Asthma can range from mild to life threatening. It can be common to panic when faced with such an intimidating condition. If you are armed with sound knowledge about asthma then you will feel more confident about handling asthma related decisions. The information below can prepare you to handle asthma with confidence.
Learn as much as you can about living with your condition. Knowledge is power! Make sure you are well informed about the causes and known natural and prescribed ways to control your symptoms. Living with asthma can be difficult and cause you to have unwanted stress within your personal life.
You may want to consider not getting pregnant if you have severe asthma. Hormones caused during pregnancy may increase asthma symptoms. If you do decide to get pregnant and you have asthma, be sure that your doctor knows of your asthma so that they can help control your symptoms during pregnancy.
If you have asthma and cannot get health insurance, see a social worker. Asthma medications are a necessity, and a social worker can help you find an affordable way to keep your prescriptions current.
Asthma can range from a small annoyance to an all-out, life-threatening condition. To help prevent Asthma attacks, keep moderation in mind, especially when engaging in outdoor activities in hot weather. Hot and humid air can make breathing difficult for anyone, but for someone with Asthma, it can be deadly. If you have work to do outside, try and choose to do so early in the morning or late in the day and avoid the mid-day sun and heat.
Make sure you use your preventative inhaler that is prescribed by your doctor. Note that a preventative inhaler is different than a rescue inhaler, which is used during an acute attack. A preventative inhaler, on the other hand, dispenses medicine designed to keep the air flowing, which reduces acute attacks.
Make sure to take all of your asthma medications exactly as your doctor prescribes them, even if you haven’t been suffering any symptoms lately. Not having symptoms doesn’t mean your asthma went away; it just means your medications are working! This includes your preventative medications as well as your rescue inhaler.
Use a peak flow meter regularly. A peak flow meter measures how much air your lungs can put out. If you keep track of your peak flow, you can notice changes in your airflow capacity before you even start to notice symptoms of an attack, and take preventative action to stop it.
When you travel, carry with you a copy of your doctor’s contact info and a current prescription for your asthma medications. This way, if your baggage is lost or stolen, you can fill your medications without trouble. Even if your doctor is not licensed to prescribe where you’ll be traveling, contact info allows a local doctor to contact your physician and get the needed information to write you a valid prescription.
Utilizing the advice and tips outlined within this article can be the first line of defense toward the advocacy of your health or the health of a loved one. Asthma is not to be taken lightly so you need to be sure to make sound and educated choices when dealing with it.