Aging And Asthma

Asthma is very common especially among people who are age 65 and above. Asthma can cause serious health problems and in fact, most deaths are actually cause by asthma for this age group. You may find, if you have been diagnosed with asthma, that you will need to make significant changes in the way you live your life. If you use several different coping mechanisms and take the correct medication, you can usually manage most of your symptoms. This article condenses those techniques into a few informative paragraphs.

Make sure that everyone in your family, including you, gets annual flu shots. If you have asthma, you can protect your health by taking all steps possible to avoid any type of cold, flu or other upper respiratory infection. Making sure to consistently wash your hands, and getting the proper vaccinations are two standard precautions.

Your home can be full of the major triggers leading to an asthma attack. Typical asthma triggers in the home are dust and mold spores. To keep your body healthy and to cut down the frequency of asthma attacks, it is important to have your house professionally inspected and cleaned to remove these harmful substances. It also helps to clean your home frequently to prevent a buildup of these allergens.

Visit at least two different doctors. Your primary physician should always be your first stop when dealing with asthma, but you may find it helpful to add a specialist's knowledge. Pulmonologists, allergists, asthma centers and nutritionists can help you take advantage of the many treatments available to those with asthma.

Keep rooms free of dust, and do not turn on a fan if you do have dusty rooms. Otherwise, the dust will fly into the air and could give you an attack. Encourage air to flow throughout the room by just opening a nearby window or door.

If you frequently use your inhaler (more than two to three times per week), you should talk to your doctor about alternative methods of treatment or a different prescription. This level of frequency can mean your medication is ineffective for your needs. In addition, if you must change the cartridge in the inhaler more than two times in a year, you may need to see your doctor regarding a medication switch.

If your child is under 5 and suffers from asthma, keep an eye out for any attack signs that might send you to an emergency room. Symptoms of a severe attack include: inability to breathe or speak effectively and gasping for air. Any of these symptoms means you have to seek medical help for your child right away.

If you are flying with your asthma medications, especially a large piece of equipment such as a nebulizer, be sure to bring along a written prescription from your doctor. If you have written proof about the item you have,and that it is medically necessary, there will be less hassles going through security.

Make certain that you and your loved ones receive annual flu shots. When you are afflicted with asthma, steer as clear as you can of all types of respiratory infections. Common method of avoiding illnesses can be very effective. Keep your vaccinations up to date and wash your hands frequently.

Monitor your weekly inhaler use and tally how many times you need to use it to control an attack. You should not have to rely on a rescue inhaler more than twice per week. If you find yourself needing it more often, it could be a sign that your asthma is not being controlled well or that there is a new environmental factor causing attacks more frequently. Counting how many times you reach for your inhaler can be a good aid to remind you of what environments you need to control and what else you may need to manage.

An effective way to prevent asthma symptoms is to have a dehumidifier in your home. These can reduce the wetness of your home. Humid environments are not good for asthma sufferers. Thus, having a dehumidifier present in your home can alleviate or prevent some of your asthma symptoms.

Schedule regular appointments with your physician to keep tabs on your asthma. Your physician needs to have the opportunity to see what is happening with you, and alter your treatment plan if necessary. You are responsible for ensuring you schedule checkups with your doctor in order for him or her to follow up on you, and ensure you remain healthy.

If you are having trouble dealing with asthma, a leukotriene inhibitor might be of good use. Leukotriene inhibitors work to prevent leukotrienes. Leukotriene is a substance that can bring about inflammation, resulting in an asthma attack. Taking an inhibitor blocks the receptors that leukotrienes normally interact with and leaves your throat less inflamed and attack-prone.

Make sure you get a flu shot each year if you have asthma or if your child does. Prevent these infections from occurring by going to get vaccinated each year.

If your child or yourself are asthma sufferers it is very important that you get the flu shot every single year. A yearly vaccination will help minimize the number of infections your children have to deal with.

Never turn on a fan when the room you are in is very dusty. The fan will cause the dust to circulate through the air, which can cause you to suffer an asthma attack. If you need airflow, simply opening a window would be better.

A rescue inhaler is an essential item for asthma sufferers to have with them at all times. If you can't breathe because of an asthma attack, using your inhaler can instantly open your airways. Have an inhaler wherever you normally go; keep it in your purse, car, gym bag, desk, briefcase and even your lunch box.

Ensure your house is clean and tidy. Additionally, you will want to wash your blankets, pillows and sheets often. By doing this, you are preventing dust and the tiny dust mites that can cause asthma attacks from building up in your home. Dust in the air is irritating to those with asthma and increases the chance of an attack.

There are many different types of asthma. Learning about your type of asthma will help you to deal with it. For example, if your asthma is induced by exercise, it might be wise to always have an inhaler in your gym bag. You can avoid a crisis by knowing your symptoms' patterns.

If you are an asthma sufferer, you need to warm-up before you begin any strenuous exercise and to properly cool-down when you are finished. Doing both of these things will help prevent you from having a serious asthma attack during your exercise or after it.

If you have been diagnosed with asthma and you are a smoker, it is time to quit. Smoking is bad for everyone, but it's particularly dangerous for an asthma sufferer, as it cuts off vital oxygen to the lungs.

Th above article provided you with advice to keep your asthma at bay. The most important thing to deal with is persistence. If you ignore warning signs and neglect to vigilantly care for your asthma, your asthma symptoms will come back stronger than ever. Use this advice to help you keep it under control.