Asthma can restrict your ability to live and enjoy life by preventing you from doing even basic activities, such as taking a walk outside. But you should know that your symptoms can get better if you take the appropriate steps to improve your asthma. This article contains several easy tips for you to start getting your asthma under control.
If you own any type of pet and have asthma you need to be extremely cautious. The pet dander can easily set off an asthma attack. You should try hard not to have close contact with the animal, and have someone else bathe the pet thoroughly on a weekly basis.
Keep in close contact with your allergist to let him know if your medication is working correctly to control your symptoms. Make him aware if your medication seems to be not working as well as it once may have. Your dosage or medication may need to be changed in order to help you.
Try to reduce the amount of environmental allergens and pollutants, such as dust, pollens, pet hair, molds and fungi, and food particles. Keeping your house clean can make a huge difference for your asthma symptoms. Buying an air filter or purifier, or even cleaning out the filters in your AC system can also help.
Control the humidity within your home. Many people with asthma have seasonal triggers, meaning that as the humidity changes, they are more prone to attacks. Keeping your home at a steady low level of humidity throughout the year by using a dehumidifer could drastically reduce the number of asthma attacks you have.
If you deal with asthma in your life, always choose products that are free of scents. Scented products such as air fresheners and perfumes can trigger an asthma attack. Fresh paint and new carpeting give off odors that can irritate sensitive airways. Try to make it your goal to keep the indoor air as fresh and allergen free as possible.
Avoid bringing plants into your home. Unfortunately, this includes decorative bouquets and similar gifts. The pollen and scents produced by these plants can trigger asthma symptoms, or they can trigger the environmental allergies that go along with asthma for many sufferers. If someone does bring flowers into your home, thank them politely but remove the flowers at the first sign of symptoms.
If you use a preventative inhaler without a spacer, gargle with salt water and brush your teeth immediately after using it. The medication from a preventative inhaler will collect at the back of your throat, which is a moist environment, perfect for the growth of bacteria and fungi. If your inhaler were to become contaminated, you could contract thrush from using it. Gargling and brushing your teeth should help prevent this.
Avoid all the things that trigger your asthma. Cigarette smoke can be especially troublesome, but there are other things to avoid. Stay indoors during times when there may be a nearby fire because the soot and ash will aggravate your lungs and stay away from strong vapors and chemical fumes.
Invest in a dehumidifier if you have an asthma sufferer in your home. A dry environment is the most comfortable for those with asthma and lessens the likelihood of an attack. A dry environment also discourages the growth of mold and spores, which are common asthma triggers for many individuals.
Avoid mucus producers when you are having an attack. Things like milk, and citrus products such as orange juice and lemonade are all producers of mucous. Drinking these products will only stand to make your breathing more difficult. Avoid foods and beverages which contain these ingredients to keep your system free of any extra mucous buildup.
It is important to use your asthma inhaler correctly. Your inhaler is not simply a breath freshener. When you use the inhaler you have to inhale deeply and get the medication deep into your lungs. It needs to stay there for 3 to 5 seconds before you exhale slowly.
If you have asthma and you need pain relief, you should use acetaminophen, like Tylenol, instead of aspirin and NSAIDs (Non-Sterodial Anti-Inflammatory Drugs) such as ibuprofen. NSAIDs, such as Advil, Motrin and Aleve and aspirin can often make asthma worse. Stick with acetaminophen for pain and you should be fine.
If you struggle with asthma, be sure to keep in contact with your doctor. If the medications that you are taking are not as effective as they once were, contact your doctor immediately. Your doctor will be able to increase your dosage or recommend you to a better medication that will meet your asthma needs.
You might find that just taking asthma medication isn't enough to control all of the symptoms. If so, you should supplement your medication by applying these simple tips that will relieve your symptoms, improve the health and condition of your lungs, and prevent symptoms from going out of control.
Orignal From: Simple Advice That Will Help You Control Your Asthma
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