When you or a loved one has asthma, avoiding all your triggers may be impossible. There are ways you can minimize environmental triggers and possibly achieve better asthma control.
Clean Thoughtfully
Minimizing dust and other allergens inside your home is important to reduce the incidence of asthma attacks. Ideally, you should purchase hypoallergenic bedding, which reduces or eliminates dust mites that enjoy living on your bed. It is best to avoid carpet inside your home and rely on hardwood or laminate floors. These are easier to keep clean and dust free.
If you choose to have carpet, you need to invest in regular, deep cleanings, especially during times of the year when you are more likely to track outdoor allergens inside. Purchase a high quality vacuum cleaner for removing dust and dirt. Avoid bagless vacuums because dumping out the dirt often causes more particles to become disbursed in the air. You want a vacuum that collects dust and dirt inside a bag. It is easy to remove the bag when it is full and throw it away.
Pay Attention to the Weather
Your local weather forecast can be important for reducing your exposure to asthma triggers. Typically, your weather forecast will give you information about air quality, humidity, and wind. During the warmer months, try to remain inside when air quality is especially poor. When the weather is hot and humid, you may also notice problems with breathing. Windy weather may be especially problematic during allergy season because more allergens are ambient outside. For the colder months, wrapping a scarf around your nose and mouth when outside may be helpful. The air is often cold and dry during these months, which can irritate your airway and contribute to an asthma attack.
Be Mindful of Your Inhaler Use
You should have a general idea of how often you use your inhaler and if any environmental or emotional triggers contribute to increased use. If you are using your inhaler often, it may be time to re-evaluate your current asthma therapy. Even if you never needed to use daily asthma therapy in the past, it is possible for your asthma to become worse, or changes in your environment, such as moving to a different location, may warrant more aggressive treatment. Daily asthma medications may be taken orally or inhaled and may provide better, continuous control over your symptoms.
Asthma is a serious condition, and, for some people, it is difficult to maintain regular control of symptoms. Minimizing environmental concerns that can contribute to asthma attacks and paying attention to any changes in your symptoms can give you the best chance at controlling asthma. Talk to a doctor like those at North Texas Allergy for more information.
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