Asthma
Asthma is a fairly common health condition, particularly among young children. Even though there isn’t any cure for it, there are several ways to help treat and manage your asthma. This can make it easier for you to breathe and lower the impact it has on your daily life and activities. Plus, it can also help control flare-ups and manage symptoms.
By following certain steps to treat and control your asthma, you can continue normally with all your everyday activities and enjoy a happy and high-quality life!
1. Steer Clear of Your Irritants and Triggers
Irritants and triggers can lead to an asthma attack. Thus, avoiding them can help you keep your asthma in control! The irritants and triggers vary from person to person; some of these include:
- Pollen
- Dust mites
- Cigarette smoke
- Mold
- Chemicals
- Dust
- Air pollution
- Pet dander
- Cockroaches
- Charcoal grills or wood fires
Your asthma symptoms might not always occur right after or during exposure. In some cases, the reaction can be delayed. Nevertheless, it all depends on your sensitivity to the irritant or the trigger.
You can install air filters in your home or use a small air purifier to improve indoor air quality and reduce triggers and irritants.
2. Don’t Forget to Exercise
Certain kinds of workouts can be difficult with asthma, but that really doesn’t mean exercise isn’t good for you! Regular physical activity is vital for your overall health, including your lungs.
In fact, one study stated that individuals with asthma who exercised for half an hour daily were two and a half times more likely to have control over their symptoms as opposed to people who didn’t exercise at all.
If intense training or running is too challenging for you, you can try activities such as yoga, hiking, and biking. Swimming can also be an excellent sport for asthmatic individuals. This is because the warm, moist air around most swimming pools generally doesn’t provoke symptoms.
3. Keep Your Home Clean
Every home has dust mites or tiny bugs living in carpets, furniture, and bedding. If you have asthma, breathing in these critters can aggravate your symptoms. While you cannot eliminate them completely, you can significantly reduce their numbers by making some changes to your home.
Firstly, wash your pillow in hot water every week to get rid of mites. You can even use warm or cold water with bleach. Moreover, wash blankets and sheets every week as well, along with any stuffed toys that your kid sleeps with. Use an air conditioner or a dehumidifier to keep your home’s humidity levels between 30 to 50 percent.
Vacuuming regularly can also help keep dust mites away. However, if you’re asthmatic, you should ask someone else to do it for you. Vacuuming stirs up tiny particles that can irritate your lungs. So, if possible, stay away while it’s taking place and for some time afterward.
If you need to do vacuuming yourself, don’t forget to wear a dust mask. In addition, make sure your vacuum is equipped with a microfilter bag or a HEPA filter.
4. Stay Away from Smoke
Asthma and smoke are a bad combination!
Minimize your exposure to all sources of smoke, including candles, fireworks, fires, tobacco, and incense. Don’t allow people to smoke in your car or home, and avoid places that allow smoking.
If you’re a cigarette smoker, get help to quit it – smoking will only make your asthma worse.
5. Pay Attention to the Air
Dry and cold air can irritate your lungs. When you step outside of your home on cold days, cover your mouth and nose with a scarf. Plus, if exercising in the cold makes you cough, you should go to a gym or work out indoors instead.
During allergy season, keep track of pollen levels and stay indoors when they’re high. You can keep a check on the air quality all throughout the year using websites such as AirNow.gov. On days when pollution or ozone levels are not healthy for asthmatic individuals, it is best to stay indoors as much as possible.
6. Keep Up with Vaccinations
Get a flu shot each year to protect yourself against the flu virus that can aggravate your asthma for weeks.
Asthma increases your likelihood of having complications from the flu, such as pneumonia. In fact, it can even lead you to hospitalization. Moreover, you are also at an increased risk of getting pneumococcal pneumonia, a common kind of bacterial pneumonia. Thus, if you’re over 19, you should get a pneumonia shot (named Pneumovax) once every 5 to 10 years.
In addition, you need a Tdap vaccine to protect yourself from whooping cough, tetanus, and diphtheria.
7. Eat Healthy
Eating more vegetables and fruit might help you control your asthma. Such foods reduce bodily inflammation, which can help with airway inflammation. For instance, Vitamin C is anti-inflammatory. It helps clear air passages and improves lung function. Reducing salt consumption can also improve asthma symptoms.
A diet full of nutrients will also help you reach and maintain a moderate weight. This is quite beneficial as obesity can increase the severity of asthma. It can even make treatment more difficult.
Speak to a healthcare expert so they can recommend a nutritionist if you need help making a meal plan. A nutritionist can work with you to meet your daily nutritional requirements and help you adopt a healthy lifestyle. https://www.nutritionwithwellness.com/eating-healthy/
8. Have an Asthma Action Plan Ready
Since asthma symptoms vary, they can get better or worse over time. Therefore, you should know how to adjust your medication depending on your symptoms, and when to seek medical assistance. Consult with your doctor to devise a personalized asthma action plan for you!
This plan should have a list of all the necessary medication and how to take each. You should also share this plan with people who live with you so that they can support you to get the help you need.
Last Few Words
Even though it’s a common condition, asthma can be fatal if you don’t monitor and treat it correctly. Speak with your doctor about the best ways to mitigate and control your asthma symptoms.