Living with Asthma

There is currently no cure available for asthma, however new discoveries in the medical research field are increasing the medications and techniques used to monitor and treat asthma in patients with the disease.

Because asthma has become so prevalent across the world, new treatment plans and tests are available, allowing the asthma patient a much more comfortable life and manageable condition than ever before.

Among both children and adults, asthma is one of the most common illnesses in the world.  Because asthma is considered a chronic illness, treatment regimens for patients must be followed accordingly in order to reduce the affects and ongoing health problems that can result from mismanagement of the condition.

It imperative for the asthma patient to remember the list of allergens given to them by their physician, as well as any new ones that seem to cause flare-ups or attacks. These allergens include, but are not limited to:

Other suggestions for a healthy life for asthma patients include:

• Not smoking, or being around smoke. This is especially critical for young children and infants with asthma.
• Keeping the home temperature constant, when possible, as well as having the heating and cooling system of the home cleaned annually to remove potential allergens from the air.
• Frequent vacuuming of all living areas, mattresses and pillows.
• Using humidifiers in order to keep air moist, however it is imperative to clean the filter of the humidifier frequently, even daily.
• Avoid wearing perfumes, or other scented lotions, sprays or powders. Again, this is especially important when the asthma patient is a young child who may be more susceptible to this type of irritant.
• Frequent housecleaning, to reduce the presence of dust, dust mites and other irritants.
• Avoid being outside during pollen season as much as possible.

It is obviously important to avoid any known allergen or irritant in order to maintain the effectiveness of a patient’s treatment plan.

Asthma is a chronic illness, and attacks tend to occur over a long period of time.  Most patients experience acute attacks, however in general, most asthmatics indicate that there are quite frequently very long periods of time during which they suffer very limited amounts of symptoms, if any.

Asthma is a progressive condition and it changes frequently throughout the lifetime of someone who has been diagnosed.  Children diagnosed at a very young age may grow out of asthma, but some adult asthmatics were children with the illness who outgrew it, and then developed asthma again later in their life.

Patients should choose to live healthy in many areas of their life, including their diet, sleep and exercise habits. It is important to ensure that the body is healthy and able to resist the negative and harmful effects of asthma.  Stress management is also important, as stress and charged emotions can serve as a very active trigger for attacks in some affected people.

Reasons for Concern

If an asthma patient notices any of the following as true, or sees some other sign of a problem with the management of their asthma, they should be in touch with their treating physician as soon as possible. This is because the patient may be worsening, or their medications may need to be adjusted after a certain time period.  The reasons to contact the physician include:

• Repeated illness, specifically of the “chest cold” variety.
• Frequent attacks that cannot be managed with the current medications.
• Frequent school or work absences as a result of asthma related symptoms or asthma attacks,
• Increased need for inhalers, and other fast-reaction medications. (The physician will generally provide the patient with a number that indicated when to call the office for an appointment or adjustment in treatment.)
• Worsening symptoms
• Increased frequency of symptoms

Asthma Guide

• Asthma Information
• Symptoms of Asthma
• Asthma Treatment
• Controlling an Asthma Attack
• Asthma and Allergy
• Vocal Cord Dysfunction
• Acid Reflux and Asthma
• Asthma Causes and Triggers
• Asthma and Pregnancy

• Asthma Medications and Pregnancy
• Exercise Induced Asthma
• Asthma and Exercise
• Occupational Asthma
• Peak Flow Meters
• Asthma Diagnosis
• Asthma Statistics
• Asthma and Altitude
• Living with Asthma