Ways To Gain Control Over Asthma
July 28, 2009
Working in a synergy the patient and the doctor can succeed in designing a methodical planning to live with Asthma and avoid the attacks as well.
Developing of a written plan to fight Asthma: It is suggested to prepare a specific plan with the assistance from the doctor and the team of health care professionals, so as to take proper “maintenance medications”, and handle severe attacks.
Once the plan is made, one should be certain and focused enough to follow it. The asthmatic condition is a continuing issue which needs a regular and constant vigil and specific treatments accordingly. A control over the treatment would raise the confidence level and make a person feel more in control of ones life.
Identification and ways for avoiding asthma triggers: There are quite a few open-air irritants and allergens, ranging from mold and pollen grains to air pollution and cold air that are capable of triggering asthmatic attacks. A patient of allergic asthma needs to find out which of these are potent to cause asthma or trigger the same in one and needs to accordingly avoid it.
Keep a check on the breathing: The patient needs to learn how to identify the warning symptoms of an imminent attack of asthma. Signs like breathing problems like that of short breath, minor coughing, wheezing are the ones to look out for. However, as it is possible for the victim’s lung function to decrease before any symptom for an imminent attack gets visible, hence a regular measure of the “peak airflow” with the help of a “home peak flow meter” is necessary.
Identification of and treating the attacks at an early stage: A quick action lessens the chance of the severity of the attack. The requirement of heavy medications is also not required in such cases. As soon as the “peak flow measurement” decreases alarming of an imminent attack, an immediate intake of the medicines as directed with a stop to any activity which triggers the attack would help. In case the situation does not improve, a medical help should be taken as directed by the physician in the action plan.
No letting up on the medication program should be done: One should not stop or change any medication steps in the action plan directives without consulting the physician just because the asthmatic condition is on an improvement mode. It is always suggested to carry the medications to each visit to the doctor, as they can do a check on the medicines and suggest if any changes are required.
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