How To Improve Lung Health For Managing Asthma
Simple preventive measures can help in controlling asthma, thereby reducing the risk of heart diseases.
- Foods like ginger, figs, and garlic help in reducing symptoms of asthma.
- Inhaling steam, which has been infused with eucalyptus oil, helps opens up the airways of the lungs.
- Adopting the right breathing technique can help in managing asthma. For example, the Buteyko Breathing Technique teaches people to breathe through the nose rather than through the mouth, thereby reducing the risks of respiratory illnesses.
- Yoga, meditation, and acupuncture can also help in getting relief from asthma.
How Do You Monitor Asthma Symptoms
Monitoring your asthma symptoms is an essential piece of managing the disease. Your healthcare provider may have you use a peak flow meter. This device measures how fast you can blow air out of your lungs. It can help your provider make adjustments to your medication. It also tells you if your symptoms are getting worse.
Subcutaneous Epinephrine And Terbutaline
Subcutaneous administration of epinephrine or terbutaline should be considered, in patients not responding adequately to continuous nebulised salbutamol, and in those patients unable to cooperate It should also be attempted in intubated patients not responding to inhaled therapy. Epinephrine may also be delivered effectively down the endotracheal tube in extreme situations . Subcutaneously, 0.30.4 ml of epinephrine can be administered every 20 min for three doses .3). Terbutaline can be administered subcutaneously or as intravenous infusion starting at 0.050.10 g/kg per min .3). When administered subcutaneously, however, terbutaline loses its -selectivity and offers no advantages over epinephrine . Terbutaline administered subcutaneously should be preferred only in pregnancy because it appears safer . Subcutaneous administration of epinephrine or terbutaline should not be avoided or delayed since it is well tolerated even in patients older than 4050 years with no history of cardiovascular disease . Intravenous administration of -agonists is also an option in extreme situations and should be considered in the treatment of patients who have not responded to inhaled or subcutaneous treatment, and in whom respiratory arrest is imminent, or in patients not adequately ventilated and severely hyperinflated, despite optimal setting of the ventilator.
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Allergic Asthma: Symptoms And Treatment
Ashley A. Sullivan, MSN FNPStudent, Samuel Merritt University, Oakland, CaRN, California Pacific Medical Center
Natalya M. Kushnir, MDDirector, Allergy and immunology Clinic of East BayBerkeley, CA
H. Henry Li, MD, PhDFAAAAI, FACAAIInstitute for Asthma and AllergyWheaton and Chevy Chase Maryland
Michael A. Kaliner, MD FAAAAIMedical Director, Institute for Asthma and AllergyChevy Chase and Wheaton, MarylandProfessor of Medicine, George Washington University School of MedicineWashington DC
Asthma Uk Community Forum
I am trying to tackle my worsening asthma by getting fitter, but because the exercise can often exacerbate symptoms, cause breathlessness or a coughing fit I take some precautionary ventolin in advance. This is usually effective . Anyway, even though my work is very sedentary, I had always thought of myself as not too unfit, although knew I wasn’t the fittest around. However, when inputting my timings and exercise heart rate details into these online calculators in order to assess my progress, I have been shocked about how poor my figures are. It may simply be a combination of my persistent asthma and previous unfitness, and the fact that I am not very tall, so would cover distances less quickly than some in my age groupHowever, I am wondering whether the pre-exercise ventolin, or the seretide also, might affect my heart rate slightly, and that really I cannot compare myself therefore in ‘normal’ ban dings such as these online fitness calculators.
Anyone have any knowledge or experience in this? Its a bit dispiriting.
Don’t forget that the majority of people you’re comparing yourself to are very fit and have been fit for a long time. Their resting heart rate is likely to be lower than most people. When I was at my fittest my resting heart rate was 48.
How high does your heart rate go? Is it dangerously high and have you talked to your gp about it?
Will take it slowly and easy. Am no spring chicken after all.
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Vaping And Lung Damage
- Talk with your teen about the dangers of vaping.
- Vaping can cause severe lung damage. It can become permanent.
- Vaping can even cause death .
- Vaping tobacco also causes nicotine addiction.
- For these reasons, the legal age to purchase vaping products is 21 in the US.
- Encourage your teen to not start vaping or to give it up.
- Warning: home-made or street-purchased vaping solutions are the most dangerous.
The Benefits Of Walking
Walking is an ideal low-intensity exercise that can be used by beginners as a starting activity or by seasoned exercisers as a warm-up prior to high-intensity exercise. A recent study revealed improvement in the control of asthma symptoms and fitness levels in asthma patients who walked three times weekly for a 12-week period.2
Walking is a very beneficial for building tolerance to different exercises as well as for the bodys respiratory system and muscle groups. Once youve been walking for some time, you may consider your next step. One beneficial asthma and cardio exercise option is to add the use of ski poles when walking.
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Sneezing And Nasal Congestion
While many things can trigger sneezing, its also a symptom of mold toxicity that should get your attention. If youve never had allergies or hay fever symptoms and youre positive you dont have a cold, those sneezes could be indicative of mold exposure.
Sneezing is the immune systems standard response to allergens. It could also be a warning sign that your home has a mold problem.
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Investigating Heart Risks Associated With Asthma Meds
Using records collected by the IMS LifeLink Health Plan Claims Database the researchers looked at new users of controller medications between ages 5 and 24. Excluding patients with history of arrhythmias or congenital heart disease, they ended up with 7,656 cases of arrhythmia and 76,304 controls, roughly 10 controls for each case.
“We were relying on pharmacy records,” says Lee. “While we cant be sure they were actually using the medications, we know they had a sufficient amount of this medicine on-hand the day they experienced their arrhythmic event.”
Active IAC use, characterized by having the drugs on hand, was associated with a 1.56-fold increase in arrhythmia risk compared with non-active users and non-users, they found. Lee says duration of use and association varied. It could have been a few days or a longer period of time.
Theories about whats causing arrhythmias is unclear and controversial, Lee says, but while the risk is there, “the actual number of events is quite low.”
“Patients and physicians trying to decide the benefit of using IACs to control asthma have to think of the overall picture. It might be more important to control asthma symptoms than to worry about a small chance of an arrhythmic event,” says Lee.
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Are Your Symptoms Caused By Heart Failure Or Asthma
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Asthma is not heart failure. Heart failure is not asthma. The treatment for both conditions is different. Still, they both share common symptoms of shortness of breath, coughing, and wheezing. So, how do doctors tell the difference between asthma and heart failure? How do they determine which disease to treat you for? Heres what to know.
Whats The Difference Between Vocal Cord Dysfunction And Vocal Cord Paralysis
Individuals with VCD typically have fully mobile vocal cords. Most of the time, the vocal cords can open and close appropriately. Vocal cord paralysis is when one or both vocal cords are stuck in one position, unable to open or close. If a vocal cord is fixed closer to the middle of your airway, it may cause breathing trouble. If its fixed to the side of your airway, you may have trouble with you voice and trouble protecting your trachea and lungs from food and liquid when you swallow.
by William Allstetter, National Jewish Health
Uncontrolled gastroesophageal reflux can push stomach contents into lungs, causing irritation and asthma-like symptoms.
For most of the 25 million Americans living with asthma, symptoms are controlled with an inhaler or other medication. For some, however, breathing problems persist or worsen, even after trying several asthma treatments. For these patients, the problem may not be asthma at all, but gastroesophageal reflux disease, or GERD. Experts at National Jewish Health say it is common for GERD to mimic asthma or worsen symptoms of existing asthma because reflux is entering the airway, causing symptoms such as coughing, wheezing, shortness of breath and pneumonia.
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How Does Thyroid Disease Affect The Heart
Thyroid disorders can have a significant effect on the heart. They can worsen cardiac symptoms in people with heart disease and accelerate underlying cardiac problems. Thyroid disease can even produce brand new heart problems in people with otherwise healthy hearts.
One of the most important reasons to diagnose and treat thyroid disease is to prevent the cardiac conditions that can result from it.
What Is High Blood Pressure
Hypertension is a medical term for high blood pressure. It is a measure of the two pressures inside your arteries.
Your heart is a muscle. When the heart muscle is relaxed it is called diastole.1 During this time blood enters your heart. When your heart contracts it is called systole which is when blood is pushed through all the arteries of your body. This is how oxygen and other nutrients travel to all the tissues of your body.1 This gives us two blood pressures.1,2
- Systolic. The pressure during systole. Normal is 120
- Diastolic. The pressure during diastole. Normal is 80
So, a normal blood pressure varies with age, although is generally considered 120/80. When your blood pressure is consistently higher than 130/80 you are considered to have high blood pressure.1 This higher pressure puts extra strain on the walls of your arteries. This puts you at risk for coronary artery disease, heart attacks, and strokes.
Maintaining blood pressure less than 130/90 can significantly reduce your risk for cardiovascular complications.1-3 This can be accomplished through lifestyle changes, such as diet and exercise. It can also be accomplished with medicine to;lower your blood pressure and reduce your risk of complications.1-3
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Assessment Of The Body
People with both conditions may appear to be working hard to breathe. Those experiencing heart failure may have a hard time breathing while lying flat. Their feet and ankles may be swollen. Their stomachs may appear bloated. Asthma usually does not present with a bloated stomach or feet or ankle swelling.7-8
Exercise And Asthma: A Dangerous Mix
Controlling Asthma
Oct. 22, 2001 — The sports world was shaken when football player Rashidi Wheeler died suddenly of an asthma attack during a training session in July. Can exercise typically cause such severe, life-threatening asthma symptoms? How can asthma sufferers protect themselves or parents protect their asthmatic children? Read on to find out.
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Who Can Get Asthma
Anyone can develop asthma at any age. People with allergies or people exposed to tobacco smoke and secondhand smoke are more likely to develop asthma.
Statistics show women tend to have asthma more than men, and asthma affects Black Americans more frequently than other races.
When a child develops asthma, healthcare providers call it childhood asthma. If it develops later in life, its adult-onset asthma.
Children do not outgrow asthma. They may have fewer symptoms as they get older, but they could still have an asthma attack. Your childs healthcare provider can help you understand the risks.
Exercise Induced Asthma Symptoms
Up to 85% of asthmatics have symptoms of wheezing during or following exercise. In addition, many non-asthmatic patients with allergies or a family history of allergy experience bronchospasm or constricted airways caused by exercise. Other symptoms include an accelerated heart rate, coughing and chest tightness occurring five to ten minutes after exercise.
Exposure to cold air and low humidity tends to worsen symptoms since both are thought to increase heat loss from the airways. Nasal blockage worsens exercise related asthma because the inspired air is not humidified and warmed in the nose. Air pollutants , high pollen counts, and viral respiratory tract infections also increase the severity of wheezing following exercise.
Exercise Induced Asthma That Cause Wheezing:1. Free running 2. Treadmill running4. Swimming
Testing:1. A patient history is taken2. A breathing test is done while the patient is at rest to determine if the patient has undiagnosed asthma.;This test may be repeated after exercise.3. Specialized tests may be performed, which can include cycling, running or using the treadmill to diagnose asthma.
Treatment:1. Careful selection of exercise activities such as walking, light jogging, leisure biking, and hiking may aid those who cannot tolerate strenuous outdoor running sports.
3. Athletes should restrict exercising when they have viral infections, when pollen and air pollution levels are high, or when temperatures are extremely low.
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Making The Diagnosis Of Vcd
The diagnosis of VCD is definitively established by direct visualization of the vocal cords while the patient is having symptoms . Classic vocal cord dysfunction is characterized by adduction of the anterior two thirds of the vocal cords with a characteristic posterior chink observed during inspiration. Wood and Milgrom2 provide a detailed description of diagnostic laryngoscopy, including recommendations of how to differentiate true VCD from vocal cord movement induced by the procedure itself . A normal laryngoscopy in the absence of acute symptoms does not exclude the diagnosis of VCD, as approximately half of the laryngoscopies done without first provoking VCD symptoms were normal in patients ultimately diagnosed with VCD.1 Accordingly, various challenge procedures have been recommended before laryngoscopy, including methacholine or histamine, specific irritant, and exercise.2,13 If vocal cord adduction is not seen in a symptomatic patient, the diagnosis of VCD should be questioned.
Njira L. Lugogo, Monica Kraft, in, 2008
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Additional Help For Your Asthma Symptoms
Asthma can make it difficult to engage in the physical activity you used to enjoy or begin an exercise routine that will improve your overall health. Regular consultation with your doctor, as well as treatment by specialists, can help you regain and maintain a high quality of life.
The specialists at Crystal Run Healthcare have helped many asthma sufferers to manage their condition. We work with you to develop a customized treatment plan that involves our range of comprehensive asthma and allergy treatments to reduce your symptoms so you can get back to doing what you love. For a Crystal Run Healthcare primary care provider near you, call 1-845-703-6999.
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The Impact Of Asthma On Daily Life
Asthma is often under-diagnosed and under-treated, particularly in low- and middle-income countries.
People with under-treated asthma can suffer sleep disturbance, tiredness during the day, and poor concentration. Asthma sufferers and their families may miss school and work, with financial impact on the family and wider community. If symptoms are severe, people with asthma may need to receive emergency health care and they may be admitted to hospital for treatment and monitoring. In the most severe cases, asthma can lead to death.
What Are The Signs And Symptoms Of Asthma
During an exacerbation of asthmatic symptoms, signs and symptoms can include coughing, wheezing, shortness of breath and difficulty breathing, and tightness in the chest. These can first occur at any age. Wheezing is a high or low pitched whistling sound that can be heard when someone suffering from asthma breathes out, it is often polyphonic .
The symptoms can be persistent or can only occur at certain times following certain triggers. Asthma with constant symptoms is more common in adults, whereas asthma with episodic symptoms is more common when asthma has started in childhood. Triggers can include cold weather, dust, airborne allergens or air pollution, certain drugs, anxiety or stress, or exercise.
The signs and symptoms of asthma can vary through the day. Symptoms may be much worse at night or the early hours of the morning and you may be kept awake by coughing.
An asthma attack is a dangerous exacerbation of asthma. Signs and symptoms include very fast and heavy breathing, an inflated chest, sweating, and a fast heartbeat. If you see the nail beds or lips turn blue, it means that the asthma attack is very severe. Slow breathing and no breathing sounds are very ominous signs.
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The Right Location And Conditions
As you already know, the conditions of your environment can have a lot to do with the severity of your symptoms. This is even more important where it comes to exercise. Of course, the particulars of what triggers asthma symptoms are very individual.
Keeping track of what commonly triggers your symptoms is a very good place to start. Once you are aware of these triggers, you can choose the best times and locations for you.
Exercising in warm temperatures is typically better for asthma sufferers than people with asthma who exercise in cold weather. Warm, moist air will keep your airways lubricated and relaxed, whereas cold air is more likely to cause airway constriction and an increased difficulty with breathing.
Whats The Outlook For People With Cardiac Asthma
Cardiac asthma is a secondary condition caused by heart failure. The outlook for people with heart failure improves the sooner they receive proper treatment. However, it can vary widely between people.
The life expectancy of somebody with cardiac asthma depends on how far their heart failure has progressed, the underlying cause, and their overall health.
Mortality rates at 1 year and 5 years after heart failure diagnosis are about
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