hormones caused during pregnancy may increase asthma symptoms. If you do decide to get pregnant and you have asthma, be sure that your doctor knows of your asthma so that they can help control your symptoms during pregnancy.
Asthma should not be treated like a joke. Asthma attacks can accelerate and spin into life-threatening situations, even with an inhaler in hand, so you should take every precaution to prevent them in the first place. Always have a backup inhaler with you, and try to limit your exposure to irritating airborne contaminants. Hopefully, by following these tips, your symptoms will get better and you will be able control your asthma.