Use These Handy Tips To Help Minimize Asthma Symptoms
When you have asthma, it can be very scary. You can have trouble breathing, and have serious coughing attacks very often. Here are some tips to help you learn to deal with your asthma better. The more knowledge you have, the better you will be able to prevent an attack.
Make sure that you remember to keep any fans in your home clean. Fans circulate air. If you have ever gotten up close to a ceiling fan, you know that this can cause them to get quite dirty. That dust and debris starts circulating around your home if you are not careful.
Know what triggers your asthma and how to avoid them. Triggers are different for each person, so it may take some time to figure out what yours are. Keep a diary of them. Once you find out what your triggers are, try to avoid or limit your contact with them.
Asthma can be triggered by tobacco smoke, so if you suffer from asthma, it’s important not to smoke or let other people smoke around you. You may also be susceptible to attacks brought on by other strong odors like wood smoke, weather changes, or pollution. Avoid these things where possible.
Keep your bed linens washed on at least a weekly basis. Make sure to always wash them in hot water. This will keep your bed from harboring dust mites and other allergens that can trigger an attack. Having as clean a home as possible is one of the best defenses against asthma.
Be sure to have a current asthma action plan in place, aka: self-management plan, so that you will have a clear set of actions to take in case of an asthma emergency. Be sure that those around you are aware of this plan and will help you to carry it out.
Use the right medication to control your asthma. Have you noticed that you can only prevent your asthma attack by using your inhaler more than twice a week? Do you have to refill your prescription several times a year? It might be a sign to visit your doctor and ask for a different medication to control your symptoms better.
If your child has asthma, be sure to take the time to talk with him or her about what asthma is and what it means to have it. Be vigilant about taking your child for doctor’s appointments, giving medications, monitoring diet and protecting your child from triggers, such as side-draft smoke, pollen, animal dander and other common allergens.
Hold your breath for three to five seconds when you use an inhaler. Often, asthma sufferers will not benefit from the full effect of their inhalers because they shoot them into their mouth and lungs like some sort of breath freshener. Instead of doing this, draw the medicine into your lungs and hold it until your airways begin to open.
You know how scary it is when you have asthma and you are having trouble breathing. The more panicked you get, the harder it will be to breath normally. Use this article as a reference and learn it so you will know what to do next time you are having asthma trouble.