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.
If you want to use a humidifier or a vaporizer, clean it thoroughly. If it contains dust or anything else, your lungs will be bothered by the particles contained in the vapor. Let your humidifiers and vaporizers stand in water for a while and make sure they are dry before you use them.
Avoid being in contact with pets. Pets carry a lot of dust and other impurities on them. If you have a pet, wash it every week, and try keeping its hairs as short as possible. If you are going to be in contact with an animal, perhaps you should wear a mask.
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.
If you are experiencing a moderately severe attack, try to first exhale completely. Exhale quickly and hard. Try hard to push the air out from your 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. Not only will you breathe in rhythm, but you’ll focus more intently on how you are breathing and become aware of breathing problems. This technique also forces the air from your lungs to enable more air to come in. Do not be alarmed if you cough or generate excess mucous; this is perfectly normal. Your only concern is to return your breathing to normal.
For asthma patients who are purchasing new furniture, try to make sure that you keep your windows open for a few days when you get your furniture so that it can air out. Many people who suffer from asthma find that the smells of new furniture make their asthma symptoms much worse.
When dealing with hay fever or a cold, you will notice an increase in your asthma symptoms. Treatment may be increased in these cases as many illnesses have side effects that can cause flare ups in your asthma. Your doctor might add additional medication until your sickness gets better.
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.
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.