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
Other Tips For Exercising With Asthma
In addition to choosing less strenuous activities, you can also follow these tips to reduce your asthma symptoms:
- Use an inhaler before exercise. Your doctor can prescribe a rescue inhaler as a pre-exercise treatment. These inhaled medications will relax the airways, making it easier to breathe during physical activity.
- Take medication for long-term control. If a pre-exercise inhaler doesnt manage your symptoms, you may be given another medication. This could include oral drugs or additional inhalers that decrease airway inflammation.
- Warm up and cool down. Always warm up before exercise to let your body adjust. When youre done, gradually stop the activity.
- Wear a mask or scarf. Cover your nose and mouth when its cold outside. The dryness of cool air can tighten your airways.
- Limit your exposure to pollen and pollution. If youre allergic to pollen, exercise inside when pollen levels are high. Stay in areas with minimal air pollution.
- Avoid sports with continuous activity. Basketball, soccer, and long-distance running can be hard on the lungs if your asthma is poorly controlled. Avoid sports that are done in the cold, like cross-country skiing and hockey.
Most importantly, take breaks as necessary.
You should also ask your doctor what you should do if you have an asthma attack while exercising. By having a plan in place, you can workout with confidence.
Excellent Tips To Make Living With Asthma Much Better
Excellent Tips To Make Living With Asthma Much Better
Living with asthma is a burden, as is the knowledge that the disease will never entirely go away.Keep reading to learn some specific strategies that can help you live a variety of tips on different asthma topics.
A great idea to help your child cope with asthmatic problems is to avoid smoking in any areas they frequent.Secondhand smoke is something that can actually cause asthma to appear. You should take care to also make sure that your child does not get exposed to other environments where people might be smoking.
It is important that you try to stay clear of cleaning chemicals if you are asthmatic. The chemicals in many cleaning products makes it difficult know which ones have the chemical compounds that might aggravate asthma symptoms or even initiate an attack. If you enjoy cleaning, think about purchasing natural products, you are sure to be able to find one of the many natural cleaners that will be safe for your use.
It is much better to open the window if you need of some air flow.
Learn how to properly use an inhaler in the correct manner if you do not already know. The inhaler will only work if the medication reaches your lungs. Inhale air while spraying the correct dose into your mouth. You should keep your breath 10 seconds so the medicated mist fill up your lungs.
Using four or more cleaners in the home can trigger asthma attacks. Try organic based cleaning products that are free of irritating chemicals.
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Will Medicine Help Me Sleep Better
Yes, if you have nighttime asthma symptoms. Many people wake up with asthma symptoms such as coughing or wheezing. You can control nighttime symptoms by taking asthma medicines as directed by your doctor.
Removing triggers where you sleep may help you sleep better. Many people are allergic to dust mites and mold found in bedding materials. Using mattress or pillow encasements can help contain those allergens. Dehumidifiers can also be helpful to reduce the humidity in your home that dust mites and mold need to exist. Using air cleaners in your bedroom may also help reduce your exposure to allergens and irritants .
Will I Always Have To Take The Same Amount Of Medicine
Not always. You will probably take more medicine when you begin treatment to get control of your asthma. Work with your doctor to learn which medicine control your asthma best and how much you need. Once your asthma is well-controlled, your doctor may be able to reduce the amount of medicine you take. The goal is to gain control of your asthma as soon as possible and then control it with as little medicine as possible. Once long-term anti-inflammatory therapy begins, your doctor should monitor you every one to six months. This is to see how your asthma medicines are working and if your asthma is well controlled.
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Keep Your Mattress Up Off Of The Floor
While you technically can use some mattresses directly on the floor, we dont suggest that for people with allergies Placing your mattress on the floor means youre closer to dirt, dust, and other germs that can more easily make their way into your sleep space. Using a mattress foundation or bed frame limits your exposure to these irritants. A sterile mattress cover may also be helpful in keeping out the riff-raff.
Benefits Of Exercising With Asthma
Even if you have asthma, you shouldnt avoid exercise altogether.
Regular physical activity is essential for managing health, improving energy, and reducing the risk of chronic disease. If you already have a chronic condition, regular exercise can help you manage it.
This includes asthma. With a doctors guidance, regular exercise could help asthma by:
- promoting blood flow to your lungs and heart
- improving endurance and stamina
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Be Familiar With Your Inhaler
For those times when you cant breathe, knowing where your inhaler is, how much medicine it contains and how to use it properly can greatly relieve your breathing distress. Using your inhaler properly is really important for getting the medicine into your lungs, Dr. Raub says. If youre not sure how to use it, ask your doctor or pharmacist. Common-sense guidelines for optimal inhaler use include:
- Shake the canister for 10 seconds and take off the cap.
- Attach a spacer device to the inhaler to get more medicine into your lungs.
- Take a slow, deep breath just after you press down on the canister and inhale through your mouth, not your nose. Hold your breath for 10 seconds. After 30 seconds, repeat with a second puff and a third, if needed.
How Can I Be Better Prepared To Manage Asthma What Is An Asthma Management Plan
Unfortunately, asthma cannot be cured. This makes it crucial to have your doctor create an asthma action plan to help you stay in control of your asthma.
Your asthma action plan will outline:
- What medication do I need?
- How can I tell if your asthma is getting worse?
- What should I do if my symptoms get worse?
- What can I have an asthma attack?
If your doctor develops an asthma action plan for you, its important to follow your asthma action plan closely. Make sure you carry and take your medications, such as an asthma inhaler.
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How Can I Prevent Asthma Flare
Asthma flare-ups can be handled, but it’s even better if you can prevent them from happening. To do that:
- Take asthma medicines as directed. If your doctor prescribed a long-term control medicine, take it each day, even when you feel fine. It needs to be taken exactly as your doctor tells you to keep protecting you against flare-ups.
- Get a flu shot each year before flu season starts.
- Avoid triggers. By knowing and avoiding your triggers, you might be able to prevent some flare-ups.
It’s important to plan ahead and know what to do. Work with your doctor to build and update your asthma action plan. That way, you know what to do if a flare-up happens and you’re in control if things get serious.
Tips For Getting Your Asthma Under Control
You can play an active role in your everyday life to reduce your risk for additional asthma attacks. The medical team at Primary Walk-in Medical Clinic offers customized treatment plans and ongoing monitoring services to help you cope with your asthma condition.
While theres no cure for asthma, there are things you can do to prevent a severe asthma attack and related respiratory complications.
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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.
Home Remedies For Asthma: 10 Natural Ways To Breathe Better
If you suffer from asthma, youre all too familiar with that awful, panicked feeling when you cant breathe. Whether youre waking up wheezing, or reaching for your inhaler all day, youd do almost anything to breathe better. And there is hope: simple home remedies for asthma can offer real relief.
Standard medical advice for asthma is to take your puffer as needed and avoid triggers. Thats important, but you can be so much more proactive.
Quiz:Is Your Body TOXIC? Take the Test…
My husband has suffered from asthma his entire life. Unfortunately, marital bliss offered no respite, and theres nothing worse than watching someone you love struggle to breathe. Together, we started exploring simple home remedies, and we found several that are very effective.
With a combination of the ideas below, he has drastically reduced the amount of asthma medication he takes, and he breathes so much better.
These alternative asthma treatments can help reduce the frequency of symptoms and lessen their severity when they do occur. So if youd like to cut your reliance on your inhaler and experience fewer asthma attacks, keep reading
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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:
How Do I Know If My Asthma May Be Uncontrolled
Some may think if you have a management plan and are actively avoiding triggers, that means your asthma is well-controlled. However, that is not always enough.
Ask yourself if you experience one or more of the following. If you do, your asthma may be uncontrolled.
You have asthma symptoms or use your rescue inhaler MORE than TWO TIMES per week.
You wake up at night with symptoms MORE than TWO TIMES per month.
You refill your rescue inhaler MORE than TWO TIMES per year.
Realizing your asthma is uncontrolled is an important step toward getting it under control.
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How Can You Tell If You Have Asthma
It can be hard to tell if someone has asthma, especially in children under age 5. Having a doctor check how well your lungs work and check for allergies can help you find out if you have asthma.
During a checkup, a doctor will ask if you cough a lot, especially at night. He or she will also ask whether your breathing problems are worse after physical activity or at certain times of year. The doctor will then ask about chest tightness, wheezing, and colds lasting more than 10 days. He or she will ask whether anyone in your family has or has had asthma, allergies, or other breathing problems. Finally, the doctor will ask questions about your home and whether you have missed school or work or have trouble doing certain things.
The doctor may also do a breathing test, called spirometry, to find out how well your lungs are working by testing how much air you can breathe out after taking a very deep breath before and after you use asthma medicine.
Major Need For Breathing Specialists In The Medical Profession
After medical school, most doctors choose to be further educated in a variety of specialties, for example allergology, rheumatology, oncology, or surgery. Breathing is, however, not an area of specialization. I feel that this lack of a specialized education within breathing is as surprising as what it reveals. At the end of the day, our breathing is the bodys most important function, and how we breathe affects all of the bodys organs and systems.
One way to view the people who turn to the healthcare system is as being customers. If these customers dont experience the help they need, they naturally will look somewhere else. In this way, the healthcare system works exactly like any other competitive market.
It is not my intent to attack the healthcare system, on the contrary it is intended as a helping hand. By pointing at the present knowledge gap and noting the importance of improving medical education, the medical practitioners will be able to more frequently give advice that fits their customers needs.
If I were allowed to continue wishing, it would be fantastic if part of healthcares job also could involve giving people tools and knowledge to help them take responsibility for their health. The corporate world calls this working proactively, constructively, and long-term.
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Tips For When You Dont Have An Inhaler
Mild to moderate asthma attacks can occur at inopportune times. You may be able to manage your asthma more effectively with these tips. If these dont work CALL AN AMBULANCE.
What Are Common Asthma Attack Triggers
You can have an asthma attack if you come in contact with substances that irritate you. Healthcare providers call these substances triggers. Knowing what triggers your asthma makes it easier to avoid asthma attacks.
For some people, a trigger can bring on an attack right away. For other people, or at other times, an attack may start hours or days later.
Triggers can be different for each person. But some common triggers include:
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Your Mental Health And Asthma
Asthma can very much affect your mental and emotional health, and vice versa: Your mental and emotional health can affect your asthma. According to the AAFA, there is evidence that emotions like anger, fear, excitement, and laughter may trigger asthma flares, possibly because your breathing changes when you experience strong emotions. Anxiety and stress may be associated with poor asthma control, too.
Medications That Relieve And Control Symptoms
Based on your asthma symptoms, your health care provider will prescribe asthma medications designed to work best for you. The two main types of asthma medications are:
Quick-Relief Medication Everyone with asthma should have access to quick-relief medication delivered with a metered-dose inhaler. Your quick-relief medication is used to treat asthma symptoms when they first begin. Within 10 to 15 minutes of use, your quick-relief medication should work to reduce squeezing of the muscles around your airways. If you are prescribed a quick-relief asthma inhaler, you should carry it at all times.
Long-term Control Medication This type of medication is taken daily and works to reduce your airway inflammation and mucus production. This makes your airways less sensitive to triggers and prevents asthma flare-ups before they happen. Not everyone with asthma needs a long-term control medication. Your healthcare provider will determine your asthma severity and whether you need one.
There are several different asthma medication delivery systems. If you take inhaled medicines, you should practice using your inhaler at your health care providers office. If you take long-term control medicines, take them daily as your health care provider prescribes. Your health care provider may also advise you to use a peak flow meter to measure and record how well your lungs are working.
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What Causes An Eczema Flare
Triggers arenât the same for everyone, and there may be a lag between the trigger and the symptoms. Sweat, fabrics , pet dander, hot or cold weather, and harsh soaps are common triggers. Others include:
- Dry skin. It could get scaly, tight, and easy to crack, which can lead to a flare-up.
- Stress. For some people, emotional stress can trigger eczema symptoms. Doctors donât know exactly why this is, but there are ways to help lessen the stress in your life, from mind-body and meditation techniques, to lifestyle changes, to therapy approaches like cognitive behavioral therapy. Talk to your health care provider about how to reduce stress if itâs a trigger for your eczema.
- Irritants. These could include household items like hand and dish soap, laundry detergent, shampoo, body wash, or home cleaners and disinfectants. Juice from fruit, vegetables, and even meats can act as triggers in some people. Other common irritants include:
- Cigarette smoke
- Antibacterial ointment like neomycin and bacitracin
- Cocamidopropyl betaine
- Paraphenylene-diamine
- Isothiazolinone (antibacterial in baby wipes and other personal products