There is no joking when it comes to asthma and the damage it can cause upon its victims. Education and practice are necessary to keep your asthma under control. The next few paragraphs will give you some practical tips for controlling asthma symptoms.
Avoid exposing yourself to any of your known asthma triggers. Allergens such as dust and pollen can bring on an asthma attack at any time. It could also be some type of strenuous exercise. Figure out what sets off your asthma so you can avoid it.
There are some medications that may contribute to asthma symptoms. Aspirin and some other NSAIDs may do this. Some medications for blood pressure and heart disease - those referred to as beta blockers - can also exacerbate asthma problems. Tell your doctor if you are an asthmatic and you are using these medications.
If you are having an asthma attack (mild or moderate), you need to try to force air out of the lungs. Exhale quickly and with power. Try to force the air out of your lungs! Inhale three times with short breaths, and then on the fourth one take a deeper breath so your lungs are full of air but still comfortable. Then breath out as hard as you can again. Not only will you breathe in rhythm, but you'll focus more intently on how you are breathing and become aware of breathing problems. It also will push all of your air out of the lungs so that you can get more air in. If you cough up mucus, don't worry - just get the breathing back to normal.
Leukotriene inhibitors can help control the symptoms of asthma. It works to prevent leukotrienes. Leukotriene is a substance that can bring about inflammation, resulting in an asthma attack. Leukotriene is an oral therapy for the treatment of asthma, but it is not as effective as inhaled corticosteroids.
If you have asthma, you may wish to consider installing a dehumidifier in your home. Cutting down the humidity in the house will lower the amount dust mites in the air, and that will mean fewer asthma flare-ups. Dehumidifiers remove the humidity by drying out the air that flows through your house.
If you have asthma, avoid people who are smoking. The functionality of your lungs can be dramatically impaired if you inhale tobacco smoke, especially in areas with little ventilation, and you run a greater risk of attack.
You can help to prevent asthma attacks by maintaining a clean home, particularly the asthmatic's bedroom. Do not allow smoking in your house, and keep food in your kitchen. Make sure that the home is properly ventilated and aired out, especially after cleaning with harsh products, like bleach or ammonia.
If you're suffering from a cold or allergies, you should talk to your doctor about taking additional asthma medication. Many illnesses have side effects that could cause your asthma to flare up so badly that you need to have an increase in treatment. It is also possible that your physician will add an additional treatment to your routine until you recover from your illness.
Even if you have not had any recent breathing problems, you should nonetheless schedule regular checkups. You can never tell when an attack will strike, or when your physician may have some better or safer advice for you to follow.
You may want to join an online or offline support group. Asthma can be severe enough to keep you away from social activiites. As science marches on, new medications and treatments for asthma become available, and you can keep abreast of this progress through a good support group.
Mold and mildew can grow in your home where there is humidity. Both of these allergens can be contributing factors in asthma attacks. To halt the growth of mold and mildew keep your home's humidity low. During the winter, you can use a dehumidifier to control humidity when using a heater, and an air conditioner during the summer will help keep your home dry.
During colder months, wear a shawl, scarf or muffler to avoid asthma. This will warm the air before it enters your lungs. Breathing in the cold air has been shown to trigger asthma attacks, especially in younger children with moderate to severe asthma.
If you think that your asthma is becoming worse, go to your doctor. Also, apply these tips as much as you can so that you can have fewer symptoms and have a higher quality of life.