Best Things To Do For Asthma

How Can I Manage My Child’s Asthma

For most kids with asthma, their symptoms can be controlled sometimes so well that flare-ups are rare. But learning about asthma can be the hardest part of asthma care.

Don’t be discouraged. Learn as much as you can, talk to others living with asthma, read up on asthma, and discuss any concerns with your child’s doctor.

Once you and your family are used to dealing with asthma, it will become a normal part of your routine. These tips can put you on the right path.

Natural Asthma Remedy Risks

As you consider the different types of natural asthma remedies, itâs very important to carefully balance your desire to breathe easier with the possible dangers of the treatments, which may be unknown. Keep these things in mind:

• Never use any dietary supplement before checking with your doctor.
• Some natural herbal products, such as bee pollen, may trigger an asthma attack if youâre allergic to the specific plant.
• Never stop using your asthma drugs without your doctorâs knowledge. If you donât follow your treatment plan, the results can be very serious and even deadly.

If youâre not sure about the claims on a natural dietary supplement product label, call your doctor before taking it. They can check the product to let you know if it has any health benefits.

Give Yourself Some Time To Recover

After an asthma attack it’s important to try and rest as much as you need to. Lots of people feel physically and emotionally tired. Everyone’s different so it’s important to do what’s right for you.

Try to:

• rest and relax as much as possible
• get signed off work by your doctor dont go back to work until youre fully better
• ask friends and family to help with children or housework and shopping
• have a good sleep routine trouble sleeping is common after an asthma attack
• postpone social events until youre well enough
• call the Asthma UK Helpline on 0300 222 5800 for reassurance and support if youre frightened or stressed after your asthma attack. Or you can WhatsApp them on 07378 606 728.

book another appointment with your GP as soon as possible,

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Do And Donts For Asthma Patients

Do and donts for asthma patients Asthma is one of the most common health problems among people and even youngsters and kids. You have to be taking extra precautions to not worsen the condition. If you are here to know do and donts for asthmatic patients then you are at the right place. Asthma is nothing but a medical condition that affects the bronchioles of the lungs. Therefore, here we will discuss the top things to do and not do for asthma patients.

Asthma is basically caused by the inflammation of airways. The inflammation causes the airways to constrict which causes them to irritate and makes it difficult for the air to get in and leave the air passages and this causes wheezing and breathlessness. Asthma patients usually suffer from sudden and frequent attacks of short breath and breathlessness. Following certain effective tips can help you overcome this health issue with an utmost ease.

Managing Stress And Asthma

Stress and anxiety can trigger asthma symptoms, and in turn, uncontrolled asthma can increase stress and anxiety. By managing stress through therapy, breathing practices, and other relaxation techniques, people with asthma can reduce their risk of having a stress-induced asthma attack or episode. Studies show that mindful breathing and observation can reduce stress and enhance overall health, according to the AAFA.

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Patients Administer At Home Or You Administer In Office1

DUPIXENT is an injectable medicine that is administered by subcutaneous injection and is intended for use under the guidance of a healthcare provider.1

• Patients 12 years of age and older may self-inject DUPIXENTor a caregiver may administer DUPIXENTafter training has been provided by a healthcareprovider on proper subcutaneous injection technique using the pre-filled syringe or pen
• In pediatric patients 12 years of age and older, it is recommended that DUPIXENT be administered under the supervision of an adult

Learn And Avoid Your Triggers

Pay attention to when and where you have symptoms like wheezing and coughing. If you can pinpoint the things that cause your asthma flare-ups, you might be able to avoid them.

Common triggers include cold air, exercise, allergens you breath in, like pollen and pet dander, and colds or bronchitis. .

Strong odors also can cause asthma attacks, so it may help to steer clear of things like perfume, hair spray, talcum powder, and cigarette smoke. If you’re a smoker, kick the habit — ask your doctor how they can help you quit. If anyone else in your home lights up, ask them to quit, too. Even if they only smoke outside, they will still bring the smell and chemicals inside on their clothes and hair.

While food and drinks are not common asthma triggers, some may contain compounds called sulfites — like beer, wine, potatoes, dried fruit, and shrimp — that can make asthma worse for some people. So can some medicines, like aspirin and other pain relievers, or prescription drugs such as some common high blood pressure meds . If you take these drugs and think they’re affecting your asthma, ask your doctor if there are other options you can try.

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Video: Asthma And Your Sleep

Transcript for Asthma and your sleep

0:04 We hear from a lot of people on our

0:07 helpline and on social media that asthma does

0:10 interrupt their sleep on a

0:11 regular basis. As a health care

0:13 professional I know that unfortunately,

0:14 this means that your asthma is not quite

0:16 as well controlled as it can be. And it’s

0:18 worth making appointment with your GP or

0:20 your practice nurse to see what we can

0:21 do to help relieve those symptoms and

0:24 actually improve your quality of sleep.

Why Is Asthma Keeping Me Awake

Its common for asthma symptoms to come on at night, but you shouldnt have to put up with them. Night-time asthma symptoms are a sign that your asthma isnt well controlled, and you may be at risk of an asthma attack.

If your symptoms come on early in the morning, it could be a sign your asthma has been difficult through the night, even if you werent aware of it.

Here are some reasons why your symptoms may come on at night:

There is also evidence to suggest that a lack of sleep can make your asthma symptoms worse. If youre struggling with sleep and its affecting your asthma, speak to your GP or asthma nurse.

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How Do I Know If A Flare

Here’s a good way to see how bad a flare-up is: measure your peak expiratory flow using a peak flow meter. Your doctor can show you how to use a peak flow meter to keep track of your asthma. A peak flow meter costs less than $30, and you only have to buy it one time. First, you find out your âpersonal bestâ peak flow. This is the highest reading you can get on the meter over a two-week period when your asthma is under good control.

Here are some general guidelines you can use to find out how serious an asthma flare-up is:

Preventing An Asthma Attack

The best way to prevent having an asthma attack is to make sure that your asthma is under control. People with asthma typically use two types of medication:

• Long-term. This involves medication that you take every day to control airway inflammation and prevent asthma attacks. These medications can include things like inhaled corticosteroids, leukotriene modifiers and long-acting bronchodilators.
• Quick-relief. This is rescue medication that you take for short-term relief of asthma symptoms. These medications are referred to as short-acting bronchodilators and work to open your airways.

You should also work with your doctor to develop a personalized asthma action plan. This can help you to better understand and control your asthma. An asthma action plan includes:

• your asthma triggers and how to avoid them
• how and when to take your medications, both for symptom control and for quick relief
• indicators of when youre controlling your asthma well and when you need to seek emergency medical attention

Your family and those close to you should have a copy of your asthma action plan so that theyll know what to do if you have an asthma attack. Additionally, it may be helpful to keep it on your phone as well, in case you need to reference it quickly.

Its possible that you may still have some questions regarding asthma attacks. Well try to answer some of these now.

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Managing Daily Life And Complications Of Asthma

Theres no one-size-fits-all approach to managing asthma. For some people, asthma can be a minor inconvenience for others, it can be a serious, even life-threatening condition. Some people may experience asthma symptoms only occasionally in response to specific triggers, while others may have symptoms that are frequent and severe enough to interfere with daily activities. There are also different types of asthma, such as allergy-induced asthma and exercise-induced bronchoconstriction , which is asthma thats triggered by physical exertion.

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Where Can I Find Out More About Asthma

You can find out more about asthma by telephoning or writing to the following groups:

• American Lung Association

  Telephone :

  1-800-LUNG-USA , or check your local telephone directory

• American Academy of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology

  611 East Wells St.

• Allergy and Asthma Network/Mothers of Asthmatics, Inc.

  3554 Chain Bridge Road, Suite 200

  Fairfax, VA 22030-2709

• National Asthma Education and Prevention Program,

  National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute Information Center

  P.O. Box 30105

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What Causes Asthma Symptoms To Flare Up

Your asthma can flare up for different reasons. If you’re allergic to dust mites, pollens or molds, they can make your asthma symptoms get worse. Cold air, exercise, fumes from chemicals or perfume, tobacco or wood smoke, and weather changes can also make asthma symptoms worse. So can common colds and sinus infections. Gastroesophageal reflux can also cause flare-ups. You can help yourself by paying attention to the way these things affect your asthma. Your doctor might test you to find out if you’re allergic to something. Then your doctor can help you avoid the things that bother your asthma.

What To Do If You Have An Asthma Attack

If you think you’re having an asthma attack, you should:

Never be frightened of calling for help in an emergency.

Try to take the details of your medicines with you to hospital if possible.

If your symptoms improve and you do not need to call 999, get an urgent same-day appointment to see a GP or asthma nurse.

This advice is not for people on SMART or MART treatment. If this applies to you, ask a GP or asthma nurse what to do if you have an asthma attack.

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Finding Doctors For Asthma

Which healthcare professionals are on your asthma treatment team may depend on factors like what your insurance covers and what services are available where you live. Depending on the severity of your asthma, your individual needs, and what you have access to, your asthma care team may include the following experts:

• Primary care physician

Side Effects Of Steroid Tablets

Oral steroids carry a risk if they are taken for more than three months or if they are taken frequently . Side effects can include:

• muscle weakness

With the exception of increased appetite, which is very commonly experienced by people taking oral steroids, most of these unwanted effects are uncommon.

However, it is a good idea to keep an eye out for them regularly, especially side effects that are not immediately obvious, such as high blood pressure, thinning of the bones, diabetes and glaucoma.

You will need regular appointments to check for these.

Read further information:

• Asthma UK: side effects of asthma medicines

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What Types Of Asthma Are There

Asthma is broken down into types based on the cause and the severity of symptoms. Healthcare providers identify asthma as:

• Intermittent: This type of asthma comes and goes so you can feel normal in between asthma flares.
• Persistent: Persistent asthma means you have symptoms much of the time. Symptoms can be mild, moderate or severe. Healthcare providers base asthma severity on how often you have symptoms. They also consider how well you can do things during an attack.

Asthma has multiple causes:

• Allergic: Some peoples allergies can cause an asthma attack. Allergens include things like molds, pollens and pet dander.
• Non-allergic: Outside factors can cause asthma to flare up. Exercise, stress, illness and weather may cause a flare.

Asthma can also be:

• Adult-onset: This type of asthma starts after the age of 18.
• Pediatric: Also called childhood asthma, this type of asthma often begins before the age of 5, and can occur in infants and toddlers. Children may outgrow asthma. You should make sure that you discuss it with your provider before you decide whether your child needs to have an inhaler available in case they have an asthma attack. Your childs healthcare provider can help you understand the risks.

In addition, there are these types of asthma:

Use Your Inhaler Before Exercising If Your Asthma Is Brought On By Exercise

Physical activity is just as important in people with asthma as it is in people without asthma, so talk to your doctor if asthma limits you from doing exercise. Symptoms include coughing, wheezing, chest tightness or unexplained shortness of breath during exercise.

The most effective way to combat exercise-induced asthma is to use your inhaler before exercise. Relievers will prevent exercise-induced asthma in most people however, some people may also need additional protective treatments, including long-term control medication. Warm-up periods and a scarf worn over the mouth if it is cold may also help prevent symptoms.

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Complementary And Alternative Medicine For Asthma

Some complementary or alternative therapies may help with asthma management. They include breathing techniques, yoga, meditation, acupuncture, caffeine, and dietary supplements, such as vitamin D. Theres also some evidence that certain teas, such as licorice, fennel, eucalyptus, and green and black tea, may have some beneficial effects on lung function and may be good for people with asthma.

Other complementary and alternative medicine approaches that have been touted as being helpful for asthma but dont yet have solid scientific evidence to back them up include Himalayan salt lamps, essential oils, and accupressure.

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If you want to try some complementary and alternative therapies for asthma, make sure you talk to your healthcare provider first. Some supplements may interact with your medications or cause health problems, and just because something is promoted as natural, it doesnt mean its safe, advises the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health. Never use complementary therapies as substitutes for the conventional asthma treatments prescribed by your doctor.

Asthma Symptoms In A Severe Allergic Reaction

People having a severe allergic reaction can also have asthma-like symptoms. If the person has an anaphylaxis action plan, follow the instructions.

Always give adrenaline injector first, then asthma reliever if someone with known asthma and allergy to food, insects or medication has sudden breathing difficulty even if there are no skin symptoms. In case of an emergency, call triple zero and ask for an ambulance.

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Minimizing Environmental Asthma Triggers At Home And Work

You can take measures to keep your home asthma-friendly by identifying and minimizing common indoor asthma triggers, such as pet dander, mold, dust mites, chemical irritants , and cigarette smoke, advises the Environmental Protection Agency. Some smart strategies for managing asthma triggers include designating pet-free zones in the house , washing bedding and mopping and vacuuming frequently , and putting dust-mite covers on pillows and mattresses.

If youre experiencing asthma symptoms at work, speak with your supervisor and coworkers to try to identify the triggers it could be anything from moldy carpets to dust to industrial cleaning chemicals and then figure out a way to minimize your exposure.

Understand What Your Different Inhalers Are For

Knowing which inhaler does what is vital for keeping your asthma symptoms under control.

Most asthma inhalers can be grouped into those that relieve symptoms – these are known as “relievers” and those that need to be taken daily to keep symptoms under control – these are known as “controllers or preventers”.

Traditionally, reliever inhalers are colored blue, an example is albuterol. Albuterol opens up the airways and helps you to breathe easier.

Controller inhalers tend to come in many different colors, including brown, orange, purple, and red. However, this color-coding custom is not always followed so always check with your pharmacist if you are unsure. Examples of controllers include budesonide, flunisolide, and fluticasone and long-acting beta agonists such as salmeterol, but there are many others.

If you find it difficult to distinguish between your inhalers, you could ask your doctor or Pharmacist to put an R or a C on the different types, or color code them with dots.

Your reliever medication needs to be used when you are short of breath or before exercise. Your controller medicine needs to be used daily, usually twice a day, even when you feel fine. Controller medicines help keep your symptoms under control long-term, lessening the risk of an asthma attack.

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