Helpful Tips to Prevent Asthma Attack

If you have asthma or know someone who has, understanding the symptoms and the way this disease function is highly important, so you will know how to prevent it from happening and how will you act accordingly when it attacks.

WHAT IS ASTHMA?

Asthma is a chronic disease that irritates and narrows the airways in the lungs which causes coughing and shortness of breathing usually from an allergic reaction or other sorts of hypersensitivity.

HOW TO PREVENT ASTHMA ATTACK?

Asthma is one of the leading causes of work and school absences which you can avoid if we know how to prevent it.

1. See an allergist

Once you experience difficulty in breathing, chest tightness and non-stop cough you should immediately see a specialist for a breathing test to determine if your asthma is either allergic or non-allergic. Allergic reaction is caused by exposure to pollution and allergen whilst non-allergic is caused by stress, exercise, extreme weather or illness.

2. Maintain a clean home

Allergens such as dust mites and moulds are substances that trigger asthma attacks. One way to prevent these is to clean your home more often. You can also opt for low-maintenance and quality heating systems that eliminate black mould and reduces dust particles and other allergens to spread around the room.

3. Choose the right heater

Apart from being warm and comfortable, an infrared heater is highly recommended for people with lung conditions, especially with extreme weather as it helps make the air more humid and pure. Dry air from a sudden weather change triggers an attack and having a heater at home is a big help for improving air quality. It balances an indoor humidity of 30-50 per cent which is the right comfortable temperature for a room. 

4. Medicate

Treating asthma with the right combination of medicines can aid with your condition and lessen the effects when an attack flares up. Asthma specialists can help you find the right medicine to control your asthma and prevent an attack.

5. Take allergy shots

People with allergic asthma opt to have allergy shots than go through the strain of having an asthma attack. Allergy shots help in building a tolerance to allergen and can cure allergy in some cases.

6. Avoid smoke

Exposure to smoke from cigarettes, vehicles, candles and fireworks will worsen an asthma patient's condition. You can prevent attacks by avoiding people who smoke and by wearing a face mask that covers your nose and mouth in public places.