With asthma affecting millions of people around the world and the increase of allergens in the air, it’s more important than ever to be more preventative rather than protective when it comes to asthma. There are so many parts of our home and the environment that can cause asthma flare-ups or even bring about asthma later in life. What are the things we need to do to prevent asthma from ever infiltrating our lives?
Identifying the Triggers
The best place to begin is at home. You may find there’s a variety of triggers just at home. For example, if somebody smokes in the property, this is a very common asthma trigger but there are also things in the property that could cause issues, especially with children. Dust may stick to carpets and rugs, which is a very well-known irritant, but if the property has signs of mold, this is another thing that can make respiratory viruses worse. You can always contact mold removal services to get to the root of the problem, but if you identify asthma triggers in the home, this is the best way to stimulate a great defense.
Try to Not Get Colds
The common cold is not pleasant for anybody with asthma and while we can do what we can to avoid getting the cold, the Coronavirus pandemic has made us all more aware of how germs can transmit. If you are concerned that if you get a flare-up of asthma and it makes the symptoms worse, you can wear a face mask or wash your hands regularly. Common colds can peak in specific seasons and while there is a benefit to your immune system from getting colds, if you experience colds really badly and they take a while for you to recover from, you’ve got to make sure that you have your flu shot every year and do the next point.
Have Your Medication With You
Long-term asthma medications are meant to be used. Anybody with asthma should take them every day, even if they don’t have symptoms because they will ease inflammation in the airways, keeping the condition under control. It’s vital that we don’t get into the mindset of solving a problem after the symptoms have appeared. Asthma is very much about prevention rather than cure. Asthma medication eases inflammation in the airways, and you can do other things to ensure that you are clearing out those airways and breathing properly, for example, specific asthma breathing exercises and strengthening your lungs.
Avoiding Certain Foods
For most people, diet is everything. As we get older, we can find ourselves susceptible to many health issues because of our diet, and asthma is no different. There are specific foods that trigger asthma and the best piece of advice is to find out which ones really do cause you problems. Some people find that consuming wine or beer triggers their asthma because of the sulfites, which can also be found in dried fruits and pickles.
These are just a few things to bear in mind if you are concerned about the symptoms of asthma. Asthma shouldn’t stop you from living your life to the fullest; it’s just about making sure you know what it takes to prevent your symptoms from flaring up.
What do you think?