Asthma is a chronic lung disease that may hinder one from breathing normally since the lungs' airways get inflamed. As a result, living with this condition can, therefore, be quite daunting. When diagnosed with asthma, one needs to find a way of adapting to the new world. One's lifestyle has to change to have an easy time living with asthma. Millions of people globally live with asthma, and one can live a comfortable and everyday life when they have the right asthma management strategies.
Although it is not clear what causes asthma, studies have revealed that some of the causes may result from genetic history, consistent viral infections mostly when young, and the hygiene hypothesis. It is assumed that if one of the family members, especially parents, have asthma, the baby's chances of getting the disease increases. There are different ways of knowing whether or not one has asthma. Some of the common symptoms include coughing. One may also experience shortness of breath and face difficulty when talking. However, asthma symptoms, although common, never have the same effects for everyone. Thankfully there are things to do to minimize the impact asthma has on one’s life.
1 - Avoid Asthma Triggers
Different asthma patients have different triggers. It is vital to understand one's asthma triggers and avoid triggers. Avoiding such triggers helps one in controlling asthma attacks. Some of the common triggers most asthma patients have include perfumes, pollen, dust, mold, and even pet danders. There are some triggers that one can control, such as the pet danders. It may be crucial for one to keep away from pets and inform friends of your condition if they own pets. Mold may be the worst trigger, especially one that has formed at home. One must occasionally get their home inspected and get professional cleaning services to remove them if there is any mold found.
2 - Work on Emotions
Emotional triggers can cause people to struggle with asthma. One of emotional asthma triggers one can experience stress. When one is stressed, breathing may be a problem. Therefore, one must devise stress-management strategies to counteract this. One has to make peace because there are things that cannot be changed, and it is better to leave them at that instead of continually thinking about them. When experiencing stress, it is wise to have something that deviates one's thoughts from causing them to be in such a state.
3 - Exercise
Exercising is an excellent way of boosting one's immunity. With exercise, one gets to strengthen their lungs and improve their function. However, even when exercising, the doctor must approve the kind of exercise one does. Excessive weight may be a problem when one has asthma. The reason for this is that with such weight, one may experience breathing problems. However, regular exercise also keeps one's weight in check, and this improves the breathing process. It is paramount that even as one exercise, he or she avoids extreme sports.
4 - Asthma Medications
One must understand asthma medication to have a comfortable life. Consistency is key, as proper use can help reduce the amount of asthma attacks and their severity as well. Asthma is a long-term disease and hence must be managed to extend a person’s natural life-span. One may feel better at times, but this should never be a reason to skip medication doses. Asthma attacks can be fatal. One must always carry around an inhaler with fast acting medication in case of such episodes. The inhaler opens up one's airways fast, allowing them to breathe normally.
5 - Lifestyle Change
One must do away with some habits to help regulate asthma attacks, such as smoking. Quitting smoking will quickly improve asthma management as well as general health. Smokers are more likely to have severe attaches and require hospitalization. Secondary smoke can also be a serious problem. In addition to smoking, diet is an important part of managing asthma and assists in controlling weight as well.