How to Control Asthma Attacks

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Limit asthma attacks by learning how to anticipate and prevent them.

To complete this How-To you will need:

A medical doctor
Knowledge of symptoms, warning signs, and triggers
Preventive measures
A peak-flow monitor

Step 1: Recognize the symptoms

Recognize asthma symptoms, which include wheezing, breathing problems that become worse after physical activity, coughing fits, especially at night or when lying down, and colds that last more than ten days.

Tip: A family history of asthma increases your chances of having the disease.

Step 2: See a doctor

If you suspect you have asthma, have a medical doctor evaluate your condition. You may benefit from daily medication to prevent attacks. You may also need to carry a quick-reliever, like an inhaler, in case an attack occurs.

Tip: Contrary to what some people think, cough medicine doesn't relieve asthma symptoms.

Step 3: Know the warning signs

Learn to recognize the warning signs of an attack so you can treat it before it becomes severe. Common symptoms include chest tightness, coughing, spitting up phlegm, wheezing, and a whistling noise when you breathe.

Tip: An asthma attack causes airways to swell and become inflamed and the muscles around the airways to contract, causing your breathing tubes to narrow.

Step 4: Avoid triggers

Try to avoid or limit your exposure to things that spark attacks. Common triggers include pollen, mold, dust, animals, tobacco smoke, smog, strenuous exercise, certain cleaning products, perfume, cold air, and aspirin and other pain relievers.

Tip: To reduce contact with dust mites, use mattress and pillow covers, don't use down bedding, and don't sleep with stuffed animals on your bed.

Step 5: Monitor your attacks

Get a peak-flow meter, a device that measures airflow from the lungs. Blow into the meter when you're not having an attack to determine your "personal best" reading. You can compare the number against future measurements, helping to confirm when an attack may be imminent and determine if your medicine is working.

Step 6: Know when to get help

Go to the emergency room if you can't speak more than short phrases, are straining to breathe, or if your peak-flow reading is less than 50 percent of your personal best.

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Category:

Howto & Style

Tags:

• HealthBeauty
• health
• nutrition
• diseases
• asthma
• Respiratory
• attacks
• anticipating
• preventing
• treating
• controlling

[Dragonblood09]

but now i run like the wind and still doing exerciseing in gyms and other stuff.  people with asthma get stronger not weaker with it

[sparkstarr12]

Here is a little tip to all the asthmatics who want to rid of asthma COMPLETELY. First off and most important, DO NOT follow any of the instructions of the video above (especially peak flow meter and bronchodilator medications), they are designed by the pharmaceutical companies that keep the real cure to Asthma in the shadow, for financial reasons obviously. Search up a program called the "buteyko method", and watch your asthma dissapear. Like this comment for others to read!!

[Johnmartine63]

Get a doctor.... how about how to without insurance? This stupid!

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[TeamUrameshi92]

Asthma has left me for a couple of years now. I used to have a breathing machine given to me by doctors. I'm used to taste the water that came through the pipe where I was supposed to breath through. Now, I'm watching this video on what happened to me when I was like, 7. This is for my 3rd Period Science Class for homework choices.

[growoutofasthma]

How do doctors and drug companies explain how some people 'grow out of asthma', and others "grow into asthma"? How come things like mites, dust, etc don't cause you asthma when you grow out of it? How come the triggers didn't give you asthma before if you have "late onset" asthma?

How come some people get less asthma when they move to a different climate, and others get more asthma when they move to that same climate?

How come asthmatics do "that breathing" during an attack?

[Tiyong55]

@Dragonblood09 my asthma gone away and came back after a few years :(

[sssssdeep1]

@nyyankeefan09 thnxxxxxxx

[nyyankeefan09]

Do what I did--my daughter suffers from terrible allergies and asthma.. i didnt like'her on all those meds and inhalers from these Dr's...i decided to put her on 1000 IU Vitamin D per day and GUESS WHAT...NO MORE MEDS OR INHALERS..VITAMIN D IS THE WAY TO GO AND DOCTORS WILL NEVER TELL YOU IT HELP CAUSE THERE IS NO MONEY IN IT FOR THEM WHEN IT COMES TO NATURAL CURES....GOOGLE VITAMIN D IT IS A TRUE MIRACLE FROM GOD