Learn How to Manage Your Asthma

Asthma is a chronic condition that affects the airways. For those with asthma, airways can become inflamed and swollen, making it harder to breathe. Asthma affects people of all ages, but it typically starts in childhood. Asthma attacks can range from mild to life-threatening, so it’s important to have an action plan.

Dealing with asthma can be tricky, but there are ways to manage it.

One of the most important steps to managing asthma is to identify specific triggers. Common asthma triggers are:

• Tobacco smoke
• Allergens, like dust mites, pollen and pets
• Strong odors, like perfume, wood smoke or air pollution
• Exercise
• Some medications
• Weather
• Strong emotion, like laughing or crying
• Infections like colds, flu and other viruses

 

Take note of what’s around you when you start to experience an asthma attack. This will help you identify triggers so you can avoid them in the future.

So, does this mean people with exercise-induced asthma (EIB) should avoid exercise? Nope! People with EIB can work out comfortably. In fact, exercise may even help with asthma by improving lung health. The key is finding the right kind and right amount of exercise. For example, some people with asthma may prefer swimming because of the moist air and low exposure to pollen. Others may prefer to avoid running outside in cold weather. Ask your doctor which exercises are right for you.

There are a few ways to treat asthma symptoms. One treatment is medication. The two main types of medications used to treat asthma are anti-inflammatories and bronchodilators.

Anti-inflammatories are traditionally steroids such as budesonide (e.g., Flovent, Symbicort). These target swelling and mucus production in the airways. Anti-inflammatories are a long-term medication, meaning it’s meant to reduce sensitivity in the airways and, thus, make you less likely to have a reaction in the first place.

Bronchodilators (e.g., Albuterol, Levalbuterol) are short-acting drugs that relax the muscle bands that tighten around the airways. This helps open the airways when you have a reaction to let more air in and out and improve breathing.

It’s important to maintain a dosage of long-term anti-inflammatories as recommended. That way, you can reduce how many reactions you have, the severity of them and the need to use short-acting bronchodilators. Talk to your doctor about making an asthma action plan that’s right for you. For more information on asthma and how to manage it, visit our asthma page.

 

Source: 

https://www.aafa.org/asthma-triggers-causes/