HEALTH: ASTHMA - ASTHMA ATTACK (ASTHMA TREATMENT - SYMPTOMS) Allergy>>
What is Asthma?
Asthma is a chronic inflammation of the bronchial tubes (airways) that causes
swelling and narrowing (constriction) of the airways. The result is shortness of breath and difficulty
breathing. The bronchial narrowing is usually either totally or at least
partially reversible with treatment. although the exact type and severity of symptoms vary from person to
person. Some people with asthma cough, wheeze, and have trouble
breathing nearly every day.
Others feel perfectly well in between occasional attacks of chest congestion and wheezing. Some Olympic athletes with asthma experience only a tightness in the chest during world-class athletic competition. Other people have such severe asthma attacks from exercising that they require emergency treatment. All people with asthma share something in common, however: breathing passageways that periodically become abnormally narrow. Asthma causes a narrowing of the breathing airways, which interferes with the normal movement of air in and out of the lungs. Asthma involves only the bronchial tubes and does not affect the air sacs or the lung tissue. The narrowing that occurs in asthma is caused by three major health factors: inflammation, bronchospasm, and hyperreactivity.
About 20.5 million Americans currently have asthma — almost 7% of the
population — have asthma. Half of Americans with asthma suffer from allergic asthma. Most people tend to
think of asthma as a childhood disease, for good reason: Most cases of
asthma are diagnosed by age 5. Nonetheless, adults of any age may
develop asthma, although the likelihood of developing it becomes
increasingly rare the older you get. Studies indicate that as many as
10% of people over 65 have asthma, higher than the prevalence of asthma
in childhood. If you are an adult with asthma, it is likely that you
have had the disorder for a long time and will continue to deal with it
for the rest of your life.
Asthma is now the most common chronic illness in children, affecting one in every 15. In North America, 5% of adults are also afflicted. In all, there are about 1 million Canadians and 15 million Americans who suffer from this health condition.
The number of new health cases and the yearly rate of hospitalization for asthma have increased about 30% over the past 20 years. Even with advances in asthma treatment, deaths among young people have more than doubled.
For reasons that are unclear,
children with asthma often grow out of their illness, usually around
adolescence. If this health condition develops or persists into adulthood, it is rare that asthma just goes away. But the condition can be
managed. In fact, if you have asthma that is properly controlled, you
can anticipate being free of symptoms and fully active almost all the
time.
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Also see: Emphysema Lung Cancer Bronchitis Allergies Pneumonia Sinuses Common Cold Influenza/Flu Swine Flu
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Health: Causes of Asthma
Asthma symptoms may be activated or aggravated by many agents. Not all asthmatics react to the same triggers. Additionally, the effect that each trigger has on the lungs varies from one individual to another. In general, the severity of your asthma depends on how many agents activate your symptoms and how sensitive your lungs are to them. Most of these triggers can also worsen nasal or eye symptoms.
Triggers fall into two categories:
- allergens
- nonallergens -- mostly irritants
Asthma triggers are different from person to person. Exposure to
various allergens and irritants can trigger the following symptoms of
asthma,
Allergens
- "Seasonal" pollens and airborne allergens
- Year-round dust mites, molds, pets, and insect parts
- Foods, such as fish, egg, peanuts, nuts, cow's milk and soy
- Additives, such as sulfites
- Work-related agents, such as latex
Irritants
- Respiratory infections, such as those caused by viral "colds," bronchitis and sinusitis
- Certain medications,such as aspirin, other NSAIDs (nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs), and beta blockers (used to treat blood pressure and other heart conditions)
- Tobacco smoke
- Outdoor factors, such as smog, weather changes, and diesel fumes
- Indoor factors, such as paint, detergents, deodorants, chemicals, and perfumes
- Nighttime
- GERD (gastroesophageal reflux disorder)
- Exercise, especially under cold dry conditions
- Work-related factors, such as chemicals, dusts, gases, and metals
- Emotional factors, such as laughing, crying, yelling, and distress
- Hormonal factors, such as in premenstrual syndrome
Health: Risk Factors of Asthma
Asthma is common, affecting millions of adults and children. A growing number of people are diagnosed with the condition each year, but it isn't clear why. A number of factors are thought to increase the chances of developing asthma as the following:
- A family history of asthma
- Frequent respiratory infections as a child
- Exposure to secondhand smoke
- Living in an urban area, especially if there's a lot of air pollution
- Exposure to occupational triggers, such as chemicals used in farming, hairdressing and manufacturing
- Low birth weight
- Being overweight
NATURAL ASTHMA TREATMENT
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Health: Symptoms of Asthma
Asthma symptoms range from minor to severe, and vary from person to person. You may have mild symptoms such as infrequent wheezing, with occasional asthma attack. Between episodes you may feel normal and have no trouble breathing. Or, you may have symptoms such as coughing and wheezing all the time or have symptoms primarily at night or only during exercising.
Asthma symptoms are the following:
- Shortness of breath
- Chest tightness or pain
- Trouble sleeping caused by shortness of breath, coughing or wheezing
- An audible whistling or wheezing sound when exhaling
- Usually begins suddenly
- Comes in episodes
- May go away on its own
- May be worse at night or in early morning
- Gets worse when breathing in cold air
- Gets worse with exercise
- Gets worse with heartburn (reflux)
- Gets better when using drugs that open the airways (bronchodilators)
- Bouts of coughing or wheezing that are worsened by a respiratory virus such as a cold or the flu
Signs that your asthma is probably getting worse are:
- An increase in the severity and frequency of asthma and symptoms
- A fall in peak flow rates as measured by a peak flow meter, a simple device used to check how well your lungs are working
- An increased need to use bronchodilators — medications that open up airways by relaxing the surrounding muscles
Emergency symptoms:
- Bluish color to the lips and face
- Decreased level of alertness such as severe drowsiness or confusion, during an asthma attack
- Extreme difficulty breathing
-
Rapid pulse
- Severe anxiety due to shortness of breath
- Sweating
Additional symptoms that may be associated with this disease:
- Abnormal breathing pattern --breathing out takes more than twice as long as breathing in
- Breathing temporarily stops
- Chest pain
- Nasal flaring
- Tightness in the chest
An acute, or sudden, asthma attack is usually caused by an exposure to
allergens or an upper-respiratory-tract infection. The severity of the attack
depends on how well your underlying asthma is being controlled (reflecting how
well the airway inflammation is being controlled). An acute asthma attack is
potentially life-threatening because it may continue despite the use of your
usual quick-relief medications (inhaled bronchodilators).
Asthma that is
unresponsive to treatment with an inhaler should prompt you to seek medical
attention at the closest hospital emergency room or your asthma specialist
office, depending on the circumstances and time of day. Asthma attack does not
stop on their own without treatment. If you ignore the early warning signs, you
put yourself at risk of developing status asthmaticus. Prolonged attacks of asthma that do not respond to treatment with
bronchodilators are a medical emergency. Physicians call these severe attacks
"status asthmaticus," and they require immediate emergency health care.
The key to stopping an asthma attack is recognizing and treating an asthma flare-up early. Follow the asthma treatment plan you worked out with your doctor ahead of time. This plan should include what to do when your asthma starts getting worse, and how to deal with an asthma attack in progress.
The symptoms of severe asthma attack are persistent coughing and the inability to
speak full sentences or walk without shortness of breath. Your chest may feel
closed, and your lips may have a bluish tint. In addition, you may feel
agitation, confusion, or an inability to concentrate. You may hunch your
shoulders, sit or stand up to breathe more easily, and strain your abdominal and
neck muscles.
These are signs of an impending respiratory system failure. At
this point, it is unlikely that inhaled medications will reverse this process. A
mechanical ventilator may be needed to assist the lungs and respiratory muscles.
A face mask or a breathing tube is inserted in the nose or mouth for this
treatment. These breathing aids are temporary and are removed once the asthma attack
has subsided and the lungs have recovered sufficiently to resume the work of
breathing on their own.
A short hospital stay in an intensive-care unit may be a result of a severe attack that has not been promptly treated. To avoid such hospitalization, it is best, at the onset of symptoms, to begin immediate early asthma treatment at home or in your doctor's office. The presence of wheezing or coughing in and of itself is not a reliable standard for judging the severity of an asthma attack. Very severe attacks may clog the tubes to such a degree that the lack of air in and out of your lungs fails to produce wheezing or coughing.
Health: Causes of Asthma Attack
An overly sensitive immune system makes your airways (bronchial tubes) become inflamed and swollen when you're exposed to certain triggers. Asthma triggers vary from person to person. Common asthma attack triggers include:
- Pollen, pets, mold and dust mites
- Upper respiratory infections
- Tobacco smoke
- Exercise
- Inhaling cold, dry air
- Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD)
For many people, asthma symptoms get worse with a respiratory infection
such as a cold. Some people have asthma flare-ups caused by something
in their work environment. Sometimes, asthma attack occur with no
apparent cause.
Health: Risk Factors of Asthma Attack
Anyone who has asthma is at risk of an asthma attack. You may be at increased health risk of a serious asthma attack if:
- You've had a severe asthma attack in the past
- You've been admitted to the hospital or had to go to the emergency room for asthma
- You use more than two quick-relief (rescue) inhalers a month
- Your asthma attacks tend to "sneak up" on you before you notice symptoms have gotten bad
- You have other chronic health conditions, such as sinusitis or nasal polyps
Asthma attack symptoms include:
- Moderate to severe shortness of breath, chest tightness or pain, and coughing or wheezing
- Low peak expiratory flow (PEF) readings, if you use a peak flow meter
- Use of quick-relief (rescue) inhalers isn't enough to curb worsening symptoms
Symptoms of an asthma attack vary from person to person. Work with your doctor to identify your particular symptoms of worsening asthma — and what to do when they occur. If your asthma symptoms keep getting worse even after you take medication as your doctor directed, you may need a trip to the emergency room. Your doctor can help you learn to recognize an asthma emergency so you'll know when to get help.
When to see a health care provider
If your asthma flares up, immediately follow the treatment steps you
and your doctor worked out ahead of time in your written asthma attack plan.
If your symptoms and peak expiratory flow (PEF) readings improve, home
asthma treatment may be all that's needed. If your symptoms don't improve with
home asthma treatment, you need to seek emergency health care.
When your asthma symptoms flare up, follow your written asthma plan's instructions for using your quick-acting (rescue) inhaler. If you use a peak flow meter to monitor your asthma, PEF readings ranging from 50 to 79 percent of your personal best are a sign you need to use quick-acting (rescue) medications prescribed by your doctor.
Check asthma control steps with your health care provider
Asthma can change over time, so you'll need periodic adjustments to
your asthma treatment plan to keep daily symptoms under control. If your
asthma isn't well controlled, it increases your risk of future asthma
attacks. Lingering lung inflammation means your asthma could flare up
at any time.
Go to all scheduled doctor's appointments. If you have regular asthma flare-ups, low peak flow readings or other signs your asthma isn't well controlled, make an appointment to see your doctor.
When to seek emergency medical treatment
Seek medical attention right away if you have signs of a serious asthma attack, which include:
- Severe breathlessness or wheezing, especially at night or in the early morning
- Inability to speak more than short phrases due to shortness of breath
- Straining chest muscles to breathe
- Low peak flow readings when you use a peak flow meter
- Asthma attack can interrupt everyday activities such as sleep, school, work and exercise, causing a significant impact on your quality of life — and can disrupt the lives of those around you.
- Serious asthma attack means you're likely to need trips to the emergency room, which can be stressful and costly.
- A very severe asthma attack can lead to respiratory arrest and death.
Health: Diagnosis of Asthma
If you have found yourself struggling for breath or wheezing, make an appointment to see your physician or ask for a referral to an appropriate specialist. Asthma is diagnosed on the basis of symptoms, a physical examination, and the results of diagnostic tests. There is no blood test for asthma, however, and the disorder is sometimes hard to distinguish from other lung diseases such as emphysema and chronic bronchitis or congestive heart failure. Your age and medical history provide important clues to the correct diagnosis.
Asthma is usually diagnosed in childhood: Three out of four people experience symptoms for the first time by age 5. Adults may be first diagnosed with asthma in their 20s and 30s, yet they can usually identify symptoms of the disorder that occurred earlier but went unnoticed: frequent bronchitis as a child, coughing and wheezing that lingered for weeks after a cold, excessive shortness of breath when playing sports. In such cases, the asthma actually began in early childhood but was not diagnosed until adulthood. Relatively few people are diagnosed with a new onset of asthma in their 60s and 70s. Doctors search long and hard for another explanation for coughing and wheezing in elderly people. In those cases, some other illness mimicking asthma is usually (although not always) the correct diagnosis.Diagnosing asthma can be difficult. Symptoms can range from mild to severe and are often similar to those of other conditions, including emphysema, early congestive heart failure or vocal cord problems. In children, it can be hard to differentiate asthma from wheezy bronchitis, pneumonia or reactive airway disease.
In order to rule out other possible conditions, your doctor will do a physical exam and ask you questions about your symptoms and about any other health problems. You may also be given lung (pulmonary) function tests to determine how much air moves in and out as you breathe.
Tests to measure lung function include:
- Spirometry. This test measures the narrowing of your bronchial tubes by checking how much air you can exhale after a deep breath, and how fast you can breathe out.
- Peak flow. A peak flow meter is a simple device that can be used at home to help detect subtle changes before you notice symptoms. If the readings are lower than usual, it's a sign your asthma may be about to flare up. Your doctor will give you instructions on how to track and deal with low readings.
Lung function tests often are done before and after taking a bronchodilator to open your airways. If your lung function improves with use of a bronchodilator, it's likely you have asthma.
Other diagnostic tests to diagnose asthma include:
- Methacholine bronchial challenge. If you have asthma, inhaling a known asthma trigger called methacholine will cause mild constriction of your airways. A positive methacholine test supports a diagnosis of asthma. This test may be used if your initial lung function test is normal.
- Nitric oxide test. This test is sometimes used to diagnose and monitor asthma. It measures the amount of a gas called nitric oxide you have in your breath. If your airways are inflamed — a sign of asthma — you may have higher than normal levels of nitric oxide. This test isn't widely available.
How asthma is classified
To classify your asthma severity, your doctor will evaluate your
answers to questions about symptoms (such as how often you have asthma
attacks and how bad they are), along with the results of your physical
exam and diagnostic tests. Determining the severity level of your
asthma will help your doctor choose the best asthma treatment for you. Asthma
severity often changes over time, requiring an adjustment to treatment.
Asthma is classified into four general categories:
| Mild intermittent | Mild symptoms up to two days a week and up to two nights a month |
| Mild persistent | Symptoms more than twice a week, but no more than once in a single day |
| Moderate persistent | Symptoms once a day and more than one night a week |
| Severe persistent | Symptoms throughout the day on most days and frequently at night |
Most often a diagnosis of asthma can be made correctly by your primary care physician. This is certainly true if asthma runs in your family and if the diagnosis is straightforward. But if there is uncertainty about a diagnosis, or if you have other health problems, it may be helpful to consult an asthma specialist. He or she will be familiar with the many diseases that can mimic asthma and will have access to methods of testing often not available to your primary physician.
Most asthma specialists are either allergists or pulmonologists. Allergists have an in-depth understanding of allergies and immune system function. Pulmonologists train in diseases of the chest, with a strong background in assessment of lung function. Although these two types of specialists have slightly different perspectives and training, both are experts in asthma.
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DRAMATIC ASTHMA RELIEF NATURALLY
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Health: Conventional Asthma Treatment
The goal of asthma treatment is to avoid the substances that trigger your symptoms and to control airway inflammation. You and your doctor should work together as a team to develop and carry out a plan for eliminating asthma triggers and monitoring symptoms.
There are two basic kinds of medication for asthma treatment:
- Long-acting medications to prevent asthma attack
- Quick-relief medications for use during asthma attack
Asthma treatment varies from person to person.
- Most people with persistent asthma use a combination of long-term control medications and quick-relief medications, taken with a hand-held inhaler.
- If your asthma symptoms are triggered by airborne allergens, such as pollen or pet dander, you may also need allergy treatment.
- You may need to try a few different medication treatment before you find what works best.
- Because asthma changes over time, you will need to work with your doctor to monitor your symptoms and learn how to make needed adjustments.
Medications used as asthma treatment include long-term control medications, quick-relief (rescue) medications and medications to treat allergies. The right medication for you depends on your age and symptoms, and what seems to work best to keep your asthma under control.
Long-term control medications used as asthma treatment
Types of long-term control medications need to be taken every day in most cases, are the following:
- Inhaled corticosteroids such as fluticasone (Flovent Diskus), budesonide (Pulmicort), triamcinolone (Azmacort), flunisolide (Aerobid), beclomethasone (Qvar) and others. These medications reduce airway inflammation and are the most commonly used long-term asthma medication. Unlike oral corticosteroids, these medications are considered relatively low risk for long-term corticosteroid side effects. You may need to use these medications for several days to weeks before they reach their maximum benefit.
- Long-acting beta-2 agonists (LABAs) such as salmeterol (Serevent Diskus) and formoterol (Foradil Aerolizer). These inhaled medications, called long-acting bronchodilators, open the airways and reduce inflammation. They are often used to treat persistent asthma in combination with inhaled corticosteroids. Long-acting bronchodilators should not be used for quick relief of asthma symptoms.
- Leukotriene modifiers such as montelukast (Singulair), zafirlukast (Accolate) and zileuton (Zyflo CR). These inhaled medications work by opening airways, reducing inflammation and decreasing mucus production.
- Cromolyn and nedocromil (Tilade). These inhaled medications reduce asthma symptoms by decreasing allergic reactions. They're considered a second choice to inhaled corticosteroids, and need to be taken three or four times a day.
- Theophylline, a daily pill that opens your airways (bronchodilator). It relaxes the muscles around the airways.
Quick-relief medications used as asthma treatment
Also called rescue medications, you use quick-relief medications as
needed for rapid, short-term relief of symptoms during an asthma
attack, or before exercise, if your doctor recommends it. Only use
these medications as often as your doctor tells you to. If you need to
use these medications too often, you probably need to adjust your
long-term control medication. Keep a record of how many puffs you use
each day. Types of quick-relief medications include:
- Short-acting beta-2 agonists, such as albuterol. These inhaled medications, called bronchodilators, ease breathing by temporarily relaxing airway muscles. They act within minutes, and effects last four to six hours.
- Ipratropium (Atrovent). Your doctor might prescribe this inhaled anticholinergic for the immediate relief of your symptoms. Like other bronchodilators, ipratropium relaxes the airways, making it easier to breathe. Ipratropium is mostly used for emphysema and chronic bronchitis.
- Oral and intravenous corticosteroids to treat acute asthma attacks or very severe asthma. Examples include prednisone and methylprednisolone. These medications relieve airway inflammation. They may cause serious side effects when used long term, so they're only used to treat severe asthma symptoms.
Medications for allergy-induced asthma. These decrease your body's sensitivity to a particular allergen or prevent your immune system from reacting to allergens. Allergy treatments for asthma include:
- Immunotherapy. Allergy-desensitization shots (immunotherapy) are generally given once a week for a few months, then once a month for a period of three to five years. Over time, they gradually reduce your immune system reaction to specific allergens.
- Anti-IgE monoclonal antibodies, such as omalizumab (Xolair). This medication reduces your immune system's reaction to allergens. Xolair is delivered by injection every two to four weeks.
Albuterol inhaler changes: Know what to expect
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has required that metered-dose
albuterol inhalers that use chlorofluorocarbon (CFC) propellent be
replaced with hydrofluoroalkane (HFA) inhalers by the end of 2008. HFA
inhalers work as well as CFC inhalers and are as safe, but they don't
harm the ozone layer. If you're used to using a CFC inhaler, talk to
your doctor about making the switch to an HFA inhaler. There are a few
differences you should know about:
- Your HFA inhaler may have a different taste and feel from your older CFC inhaler.
- HFA inhalers have a less forceful spray than the older CFC inhalers. Make sure you know how to use your inhaler correctly - otherwise, you may not get the full dose of medication with each spray.
- HFA inhalers are more costly than the older, generic albuterol CFC inhalers.
- HFA inhalers should be cleaned with water every week.
Asthma treatment by severity for better control: A stepwise approach
Treatment based on asthma control can help you manage your asthma.
Asthma treatment should be flexible and based on changes in symptoms,
which should be assessed thoroughly each time you see your doctor.
Then, treatment can be adjusted accordingly.
For example, if your asthma is well controlled, your doctor may
prescribe less medicine. If your asthma is not well controlled or
getting worse, your doctor may increase your medication and recommend
more frequent visits.
Health: Conventional Asthma Attack Treatment
If you're having an asthma attack, follow the steps in the asthma plan you worked out with your doctor. If your symptoms don't improve, seek immediate medical care. Home treatment steps to stop an asthma attack generally include taking two to six puffs of albuterol or using other quick-acting medication over several minutes (don't take more than one puff at a time). Generally, less medication is needed for children and in adults with less severe symptoms.
If you use a peak flow meter to monitor your asthma, peak expiratory flow readings ranging from 50 to 79 percent of your personal best are a sign you need to use albuterol or other quick-acting (rescue) inhaler medication. Routinely checking your peak flow readings is important, because your lung function may decrease before you notice any other signs or symptoms of worsening asthma.
HFA inhalers: A recent change
The chlorofluorocarbon (CFC) propellant in quick-relief asthma inhalers
has been replaced with a propellant called hydrofluoroalkane (HFA).
Unlike CFC inhalers, HFA inhalers don't harm the environment. The spray
from the new inhalers may taste different. Although the spray from an
HFA inhaler may not seem as strong, you or your child is still getting
the full dose of medication.
Emergency treatment
If you go to the emergency room for an asthma attack in progress,
you'll need medications to get your asthma under immediate control.
These can include:
- Short-acting beta agonists, such as albuterol. These medications are the same medications as those in your quick-acting (rescue) inhaler. You may need to use a machine called a nebulizer, which turns the medication into a mist that can be inhaled deep into your lungs.
- Oral corticosteroids. Taken in pill form, these medications help reduce lung inflammation and get your asthma symptoms under control. For more-severe asthma attacks, corticosteroids can be given by injection.
- Ipratropium (Atrovent). Ipratropium is sometimes used as a bronchodilator to treat a severe asthma attack, especially if albuterol is not fully effective.
- Intubation, mechanical ventilation and oxygen. If your asthma attack is life-threatening, your doctor may put a breathing tube down your throat into your upper airway. Using a machine that pumps oxygen into your lungs will help you breathe while your doctor gives you medications to get your asthma under control.
After your asthma symptoms get better, your doctor may want you to stay in the emergency department for a few hours or longer to make sure you don't have another asthma attack. When your doctor feels your asthma is sufficiently under control, you'll be able to go home. Your doctor will give you instructions on what to do if you have another asthma attack.
If your asthma symptoms don't improve after emergency treatment, your doctor may admit you to the hospital and give you medications every hour or every few hours. If you're having severe asthma symptoms, you may need to breathe oxygen through a mask. In some cases, a severe, persistent asthma attack requires a stay in the intensive care unit (ICU).
All asthma attacks require treatment with a quick-acting (rescue) inhaler such as albuterol. One of the key steps in preventing an asthma attack is to avoid your triggers.
- If your asthma attacks seem to be set off by outside triggers, your doctor can help you learn how to minimize your exposure to them. Allergy tests can help identify your allergic triggers.
- Washing your hands frequently can help reduce your risk of catching a cold virus.
- If your asthma flares up when you exercise in the cold, it may help to cover your face with a mask or scarf until you get warmed up.
While you may not be able to eliminate your risk of an asthma attack, you're less likely to have one if your current treatment keeps your asthma under control. See your doctor if you're following your asthma action plan but you still have frequent or bothersome symptoms or low peak flow readings. This is a sign that your asthma isn't well controlled, and you need to work with your doctor to change your treatment.
If your asthma symptoms flare up when you have a cold or the flu, take steps to avoid an asthma attack by watching your lung function and symptoms and adjusting your treatment as needed. Be sure to reduce exposure to your allergic triggers.
When exercising in cold weather, wear a face mask.
Health: Prevention of Asthma
Although many people with asthma rely on medications to relieve symptoms and control inflammation, you can do several things on your own to maintain overall health and lessen the possibility of attacks.
Avoid your triggers
Taking steps to reduce your exposure to things that trigger asthma
symptoms is a key part of asthma control. Here are some things that may
help:
- Use your air conditioner. Air conditioning helps reduce the amount of airborne pollen from trees, grasses and weeds that finds its way indoors. Air conditioning also lowers indoor humidity and can reduce your exposure to dust mites. If you don't have air conditioning, try to keep your windows closed during pollen season.
- Decontaminate your decor. Minimize dust that may aggravate nighttime symptoms by replacing certain items in your bedroom. For example, encase pillows, mattresses and box springs in dust-proof covers. Remove carpeting and install hardwood or linoleum flooring. Use washable curtains and blinds.
- Maintain optimal humidity. Keep humidity low in your home and office. If you live in a damp climate, talk to your doctor about using a dehumidifier.
- Keep indoor air clean. Have a utility company check your air conditioner and furnace once a year. Change the filters in your furnace and air conditioner according to the manufacturer's instructions. Also consider installing a small-particle filter in your ventilation system. If you use a humidifier, change the water daily.
- Reduce pet dander. If you're allergic to dander, avoid pets with fur or feathers. Having pets regularly bathed or groomed also may reduce the amount of dander in your surroundings.
- Clean regularly. Clean your home at least once a week. If you're likely to stir up dust, wear a mask or have someone else do the cleaning.
- If it's cold out, cover your face. If your asthma is worsened by cold, dry air, wearing a face mask can help.
Stay healthy
Taking care of yourself and treating other health conditions linked to asthma
will help keep your asthma under control. A few things you can do
include:
- Exercise. Having asthma doesn't mean you have to be less active. Treatment can prevent asthma attack and control symptoms during activity. Regular exercise can strengthen your heart and lungs, which helps relieve asthma symptoms. Aim for 30 minutes of exercise on most days. If you've been inactive, start slowly and try to gradually increase your activity over time.
- Maintain a healthy weight. Being overweight can worsen asthma symptoms, and it puts you at higher risk of other health problems.
- Control heartburn and gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). It's possible that the acid reflux that causes heartburn may damage lung airways and worsen asthma symptoms. If you have frequent or constant heartburn, talk to your doctor about treatment options. You may need treatment for GERD before your asthma symptoms improve.
Disclaimer: This information is not presented by a medical practitioner. Therefore any content of this site is strictly intended for educational and informational purpose only. Any access to this site is strictly on a voluntary basis and at the sole discretion of the user. No content of this site is intended as a substitute for medical advice, diagnosis or treatment, nor constitute the practice of any medical profession or health care provider. The information provided on this site is here to educate visitors on health issues that may affect their lives. Otherwise, always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health care provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. And never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read.
Sources: NIH News In Health/National Institutes of Health/National Library of Medicine/Dept of Health and Human Services_______________________________________________________________________________________________________
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