Useful Health Tips

What is Asthma?

Asthma happens to be an ailment of the lungs that can also be described as the inflammatory airway condition which can affect people of any age or group. It is a serious health issue that has penetrated the world and has become a major problem responsible for tormenting many lives and families from all over the globe.

It is estimated that there are over 300 million Asthmatics worldwide and about 1/10^th of them live in India itself. In the Indian subcontinent, the prevalence of the childhood asthma has increased drastically in the last decade.

Studies have revealed that the sudden intensification of the pollution level has played a vital role in the enhancement of the child asthma incidence. Though asthma is mostly said to be a genetic ailment, the sudden increase in children’s asthma has become a cause of concern for most. Environmental pollution and allergies both have played a pivotal role in making this diseases so common among the kids.

Symptoms of Asthma

Some of the common symptoms of Asthma are:

The common symptoms of Asthma include shortness of breath (feeling breathless), coughing, wheezing and a feeling of chest tightness. You should look out for these symptoms of asthma every day. You may have just one or two of these signs.

Another symptom of Asthma i.e. flare-up syndrome happens when you need to take the extra doses of your asthma medicines with that of an inhaler for more than a couple of weeks.

How should the Asthma Attack be Treated and Controlled?

When you find out that your asthma symptoms are flaring up then it is a must that you go for your quick-relief or rescue medicine. If you are not sure then you can ask your doctor about it. The usual inhaler dosage is about taking two to four puffs for every three dosages at every 20 minutes. You can also go for one nebulizer treatment if you have a home nebulizer.

After using your quick-relief medicine you can tell how serious your flare-up is. If you have Peak Flow Metre, you should check the PEF after using the rescue medicine. You have a serious condition if your PEF level is still quite low.

Your doctor may have already given you an action plan for treating the different stages of your asthma. If your PEF level remains to be less than 50 percent of your best outcome then you should immediately call your doctor.

Written below are some tips that will help you to control the condition. Just read on to know.

6 Tips to control Asthma:

1. Avoid Second-hand Smoke and Quit Smoking – This goes without saying that if you have asthma and you still smoke then you should quit smoking immediately as that will reduce the severity and frequency of your symptoms. Smoking reduces the effectiveness of the asthma medications to a great extent, too. If you don’t smoke but have asthma then you should avoid second-hand smokes as that will deteriorate the symptoms of asthma.
2. Know the Triggers of Your Condition and Stay Away from Them – The triggers like irritants and allergens can make the symptoms of asthma worse. This can be done by knowing what the triggers of your condition are and how to stay away from them.
3. Learn the Usage of Your Inhaler Properly – In order to ensure that the medicine reaches the airways, properly you should follow what your healthcare provider showed as the right usage method. Ask him or her to watch the use of the inhaler. Your healthcare provider may suggest you about how you can improve the technique so that the medication reaches your airways.
4. Keep Fit by Working Out – Working out helps by boosting the immune system, strengthening your breathing muscles and assisting in keeping a healthy body weight. You should keep it in mind prior to starting with the exercise that your motive is to keep your asthma under control. This way you can go for the right way of exercising.
5. Take the Asthma Medicine in the Correct Way – There are quite a few people who think that there is no harm in skipping the asthma controller or prevention medicines when they are not experiencing any symptoms. But that is far from the truth. Remember that asthma is a long-term or chronic ailment. If you have asthma then you have it all the time. This is applicable even when you are not experiencing any symptoms. That is why you should make sure that you take the asthma medicines every day as suggested by your doctor.
6. Take Precautions to Avoid a Viral –People’s lungs and airways can be infected by the viruses like the cold and the flu. Asthma symptoms are often caused by the viral infections. Naturally, if you avoid the infections you will have much lesser symptoms. Here are few ways with which you can avoid the viruses.

Check:

• Get the Flu Shot
• Wash your hands often and properly
• Grab sufficient sleep. If you rest well then you are less prone to catching viruses.
• Ask the healthcare provider if you need to get pneumonia shots.
• You should pay attention to your symptoms if you have a cold or flu or an infection. Follow the directions in your asthma attack plan if your symptoms are deteriorating.

The above are some of the ways in which you can keep your asthma under control. Apart from the above, you should also ensure that you always have the required inhaler and nebulizer (if that is necessary) bought from a reputed online medical equipment store wherever you stay so that you can treat the condition immediately before it gets a chance to flare up.

Author bio: Akshay Sharma is a digital marketing enthusiast and has written many topics in the related field. He works with Smart Medical Buyer.