Day to Day Asthma Care: Your Key to Staying in the Game
If you’re on the sidelines because of Asthma, there are steps you can take to get you back in the game. Take better control of your Asthma with the following tips to prevent Asthma flare-ups and live a fuller, active life.
Use an asthma action plan
Set up an Asthma Action Plan with your doctor. This plan should include written, step-by-step instructions for treating your condition. The plan will serve as a guide to taking daily medicines, dealing with an asthma attack and properly responding in the event of a severe attack. The plan provides parents with a comprehensive guide they can easily give to others who may be supervising their asthmatic child (such as teachers, coaches and babysitters). An Asthma Plan will include a list of “triggers” that may set off an asthma attack. The list, which varies from person to person may help an individual avoid any problem situations or conditions.
Know which asthma triggers affect you most
If you have asthma, you are more likely to experience symptoms or a full-blown asthma attack when exposed to certain allergens and stimuli, which are called asthma triggers. Some people may be able to tolerate some triggers better than others. It is important to determine what triggers affect you the most and watch out for them in your day-to-day life. Common asthma triggers include:
- Pollen
- Mold
- Dust
- Air pollution
- Pet dander
- Tobacco smoke
- Certain foods
- Exercise
- Feathers in pillows
- Aspirin or ibuprofen
- Cold air
- Temperature changes
- Strong odors (from household chemicals, sprays or paints) and irritants
- Perfume
- Spray-on deodorants
- Menstrual cycles (hormonal changes may trigger asthma)
- Pregnancy
- Viral respiratory infections (including colds, bronchitis and flu)
- Sinus infections
- Heartburn
- Stress
Control asthma triggers in your home
Reducing the amount allergens in your home is a great way to reduce the severity of your asthma. Some techniques that can help control asthma triggers in your home include:
- Keep your home cool; between 68 and 72 degrees
- Provide good ventilation with filters, fans and other devices
- Maintain humidity between 40 and 50 percent
- Wear a mask when cleaning the house or doing yard work
- Add mold inhibitor to paint, especially if you are painting in damp places like the bathroom
- Replace carpeting with hardwood flooring.
Use your inhaler properly
Improper use of an inhaler can prevent enough medicine from reaching the lungs. Improper breathing techniques can also cause much of an inhaler's medication to remain in your mouth, where it is not effective. To properly use a metered-dose inhaler, use the following steps:
- Read the directions carefully. Make sure medication is inserted correctly into the device.
- Shake the inhaler before using and always check the mouthpiece for bits of dirt or foreign objects.
- Hold inhaler one or two inches from your open mouth while tilting your head back slightly.
- Exhale fully to clear lungs of air.
- Press down on the inhaler canister firmly while breathing in slowly, 5 to 10 seconds. Hold your breath for as long as possible before exhaling.
- Wait 30-60 seconds and then administer additional doses. Stay within the physician directed dosages recommended.
- Replace the cap and rinse out your mouth with water or brush your teeth.
Don't be afraid to call your doctor
Discuss your condition frequently with your doctor. Let your doctor know if your condition is changing—even for the better. It is important that you keep your Asthma Action plan current with your condition. Your medications and dosages may change along with your condition. It is critical that your doctor has the latest information on your condition to be able to treat you effectively.
Monitor your lung function
It is important to understand that an asthma action plan may need to be changed as your overall asthma condition changes. You should frequently discuss your plan with your doctor to make sure it has the latest medical information. Peak flow numbers will change over time and must be updated to be useful. You should check your peak flow (using a home peak flow meter) at least twice a week ‑- though individuals with severe asthma may need to check up to several times a day. Using a peak flow meter frequently will not only allow you to have the latest baseline information for your asthma action plan; it can also alert you to a sudden drop in lung function that may indicate that your asthma is worsening. This allows for control of asthmatic inflammations before symptoms are ever noticed.
Watch your weight
There appears to be a link between obesity and asthma that is not yet fully understood. One recent study found that children who are obese at the time of puberty are three times more likely than their slimmer peers to continue to suffer from asthma into their teens. Other studies have found that obese adults are three times more likely to develop asthma than thinner adults. The mechanism behind the asthma-obesity connection remains a mystery, though some research indicates that the two conditions share a gene that might link them together.
