Living with asthma can be extremely limiting and attacks can be brought on unexpectedly. Feeling like you can not catch your breath is a scary feeling. There are many things in the environment that can trigger an asthma attack. This article will give you some tips on staying away from some common asthma triggers.
If you’re caught without your inhaler when you have an attack, grab a cup of coffee. The caffeine in the beverage will open up your airways and allow you to breathe a little easier. If you don’t have a caffeinated beverage on hand, the small amounts of caffeine in a chocolate bar can also help.
To make sure you’re getting the most out of your inhaler, hold your breath for 3-5 seconds each time you puff. This will give you time to inhale the medication deeply into your lungs so that it can take effect quickly. Once you have finished holding your breath be sure to exhale slowly.
Prescriptions and over-the-counter medications can actually trigger an asthma attack. Aspirin along with other NSAIDs can have this effect. Beta blockers can also have this affect, as well as other medications for controlling high blood pressure and heart disease. It is important for your doctor to know your complete medical history, including any medications you are currently taking, so they can best treat your asthma.
Asthma sufferers should avoid smoking cigarettes and any place that has cigarette smoke. Refrain from smoking! Avoid vapors and chemical fumes from cigarettes. More often than not, smoke is going to trigger an unavoidable asthma attack. If you find that you have people smoking around you, get yourself out of that area rather quickly.
Be careful of what profession you choose if you have asthma. Certain jobs like painters, bakers, health workers, and farm workers involve using chemicals or materials that could worsen your asthma or cause an asthma attack. Try to stick with jobs in which you will be in a healthy environment all day.
Your doctor may thing that corticosteroids are the best relief from your asthma attacks. This is especially true if you have really bad attacks. They may be a little harder to diagnose but can be swallowed or injected in the case of an attack to open up your passages more effectively.
It is important that you take vitamins everyday in order to control asthma symptoms and attacks. Vitamins and nutrients help to promote oxygen and blood flow to your lungs which also controls asthma symptoms. Try to eat foods that will also provide you with nutrients, such as green vegetables and fruits.
When you have asthma, you should always be under a doctors care. You will probably be prescribed medicine that should make it easier for you to breath. If you find that your medicine is not working well, you need to contact your doctor as soon as you can, and they can find a different drug that will help you.
As stated in the beginning of the article, living with asthma can be extremely limiting, and attacks can be brought on unexpectedly. Becoming exposed to triggers like smoke can make it hard for an asthmatic to breath. Apply the tips from this article to help yourself steer clear of some common asthma triggers.