Asthma Prevention: Being Aware Is The Biggest Part Of The Battle
Whatever the medication may be that you are taking for your asthma, the main way to avoid an asthma attack is by avoiding the triggers. You can reduce the irritation on your breathing path if you work and live in a clean environment. Whatever you do, try to avoid those things that trigger your asthma. These include things like dust, pollens, pungent smells etc.
The major symptom of asthma is lung disorder. Asthmatic patients, when suffering an attack, apparently have more difficulties in breathing out than in inhalation.
Asthma can last for only few minutes but the few moments can cause death in severe asthmatic attacks. When there is an attack and there is no immediate treatment available, it is advisable that the patient stays calm or else it will increase the difficulty in breathing. Once the patient tries to relax, it will cause the bronchial region to relax as well.
Ginger tea has been said to be a form of first aid to reduce the strength of an asthmatic attack. Hot ginger tea will help clear the pathway and the lungs and facilitate deeper breathing. But of course, it’s best to talk to your doctor before using Ginger tea or any form of natural asthma treatment.
Albuterol and Ipratropium are constituent of drugs for asthma control. These ingredients are bronchodilators which provide short term relief from asthma attacks. These are highly effective but may cause side effects live jittering and sleeplessness in most people.
A lot of household chores cannot be done by an asthmatic patient. Such household chores include vacuuming. If done, they are very likely to trigger asthmatic attacks in asthmatic victims.
Eosinophils is kind of synonymous with asthma. Eosinophils is the present of excess amount of white blood cells in specimens used for laboratory analysis. Eosinophils means there is a form of allergy going on and it is common in patients afflicted by hay fever and asthma.
Red meat is usually preserved with sodium sulphate. These sodium sulphates can generate an allergy in the body system which can cause an asthmatic attack. So, ensure to avoid such if you want to keep asthma at bay as much as possible.
November 7, 2008
Tips for Treating Asthma Symptoms
Asthma is a serious disease that constricts the airways and affects their ability to move air in and out of your lungs. Asthma is a very serious and common disease, one that affects millions of people around the world. The number of those suffering from the condition continues to increase.
Asthma cannot be cured, but most people with the disease are able to relieve their asthma symptoms. It can be managed to the place where they can go about their lives in a normal fashion without experiencing constant asthma symptoms.
Treating an Asthma Attack
Prevention is the preferred method of treating an asthma attack. Find out the specific triggers for your symptoms and stay away from them. However, there will still be times when an asthma attack is unavoidable. This means that learning to manage your asthma symptoms is vital.
Keep in mind that when it comes to asthma, not all attacks are the same. Sometimes your symptoms can be much worse than at other times. And in a severe asthma attack the airways can close up so much that not enough oxygen gets to the vital organs in the body. This qualifies as a medical emergency. Even death can be a result of a serious asthma attack. So if you are one of the millions of asthma sufferers you need to realize just how serious your condition is.
Pharmaceuticals
Usually, medication is used to control an asthma attack. It can help asthma sufferers keep their condition under control and ward off an attack before it becomes serious. Asthma medications can be taken orally or inhaled in vapor form using a metered dose inhaler.
There are two kinds of medication available for treating the problem. Bronchodilators help by reducing spasms. Anti-inflammatory medications reduce airway inflammation. If your asthma is particularly severe, your doctor may suggest that you use a combination of both.
There are a number of highly effective medications that your doctor can prescribe, such as:
*Accolade and Singulair, which are leukotriene inhibitors
*Serevent and Famoterol, long lasting bronchodilators, and
*Aminophylline or Theophylline.
Visit your doctor to find out if these medications are right for you, or to explore a natural cure for asthma.
How to Reduce Indoor Air Pollution in Your Home
It may suprise you to know that air pollution levels within the modern house can be two to five times higher than the levels outdoors. Combine that with the fact that the average person can spend upwards of ninety percent of their time indoors, it will come as no suprise that the term Sick Building Syndrome has become a new adage in the English language.
Inside pollutants such as dust, pet dander, tobacco smoke, mold spores and pollen tend to be continually recycled which ultimately means that folks who suffer from allergy induced asthma are making their complaint worse by being inside.
Other symptoms of sick building syndrome include dizziness, headaches, tickly throats, stuffy nose, itchy or watery eyes, nausea, lethargy and an inability to concentrate. However, because some of these symptoms are similar to those of a common cold, it is not always easy to to decide if indoor pollution is the cause or if it is due to some form of viral infection.
If you notice that the symptoms fade when you are in the open air, try to identify inside air sources that might be possible causes and endeavour to eliminate them. As luck would have it, indoor air pollution is one health hazard that you can do something about.
Here are seven tips for improving inside air quality in your house.
No Smoking Indoors
Even though this may sound obvious, you should effectively ban smoking inside your house or at least restrict it to one room. In our case, any friends or family that call are limited to the kitchen area or the back garden if they want to smoke. In the kitchen, an extractor fan pushes the smoky air outside as it does with cooking odors.
Let the Bad Air Out
Provided that it is not freezing cold or blowing a gale outside, let some outside air in by opening your windows and doors every now and then. Doing so will also do away with some of the pollutants that have built up within your home. If you have bathroom or kitchen extractor fans, use them on a regular basis. You should also routinely clean the vents in the extractors and make sure they function properly.
Use Natural House Cleaning Products
If you have ever taken the time to study the labels on home cleaning products, the majority of them will include a warning about how harmful the chemicals are for your health or skin. As soon as you use that product, a lot of those chemicals go into the air, the fumes of which are inhaled. How is it that some well known anti bacterial cleaners start your eyes watering and bring on a coughing fit. Not anymore though, as my natural housecleaning products of choice are bicarbonate of soda, washing soda, vinegar and pure lemon juice. These are all non toxic, environmentally friendly and can tackle most housecleaning jobs, either individually or combined with one another.
Keep you House Clean and Dust Free
Vacuuming your carpets and floors regularly will help to keep dust and airborne allergens at bay. It is said (although I have no proof) that some seventy percent of all household dust consists of dead skin, which we humans molt day in and day out. Dust mites like to feed on this dead skin which in turn makes them grow. They then shed their own skin and that, mixed with their faeces is what causes allergic reactions in some folks.
Pet Dander Triggers Allergies
For those families with a cat, dog or other pet, allergies such as asthma can be triggered off by their dander, which they shed day in and day out. Something needs to be done if you suspect that either you or another family member are allergic to pet dander. Ideally, it is better to keep pets out of the home completely although that is rarely possible. As a possible alternative, try and restrict the rooms that the pet is allowed into. One definite area to keep them out of is the bedroom.
Reduce Indoor Air Humidity
If the clime where you live is either very muggy or just plain wet (as in too much rainfall), you will no doubt be aware of just how much moisture levels within your home can increase. This excessive moisture or humidness is the ideal breeding ground for mold. For anyone with allergies, mold spores can cause as many health problems as airborne dust. Dehumidifiers can be a godsend in a humid environment since they are able to remove excess dampness from the surrounding air, thereby keeping mold and the resulting spores at bay.
Get an Indoor Air Purifier
Home air purifiers are units that clean indoor air of allergens, such as mold spores, pollen and pet dander. They are especially useful if you or a family member suffers from allergic reactions or asthma because they can reduce airborne contaminants by a considerable amount. Indoor air purifiers have become very popular of late since they are able to clean the air in your house while making it a lot healthier to inhale. However, there are several types of air purification technologies, some of which may not be suitable in all situations.
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