I have suffered from asthma since I was 11. I am posting this as a way of helping so many of you who are suffering from asthma on here.
There’s a great book called Reversing Asthma by a doctor who suffers from asthma himself. (name is Richard n Firshein)
Also a great website I’ve bought products from in the past www.allergyasthmatech.com.
I’m not trying to push products by the way. I’ve just found that asthma catalog and the book above very helpful to me personally.
These are things that can help you if you have not tried them already.
-Get rid of mold in your home. Keep damp areas like basements and bathrooms as dry as possible. Get a dehumidifier if needed.
-Get rid of pets if you can, or keep them out of the bedroom.
-Get rid of strong cleaning chemicals (especially bleach) use vinegar instead
-Get rid of mouse, rat, and bug poisons. Use natural bug killers if you can.
-Keep house (naturally) clean to keep roaches away. Their poop triggers attacks.
-Get rid of air deodorizers/air fresheners. They have been proven in scientific studies to trigger asthma and allergy symptoms.
-Wash your sheets and blankets in hot water once a week to kill dust mites which trigger attack
-Cover your pillows and mattresses in dust mite zip covers (you can vinyl ones cheap at Wal-mart)
-Get an air purifier for getting rid of mold and dust. Get one with a good HEPA filter. Do NOT get an ozone machine. Those trigger asthma, not help it. Do NOT get an ionizer type air purifier. Those produce ozone as a by product which can aggravate asthma.
-Get rid of new carpeting and replace with hard wood floors if you can afford it.
-Vacuum once a week and wear a dust mask when you clean or vacuum.
- Get tested for food allergies. Stop eating dairy, nuts (especially peanuts) and processed foods for at least a month to see if you improve. Try to eat organic and more vegetables and fruits. Eat lots of garlic which is a natural anti-inflammatory. (you can get supplements.)
-Check your work environment. Are you being exposed to chemicals or allergens or mold there? Is your job making things worse? If so, it might be time to change jobs or get a doctor’s note for your boss.
- Get a second opinion if you feel your current doc is not helping you.
- Get a neti pot for sinus infections (they have worked wonders for me and you can get one cheap at Wal-greens) You poor salt or saline solution into warm water to irrigate your sinuses.
- Get tested for general allergies and get allergy shots if you can afford them. They can be very helpful for some asthmatics. (they’ve helped me)
- Some folks are sensitive to extremely dry air. If you must get a humidifier, get one that’s easy to clean and replace the filters often since they can grow mold themselves
- Get good high filtration filters like Filtrete for your heating and cooling system in your house. Those alone, can make a difference. Remember to replace them regularly.
- Stop smoking, if you smoke. (I know it’s hard but the reason I have asthma is because I was around my mom’s second hand smoke growing up) Don’t smoke around your kids if you can help it.
- Stop drinking. Alcohol is a nervous system depressant. A beer every once in awhile is probably fine but if you’re a heavy drinker, it could be affecting your lungs.
- Learn breathing exercises. Take yoga classes which are great for asthma. Listen to relaxation tapes when you get home from work.
- Wean yourself off of prednizone if you can little by little and gradually get onto an inhaled steroid instead. They have less side effects and get directly into the lungs better. (I’m personally on Asmanex which is a brand new one) Oral steroids have long term side effects. Get off of them if you can and switch to an inhaled steroid.
- Exercise. I know exercise can irritate asthma for some, but build up slowly. Start with walking. It’s one of the best ways to build up your breathing capacity over time.
- Get tested for acid reflux. Have heartburn, or tightness in your chest after you eat? Chronic acid reflux can result from overuse of oral steroids. They make the esophagus weak, and acid comes up more easily. This can eventually, irritate the lungs. Stay away from spicey foods or high acid foods like tomatoes. If you notice tightness in your chest after eating things like icecream or chocolate, those are acid reflux triggers. Stop certain foods for awhile and see if you improve. Stick to a bland diet for at least a month to see if there’s a difference.
- Use your peak flow meter. If you don’t have one, ask your doc for one. It measures your true breathing capacity if you’re not sure how “tight” you are getting.
- Use a scarf in the winter to keep the air going into your lungs warm and moist. Extreme temperature changes can trigger symptoms.
- Close your car windows and use the air in the summer on especially hot days. Ozone triggers asthma.
- Are you an artist? Is your favorite hobby making you sic
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