What Are Good Questions To Ask About Asthma
If you have been diagnosed with asthma, it is important to learn all you can about the symptoms and treatment of it. Since this is a potentially life-changing diagnosis, take some time to discuss the following with your doctor.
- How can the risk of an asthma attack be reduced?
- How should I handle an asthma attack?
- Are there ways to monitor my asthma?
- Can an inhaler help with my asthma?
Contact Doctor During Office Hours
- Dont have written asthma action plan from your doctor
- Use an inhaler, but dont have a spacer
- Miss more than 1 day of school per month for asthma
- Asthma limits exercise or sports
- Asthma attacks wake child up from sleep
- Use more than 1 inhaler per month
- No asthma check-up in more than 1 year
- You have other questions or concerns
Prevention And Management Of Severe Asthma
Alongside taking your medication as prescribed, the best way to reduce the risk of severe asthma attacks and worsening symptoms is to avoid triggers as much as possible.
As part of your asthma management plan, its important to monitor your severe asthma symptoms. Its useful to keep a written record of your symptoms, when they occur and any triggers that may be involved. For example, your symptoms might be triggered by environmental factors, such as seasonal pollen. For women, a change in hormone levels may make things worse.
Further information: webinars and learning modules
Don’t Miss: Is Asthma A Small Airway Disease
Asthma & Anxiety Differences
Asthma and anxiety both can cause a feeling of tightness in your chest and breathing difficulties.
But the main difference is that hyperventilation during a panic attack increases oxygen flow, while constriction during an asthma attack reduces your oxygen intake.
Besides, wheezing and coughing are mainly associated with asthma attacks. And people with anxiety attacks may have symptoms beyond breathlessness.
Recognizing the difference between these conditions will help you and your doctor create an effective treatment plan. For instance, medications, such as bronchodilators, used to manage asthma worsen your anxiety.
Recommended Reading: What Does A Nebulizer Do For Asthma
Consider Your Breathing Pattern
Think about how you typically breathe during physical activity and how this might change over time as your condition progresses. For example, you may find that you need to take more or faster breaths while exercising. That could potentially make your symptoms worse. Find ways to slow down or even stop breathing for a moment when your symptoms are super-intense, so you can get your breathing under control.
Don’t Miss: How Long Can A Person Live With Asthma
Close Your Eyes And Focus On Relaxing
Learn how to ground yourself by closing your eyes to the world around you and fully relaxing your muscles. While you relax each muscle individually, think about your happiest place, person, or moment. This draws you away from the problem or situation that instigated your panic. You can also ground yourself by focusing on a tangible, nearby object.
Reason #: Asthma And Stress Can Lead To Decreased Immunity
Stress is known to influence the operation of all areas of the human immune system. And sometimes this can lead to a wide number of medical conditions.
Asthma and stress are associated with decreased functioning of immune systems as well as general hormonal dysfunctions.
Stress have been proven to be related to everything from skin rashes to certain types of cancer. In asthma, stress disturbs an already fragile immune system and causes a longer recovery time.
Additionally, stress can lead to emotional problems that influences the immunity system. Having bouts of depression, the inability to concentrate, and anxiety attacks have all been associated with physical illnesses.
With asthma herbs, you can build the health of your lungs and immunity system. When taken on a daily basis, asthma herbs protect you during times of stress. It can relax you mentally and help to remove
Learn how herbs can help you with asthma and stress.
Recommended Reading: Does Claritin Help Allergic Asthma
What Is A Panic Attack
First, lets identify what a panic attack is. A panic attack is a sudden onslaught of fear and anxiety that causes physical symptoms. Sometimes, panic attacks occur during highly stressful situations, while at other times, they appear randomly with no tangible problem evident. Panic attacks are common among individuals with chronic anxiety and are incredibly scary for anyone who experiences them.
Common symptoms of panic attacks include difficulty breathing, hyperventilation, body tremors, increased heart rate, chills, sweating, dizziness, nausea, and numbness. They can last for minutes or for hours, but either way, they are far from pleasant.
Moderate Persistent Asthma: Step 3
Doctors also use long-term daily medication to treat moderate asthma that persists over long periods. These medications are often different from those that treat milder forms of asthma.
For moderate persistent asthma, doctors prefer to use either:
- a combination of a low-dose ICS and a long-acting beta agonist
- a medium-dose ICS
Alternative therapies include a low-dose ICS along with an LTRA or, less commonly, theophylline.
In addition, a person can use a SABA inhaler when needed to relieve symptoms.
You May Like: What Can Cause An Asthma Flare Up
Can Anxiety Cause Asthma Symptoms
Complete Question
Ive noticed that as my anxiety goes up, so does my asthma and its symptoms. Is there a connection between anxiety and asthma symptoms?
Answer
Currently, the cause of asthma is unknown. Many sources suggest there is a combination of factors that cause asthma, such as environmental and genetic.
There are, however, many aggravators and triggers of asthma symptoms and attacks, including stress, such as the stress caused by anxious behavior.
While anxiety isnt known to cause asthma, the stress caused by anxiety can aggravate asthma symptoms as well as trigger an asthma attack.
Asthma is caused by a narrowing and swelling of the airways, which can also cause a production of mucus that makes it difficult to breathe. Common symptoms of asthma include difficulty breathing, as well as couching and wheezing.
Some medical sources have linked the swelling of airways to inflammation, which can be triggered by an overly sensitive and reactive immune system.
Because stress can suppress the bodys immune system, stress can be play a role in the degree and prevalence of asthma and its symptoms.
Consequently, reducing stress can remove a common aggravator and trigger of asthma.
For more information about the connection between anxiety and asthma, see the Asthma and Anxiety symptom in our Anxiety Symptoms section.
We explain the link between anxiety and asthma in more detail in our Recovery Support area.
What Are The Signs Of A Severe Asthma Attack
Asthma may lead to a medical emergency.
Rescue inhalers can help you: inhalers
Seek medical help immediately for:
- Fast breathing with chest retractions
- Cyanosis which is tissue color changes on mucus membranes and fingertips or nail beds the color appears grayish or whitish on darker skin tones and bluish on lighter skin tones
- Rapid movement of nostrils
- Ribs or stomach moving in and out deeply and rapidly
- Expanded chest that does not deflate when you exhale
- Infants with asthma who fail to respond to or recognize parents
- 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.
You May Like: How To Use Kalonji Oil For Asthma
Ways To Manage Stress
Stress can manifest in virtually any situation, especially in the modern world where everything is fast-paced. Fortunately, there are ways you can manage this stress. Heres how:
- Practice low-impact exercises
- Avoid alcohol
- Meditate
- Journal
Becoming more aware of situations that tend to trigger your anxiety can also help you prepare for potential stress. As long as you are taking the steps to better understand the kinds of events and emotions that trigger your asthma and anxiety, you are on your way to better controlling your reactions.
Asthma Management: 8 Easy Ways To Decrease Your Anxiety
As a secret trigger of asthma, stress should be avoided at all costs. If you can remove some of the stress in your life, then you will probably be able to better manage your symptoms. By managing asthma and stress, it becomes much easier to breathe.
How to fight stress? How to relax and live normally for some time during the day?
These are the questions most of us ask. Sleep fights stress to some extent, but many people get up in the morning feeling tired. All because of the accumulated stress.
New therapies and new ways are being found everyday to fight stress. By finding the way to reduce the stresses in your life you will feel more relax and also improve your breathing.
These are some simple ways to prevent your worst symptoms:
For your health, it is wise to find your own method that will help you to remove asthma and stress from your life. Although life can be stressful, it is imperative to find a way to relieve anxiety.
No matter what is going on in your life, it is imperative to take time for yourself.
If you dont give your body and mind some intermittent downtime you are going to burn out no one person can operate on high levels of stress indefinitely.
Nobody knows your stressors better than you. You are the only one that know how best to manage them and to feel peace and harmony in your life. Your identified stressors are under the control of your reactions.
Don’t Miss: What Happens If You Smoke With Asthma
What Is Anxiety And Panic Attack
Anxiety is a feeling of fear or worry about a specific situation. Everyone feels anxiety at some point in their lives, and it is a common reaction to stress. But if you are so overwhelmed that you cannot carry out daily activities, you may have an anxiety disorder.
A panic attack, a type of anxiety disorder, is a feeling of extreme terror where there is no danger in real life. It is a bout of severe anxiety that comes suddenly. For instance, you can have a panic attack if you think you may have a heart attack. Women are twice as likely to get a panic attack as men.
Some symptoms of a panic attack are:
- Rapid heart rate
- A feeling of being detached from your surrounding
- Fear of dying
Many asthma patients also experience panic attacks, and they often occur together. So, a panic attack is often a common symptom of asthma
But why does asthma cause a panic attack? Asthma attacks are frightening. In asthma, your airways in the lungs inflame, which narrows them and makes you feel terrified. Moreover, anxiety about a future asthma attack may even trigger one and also cause a panic attack.
Allergies Can Cause Asthma
Allergies with asthma is a common problem. Eighty percent of people with asthma have allergies to things in the air, like tree, grass, and weed pollens mold animal dander dust mites and cockroach droppings. In one study, children with high levels of cockroach droppings in their homes were four times more likely to have childhood asthma than children with low levels. An allergy to dust mites is another common asthma trigger.
If you have asthma thatâs hard to control, see an allergist to find out if you have allergies. Treating your allergies with medication and avoiding your triggers can help lower the odds of a severe asthma attack.
Read Also: Is It Possible To Have Asthma Without Wheezing
How Asthma Attacks Happen
When you have an asthma attack, your airways narrow and it gets hard to breathe. This can result from spasms of the muscles around the airways, inflammation and swelling of the mucosal membrane that lines them, or high amounts of mucus inside them. You might have shortness of breath, wheeze or cough as your body tries to get rid of mucus.
Why do you have asthma and your friend doesn’t? No one knows for sure. Allergies play a role for many people, as do genetics.
If you or a loved one has asthma, it’s important to understand what your triggers are. Once you figure that out, you can take steps to avoid them. As a result, youâll have fewer and less severe asthma attacks.
What Are The Dosages Of Treatment
Everyone is different. The correct dose of a preventer inhaler is the lowest dose that prevents symptoms. A doctor may prescribe a high dose of a preventer inhaler at first, to get on top of symptoms quickly. When symptoms have gone, the dose may then be reduced by a little every few weeks. The aim is to find the lowest regular dose that keeps symptoms away.
Some people with asthma put up with symptoms. They may think that it is normal still to have some symptoms even when they are on treatment. A common example is a night-time cough which can cause disturbed sleep. But, if this occurs and your symptoms are not fully controlled, tell your doctor or nurse. Symptoms can often be prevented for example, by adjusting the dose of your preventer inhaler, or by adding in a long-acting bronchodilator.
Also Check: What Is The Difference Between Asthma And Copd
Two Tips For Stress Reduction
Mindful Breathing
Observation
What Are The Different Types Of Asthmatic Bronchitis
Asthmatic is the swelling of small airways inside the lung causing cough and breathlessness. Bronchial is separated into allergic and nonallergic asthma according to its respective triggers.
- Allergic asthma: Symptoms are triggered by an allergic reaction, which means that the of the affected person reacts more intensely than necessary often to a harmless substance. Allergic asthma often initially presents in early childhood and adolescence and is often due to a hereditary predisposition.
- Intrinsic asthma: Initially presents at the age of 30-40 years and is caused by different factors. Triggers may include respiratory tract infections, genetic incompatibility with certain medications, or chemical or toxic substances from the environment
- As with special forms of bronchial asthma, asthma is also prevalent in severely women. Specific characteristics also are associated with asthma in smokers.
Depending on severity:
Don’t Miss: Is Asthma Genetic Or Hereditary
Why Am I Having More Asthma Symptoms While Exercising
Your asthma symptoms may be more intense when youre exercising because the muscles in your chest and diaphragm arent accustomed to being used vigorously, causing them to tire quickly. As a result, your lungs may be working harder at a faster rate during exercise, causing you to breathe more heavily. This makes it harder for some of the air thats reaching your lungs to be exhaled cleanly. Your body is working hard to get rid of carbon dioxide, so it tries to do so via the air youre breathing out.
As you exercise, you experience increases in ventilation caused by the increase in effort required to breathe. This may cause you to breathe faster, which can cause you to exhale more deeply or faster than usual. The difficulty you have with breathing may also be due to your diaphragm being overstretched during exercise.
Asthma Symptoms: 5 Signs Your Shortness Of Breath Is Serious
If you suffer from shortness of breath, youre not alone. Its a common symptom and one that prompts many people to see a doctor or seek other medical treatment. Knowing when your shortness of breath is an emergency isnt always easy. It can be the result of hyperventilation, acid reflux, or a panic attack cases when shortness of breath usually recedes on its own or more serious issues involving your respiratory health. There are many possible causes of shortness of breath, as well as signs that its time to seek medical help.
You May Like: What Helps Breathing With Asthma
Asthma Symptoms Linked To Increased Stress Anxiety Levels In Teens
- Date:
- Henry Ford Health System
- Summary:
- Common asthma symptoms like waking up in the middle of the night and shortness of breath are associated with increased levels of stress and anxiety in teens with asthma. In a small study of 38 asthma patients ages 14-17, researchers found that their average scores for stress and anxiety levels were higher than those seen in the general population.
A Henry Ford Hospital study has found that common asthma symptoms like waking up in the middle of the night and shortness of breath are associated with increased levels of stress and anxiety in teens with asthma.
In a small study of 38 asthma patients ages 14-17, researchers found that their average scores for stress and anxiety levels were higher than those seen in the general population.
Researchers suggest the findings are a red flag for physicians of young asthma patients.
“Because these patients may be particularly vulnerable to stress and anxiety, this information can be helpful to physicians as they counsel their patients about the importance of managing their asthma,” says Cathryn Luria, M.D., a Henry Ford fellow and the study’s lead author.
“While we found a link between asthma symptoms and stress and anxiety, it’s not clear which came first — the symptoms or the stress and anxiety. More study is needed to determine that.”
The study is being presented at the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology’s annual meeting.
Story Source: