Asthma can restrict your ability to live and enjoy life by preventing you from doing even basic activities, such as taking a walk outside. But you should know that your symptoms can get better if you take the appropriate steps to improve your asthma. This article contains several easy tips for you to start getting your asthma under control.

Avoid living with smokers. Ask your partner to quit if you have asthma. If you absolutely have to live with smokers, try to get them to smoke outside the house. In the worst case scenario, buy some smoke-eating candles and air out your house as much as possible so that no harmful chemicals remain in the air.

Learn how to recognize asthma so you can treat it. When you get asthma, you usually have difficulties breathing and feel as if your chest were getting tighter. Asthma is often accompanied by coughing and wheezing. If you experience different symptoms, you might have another illness that requires more medical attention.

If you’re using your inhaler more than twice a week, you should talk to your doctor about additional asthma treatments. An inhaler is meant only for emergency relief and if you’re periodically relying on it, then your current asthma treatment isn’t effective enough. Overuse of an inhaler can be harmful and you should avoid potential problems, right away.

You and your loved ones need to get a flu vaccination every year. When you are afflicted with asthma, steer as clear as you can of all types of respiratory infections. The easiest way to start is by performing routine hand-washing, limiting your touching of surfaces while in public places, and getting vaccinations recommended by your doctor.

Keep the humidity in your home at a controlled level with a dehumidifier. Environments that are dry and clean should stay at the top of your list of asthma treatments. Ensuring the humidity is low in your home means you live and breathe in more ideal conditions that help to avoid triggers to your attacks that are seasonal.

Keep your home free of dust and other triggers, especially where the person who suffers from asthma sleeps. Only allow food in the kitchen, and never smoke indoors. Try to avoid using any harsh chemicals or bleach in the home while cleaning; and, once the home is cleaned, air it out.

Do not let having asthma get to you. Many people get depressed when they find out that they have asthma because they think their whole life will change. This is not true. As long as you take your treatments as directed by your doctor, you can continue to do most of the things that you used to.

If your doctor prescribes you a preventative inhaler, use it! Consider your preventative inhaler to be part of your daily pharmaceutical regimen, just like any other medication. If you don’t use the inhaler, the medication it contains can’t help you. Plus, if your doctor can’t trust you to take your medications, they can’t effectively treat your asthma.

Make sure you use your preventative inhaler that is prescribed by your doctor. Note that a preventative inhaler is different than a rescue inhaler, which is used during an acute attack. A preventative inhaler, on the other hand, dispenses medicine designed to keep the air flowing, which reduces acute attacks.

Focus on your breathing techniques to help you better manage your asthma. You may find yourself breathing rapidly but shallowly because it seems like you cannot get enough air into your lungs. Focus on taking deep breaths from your diaphragm to maximize the amount of oxygen you are receiving and to lessen the sudden inflammation of an asthma attack.

For temporary relief of asthma symptoms there are quick-relief medications. They are oral corticosteroids and bronchodilators. Bronchodilators are often called rescue medication and open up airways and allow more air to flow through. Corticosteroids are designed for short-term use and are either swallowed or given by injection. They work by treating inflammation in airways.

You should definitely use your preventative inhaler on a daily basis. However, you should be warned that the drug can also cause infections in your mouth, particularly near your teeth and gums. Always brush and gargle as soon as you’ve finished using your inhaler to prevent mouth infections.

A doctor will generally prescribe two different asthma inhalers. One of them will be a brown inhaler which should be taken regularly, and the other will be a blue inhaler for emergencies. You should always carry your blue inhaler with you in case you have an asthma attack, and make sure to stay on top of refilling the prescription as needed. In the event of an asthma attack, if the blue inhaler is not helping, do not hesitate to call 911.

You might find that just taking asthma medication isn’t enough to control all of the symptoms. If so, you should supplement your medication by applying these simple tips that will relieve your symptoms, improve the health and condition of your lungs, and prevent symptoms from going out of control.

Don’t Let Asthma Ruin Your Day, Try These Effective Tips was originally published on Spring