Is Laughing Too Much Bad For You
While death from laughing is possible, its an unlikely possibility. Laughing remains a mostly good thing with several short-term and long-term health benefits.
Short-term benefits include decreasing your stress level. It can also stimulate circulation, easing tension and helping your muscles relax. Laughter can even boost your intake of oxygen-rich air. This is beneficial to your heart and lungs.
As far as long-term benefits, laughing may curb depression and anxiety, helping you feel better.
Dispelling negative thoughts and reducing stress can also strengthen your immunity and lessen the risk of illness. In addition, the more you laugh, the more endorphins your brain releases.
These are feel-good hormones that not only improve mood, but also relieve pain.
Because laughing too hard can cause problems in certain people, pay attention to your body and health. See a doctor if you develop any unusual symptoms before or after a laughing fit.
These include:
How To Sleep Better With Severe Asthma
In addition to taking asthma medications as prescribed, here are seven steps you can take to lower your chances of having a nighttime asthma attack:
1. Clean your bedroom regularly. Use a vacuum with a high-efficiency particulate air filter to trap mites and their waste and get them out of your bedroom. If your vacuum doesnt have a HEPA filter, you can buy one from an allergy supply company, according to the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of American .
2. Wash your bedding in hot water weekly. Make sure the water is at least 130 degrees Fahrenheit so it will kill dust mites. Finish the job in a hot dryer.
3. Invest in dust-proof mattress and pillow protectors. These zippered covers are woven tightly to keep dust mites out of bedding. You can find them at bedding and housewares stores, the AAFA says.
4. Invest in a humidifier. Cold air is drier and more troublesome for people with severe asthma. Depending on where you live, you might benefit from a humidifier to add moisture to the air in your bedroom in the winter, Bose says. Whats more: Dust mites thrive in low humidity, so boosting humidity by using a humidifier in your bedroom can help keep dust mites at bay.
5. Dont sleep with pets. If you have pets, keep them out of the bedroom so their dander doesnt collect or stick to the carpeting and bedding, Bose says. You may also need to keep the door to your bedroom shut to keep your pet and its dander out.
Contact Doctor During Office Hours
- Don’t have written asthma action plan from your doctor
- Use an inhaler, but don’t 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
Recommended Reading: How To Use An Asthma Inhaler With A Spacer
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:
What Should I Do If I Have A Severe Asthma Attack
If you have a severe asthma attack, you need to get immediate medical care.
The first thing you should do is use your rescue inhaler. A rescue inhaler uses fast-acting medicines to open up your airways. Its different than a maintenance inhaler, which you use every day. You should use the rescue inhaler when symptoms are bothering you and you can use it more frequently if your flare is severe.
If your rescue inhaler doesnt help or you dont have it with you, go to the emergency department if you have:
- Anxiety or panic.
- Bluish fingernails, bluish lips or gray or whitish lips or gums .
- Chest pain or pressure.
- Very quick or rapid breathing.
Also Check: Can Prednisone Make Asthma Worse
List Of Foods That Trigger Asthma
Foods that are allergens around the world are found to be responsible for triggering an asthma attack. The common ones are listed below:
- Soy and its products
- Fish, shrimp, and other shellfish
- Wheat
- Eggs
Food additives such as MSG can also trigger asthma.
To recap, asthma causes the airways in the lungs to become inflamed, leading to breathing issues. There are five types of asthma, and their causes vary from respiratory infections and medicines to allergens and food chemicals. There are natural home remedies for asthma that you can try, like essential oils, honey, ginger, and more. Additional therapies include stress relief, physical activity, and yoga. There are new treatments you can learn more about like speleotherapy, hypnotherapy, and acupuncture. You should also watch your diet and avoid ingredients that can trigger asthmatic attacks. However, ensure you first consult a doctor before trying any of these remedies and treatments to avoid any adverse effects or injuries.
Get Proper Treatment For Your Allergies
If you struggle with allergy-like symptoms, such as a runny nose, itchy eyes and excess mucus production, you may benefit from a personalized treatment plan.
Allergy testing can help to identify the substances that trigger your symptoms so you can avoid them in the future. Medications, such as antihistamines and nasal sprays, can also help to reduce mucus production and provide relief from your symptoms. Consider seeing an allergist for proper treatment.
Also Check: Can Asthma Cause High Blood Pressure
Does A Cpap Help In Asthma Attack At Night
If there is an issue of carbon dioxide retention during an asthma attack, your doctor is more likely to recommend a BiPAP , as opposed to a CPAP . However, many patients with mild asthma have reported of using a CPAP machine without any problems.
Visit your doctor as soon as you suspect that you have asthma or asthma-like symptoms. Seeking immediate medical attention from an urgent care near you can also help you control an asthma attack and manage the symptoms. Visit our Woodbridge Walk-In Urgent Care in Irvine, Fountain Valley Urgent Care, or Costa Mesa Urgent Care to get seen.
So How Do You Cure Asthma Naturally Permanently
Ill never really use the word cured for asthma its a condition that Im going to have for life.
But when asthmatics say cured, they mean they want a cure from the awful asthma symptoms that plague their lives. And following the strategies outlined here, I can say definitely that asthma does not plague my life.
I know its not always easy, but remember, you dont have to do everything perfectly. I still have days where I pig out on pizza. I still have days where I skip my exercise. I still catch myself mouth breathing when Im not paying attention.
But overall, following these strategies, my asthma is better, my health is better, and my life is better. I hope youll join me!
And please share with our asthma community in the comments below, so we can all help each other lead better lives. What natural treatments have had the biggest impacts on your asthma symptoms?
Recommended Reading: Is Asthma A Chronic Illness
Get Tested For Sleep Apnea
People with asthma have a high risk of developing sleep apnea. Congestion from asthma causes snoring and may halt breathing for a few seconds at a time. If you wake up feeling tired, moody, and sore each morning, despite getting 7 to 9 hours of sleep, talk to your doctor about getting tested for sleep apnea.
If left untreated, sleep apnea can lead to long-term effects, like excessive daytime sleepiness and other serious medical conditions, like insomnia and acid reflux Worlds largest medical library, making biomedical data and information more accessible.View sourceor GERD).
Using The Papworth Method
The Papworth method has been used since 1960 to help people with asthma. It is a type of breathing and relaxation technique. It makes use of the nose and diaphragm to develop breathing patterns that will suit the asthma patient. These breathing patterns can then be used while engaging in activities that can possibly flare up your asthma. Papworth method is a way of controlling over-breathing that is basically rapid and shallow breaths taken at the top of the chest.
You May Like: How To Lose Weight With Asthma
Nocturnal Asthma Symptoms And Causes
Nocturnal asthma occurs when your symptoms are noticeably worse at night.
If you have nocturnal asthma, you may experience the following symptoms while you sleep, and your sleep may be interrupted as a result.
- Coughing
Numerous factors can contribute to nocturnal asthma, including environmental triggers and your personal health history.
Allergens
The presence of allergens like dust mites and mold can trigger asthma symptoms, especially if you have allergy-induced asthma. Dust mites are small pests that generate allergens. They often live in your pillows, blankets, and mattress, so exposure to them at night is common. In some cases, nocturnal asthma may also be a delayed reaction to exposure to an allergen during the day.
Room temperature and sleeping position
Inhaling cold air from an air conditioner or outside source may contribute to more intense asthma symptoms at night. In addition, sleeping in a reclining position causes your chest and lungs to experience additional pressure, which can also contribute to asthma symptoms. Elevating your shoulders and neck with additional pillows or lying on your left side with or without a pillow between your legs may help you sleep more comfortably.
Circadian rhythm
Personal health history
The following health conditions have also been linked to nighttime asthma:
- Sinusitis, a condition in which there is increased drainage from your sinuses
- Sleep disorders like sleep apnea
- Mental health disorders and chronic stress
- Obesity
Symptoms Of An Asthma Attack
Signs that you may be having an asthma attack include:
- your symptoms are getting worse
- your reliever inhaler is not helping
- you’re too breathless to speak, eat or sleep
- your breathing is getting faster and it feels like you cannot catch your breath
- your peak flow score is lower than normal
- children may also complain of a tummy or chest ache
The symptoms will not necessarily occur suddenly. In fact, they often come on slowly over a few hours or days.
Also Check: Why Do Beta Blockers Cause Asthma Attacks
Why Does Asthma Get Worse At Night
To revist this article, visit My Profile, then View saved stories.
- Save Story
To revist this article, visit My Profile, then View saved stories.
In 1698, British doctor John Floyer wrote a treatise on asthma, the first major work focused on the disease. Not all of it aged well. He warned that those who were sad or angry were more likely to experience attacks, as sadness would stop the Motion of Humors. He also recommended a few cures including regular, gentle vomiting.
In an asthma attack, the air passageways in a persons lungs start to close, making it hard for them to breathe and causing tightness in the chest, coughing, and wheezing. But Floyers piece also noted another important symptom: His own asthma was almost always more severe at night, sometimes waking him up at 1 or 2 in the morning. Hundreds of years later, scientists were finding evidence that backed him up: A study from 2005 showed that nearly 75 percent of people with asthma experience worse attacks at night. A famous mortality survey of London hospitals in the 1970s showed that early morning and nighttime attacks were more likely to be fatal.
That body clock is also called the circadian system. Among other important functions, it regulates hormones, heartbeat, and the immune system over a cycle that lasts about 24 hours. While this system is internal, its heavily influenced by outside factors like light and dark, mealtimes, and work schedules.
Why Do Asthma Cough At Night
In many cases, you would experience asthma symptoms at an increased rate during your sleep. Night time cough, wheezing and forceful breathing are most common symptoms and even dangerous for ones health. Sleep may cause changes in the bronchial functioning, the outside temperatures and hormone secretions may be deduced as the reason for the asthmatics to cough at night time.
As per few studies, seventy percent of deaths and eighty percent of respiratory arrests caused by asthma occur during nocturnal hours. Its mostly seen that many people understand that severe symptoms are most commonly associated with the increased risk of death.
The airways tend to get narrow during sleep that may cause increased blood flow resistance. This can be a main trigger to night time coughing that can further cause tightened airways.
Recommended Reading: How To Heal From Asthma
Does Steam Or Vaporizer Reduce Chances Of An Asthma Attack At Night
Generally, steam or vaporizer can liquefy mucus when breathing problems are caused by an allergy or cold. This can help a person feel better. On the other hand, asthma is caused by chronic inflammation of the airways, making it difficult to breathe. Steam or vaporizer can cause irritations and worsen breathing problems.
How To Get Rid Of Asthma Permanently
Asthma is a lung disease, chronic in nature. In asthma, airways of the patient get inflamed and narrowed due to which patient suffers from repetitive phases of gasping, coughing, breath shortness and tightening of the chest. After reading this article, you would know how to get rid of asthma permanently adopting different ways.
You May Like: What Is An Asthma Flare Up
Asthma Is Not For Laughs
Medical Matters: For those of us who do not suffer from asthma, there is understandably a perception that winter is the worst season for the disease. The many viruses and bacteria that circulate during the winter months certainly trigger acute symptoms in the vulnerable patient with asthma.
But the summer months can be troublesome also. Many patients with asthma are also prone to hayfever, reflecting the common allergic pathway shared by both disease processes. A high pollen count may cause wheezing as well as the streaming eyes and nose of hayfever.
Our recent weather conditions can also be bothersome. The heavy, humid and overcast day is one that certain people with asthma do not look forward to. The airless conditions combined with an inverted type of atmospheric weather pattern can push an otherwise stable patient into acute wheezing and breathlessness.
There was some interesting research into asthma presented at a recent conference of the American Thoracic Society . A study of 235 patients at the New York Medical Centre found that more than half developed asthma symptoms in response to laughter.
Prof Stuart Garay said he was surprised to discover how common a trigger factor laughter was. Its as common as some of the most well-known asthma triggers, such as grasses, pollen and fumes, and its even more common than dust mites, allergy to animals and moulds. Its a little-appreciated trigger factor.
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.
Don’t Miss: A Prolonged Asthma Attack That Is Unrelieved May Progress Into
Practicing Buteyko Breathing Technique
This is also a system of breathing exercises. Buteyko Breathing Technique focuses on breathing out through the nose and not the mouth. Breathing out through the mouth can dry up the mouth and the airways very fast resulting in more problems. Practising and using BBT also makes you less prone to suffering from respiratory infections. Buteyko Breathing Technique can also be instrumental in decreasing your asthma symptoms with the help of slow and gentle breathing through the nose.
When To See A Doctor
If youre struggling to breathe or if your mucus is thick and green or yellow, you may have an infection that requires medical treatment. These symptoms can be a sign of a more serious condition, such as pneumonia.
If youre coughing up blood or your phlegm contains red streaks, call your health care provider right away. Phlegm of this color may indicate a more serious condition, such as a lung infection. However, blood-colored phlegm could also result from excessive coughing. In either case, its important to get a proper diagnosis and treatment.
Excess mucus production can also be a sign of an allergy or asthma. If you think you may have either of these conditions, its important to see a health care professional for proper care. They may request an allergy test or lung function tests to rule out these conditions.
You should always consult a medical professional when you start to feel sick or different from how you feel on a normal basis, or before adding anything new to your health regimen, says Dr. Kara. A quick visit with your care team can save you a lot of time and worry down the road.
Take Xyzal® At Night
Recommended Reading: How Do You Know If A Child Has Asthma