Asthma Facts That Everybody Should Know About

Asthma is a malady that may be uncontrollable if left untamed. Asthma attacks can be severe and even fatal. You need to consult medical experts for advice, but when it is not enough, you must take the necessary steps yourself. This article offers simple tips that will help you relieve and improve your asthma symptoms.

Learn how to recognize asthma so you can treat it. When you get asthma, you usually have difficulties breathing and feel as if your chest were getting tighter. Asthma is often accompanied by coughing and wheezing. If you experience different symptoms, you might have another illness that requires more medical attention.

You may want to avoid getting pets, especially those with longer fur, if you have asthma. For many people, pet dander and fur is one of the major triggers of asthma attacks. If you really want to get a pet, try to get one with short fur or get an aquatic animal, like a fish.

A good tip that can help you if your child has asthma is to do everything you can to educate your child about asthma. Young children have no idea what asthma is or how it affects them, so its your job to inform them and to help them work through it.

You might want to purchase a dehumidifier to use at home if you have asthma. By bringing down the humidity level, it will reduce dust mites and reduce asthma flare-ups. A dehumidifying device reduces the moisture in the air.

If you use a preventative inhaler without a spacer, gargle with salt water and brush your teeth immediately after using it. The medication from a preventative inhaler will collect at the back of your throat, which is a moist environment, perfect for the growth of bacteria and fungi. If your inhaler were to become contaminated, you could contract thrush from using it. Gargling and brushing your teeth should help prevent this.

Be cautious when taking medications with asthma. Even some over the counter drugs, such as non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medications, may worsen asthma symptoms. If you are taking an over-the-counter medicine, be alert to changes in your asthma symptoms or for indications of an asthma attack. It may be necessary to avoid certain medications, in order to keep your asthma under control.

Exercise

A great tip that can help you deal with asthma is to exercise indoors. A lot of people just assume that they cant exercise because they have asthma, but thats not the case. The cold air outside is what aggravates asthma and you can avoid it by exercising indoors.

While exercise can be difficult if you have asthma and risky if you exercise too much too fast, it is also very important for controlling your asthma. Exercise increases the strength and health of your lungs. This enables you to better withstand and regain control when you have an asthma attack. Therefore, try to get at least some exercise every day. Even minor exercise like going for a walk can be helpful.

You may need to make some lifestyle changes, especially if you develop asthma as an adult. If you are overweight or out of shape, do some light exercise every day and quit smoking, if you are a smoker. These changes may be difficult, but will lead to better health in the long run, and less problems with asthma.

Asthma is an uncurable disease, but that doesnt mean that the symptoms are permanent and cant go away. However, just like most things in life, overcoming your asthma symptoms takes time and effort. If you follow these easy tips, youll find that your symptoms will get better over time and youll be able to enjoy a healthier, more active lifestyle.