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Posts Tagged ‘Asthma’

Tips on Exercising For Asthma

June 8th, 2010 Dan Hicks No comments

People who suffer from asthma are usually afraid to do some tiring exercise. Usually, they are worrying that the disease might attack in the middle of the exercise activity. However, many experts believe that doing exercise regularly will bring significant advantages physical and mental health of the asthma sufferers. Surely, they have to do it in the right and proper way. If you belong to asthma sufferers, this information will be very helpful for you.

The most common symptoms of asthma that usually occur when you do exercise is coughing, tightness, pain in the chest, as well as shortness of breath. When these symptoms occur, you should stop their physical activity immediately. To prevent these disease attacks during exercising activity, you can do these following useful tips.

First, you have to choose a certain kind of exercise that they really can handle well. Some exercise that might be great choice for asthma sufferers are walking, swimming, riding a bike, as well as hiking. These kinds of exercise needs less physical move than tennis, hockey, gymnastics, long distance running, and many other else. You could also consult their doctors to choose the most appropriate type of exercise for you.

Second, you can take advantage of your inhaler. You can use your inhaler about 15 minutes before you start to exercise. Besides, makes sure that your inhaler is always close enough to you. You will never know when the attack might hit you. Therefore, providing inhaler as first aid near you is very important.

Third, breathing through your nose during the exercise is also important. Mouth breathing tends to trigger asthma attack since it causes you to inhale cold air right into the bronchial tube. In contrary, the air that you heal will be filtered well when you are breathing through your nose. Besides, nose breathing also allows the air to be warmer before reaching the lungs.

The fourth thing you need to do is looking for a certain area that free from pollutions and allergens. However you should also avoid area with too many trees or grass. Then, you should also be aware of the symptoms of asthma that occur during the exercise. If you feel very tired and your chest begins to be tightening, you should be notice that those are the initial symptoms of asthma. Usually, those symptoms will be followed by wheezing. Stop doing any physical activity when these symptoms occur.

By following those tips, asthma sufferers could still have exercise with less risk of asthma attack. Do not let asthma attack prevent you to have regular exercise activity.

Asthma Signs and Symptoms

May 22nd, 2010 Dan Hicks No comments

If you want to know about the asthma signs and symptoms you need to do a little research. However you will find that if you went to a doctor he or she would be able to give you all of the information you need. However, if you have access to the internet there are quite a few online sites that have a lot of information on the subject. There are not many asthma signs and symptoms so we will cover some of the in the article below.

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What you need to know is that there are at least two other illness that have similar signs and symptoms to asthma. So you will need to know how to separate the three. We will also go over the other two with you, because all of them tend to affect the same areas of the body.

The first thing that you need to know is that you can contract asthma if you have a tendency towards allergies. You will find that most allergies can turn into asthma. The good news is, however, that this is not the types of asthma that stays with you for the rest of your life. We all know that normal asthma suffers have to change their lifestyle, because they cannot too much exercise.

With Allergy induced asthma you have to know that it is brought on by the allergy you suffer from like being allergic to feline hair. This is because your body releases what is called histamines. It is this histamine that could cause the asthma to appear in the first place, because it creates a swelling or inflammation effect in the airway, this means that shortness of breath is one of the most common asthma signs and symptoms.

This unfortunately is a symptom of emphysema and bronchitis too. When you get bronchitis you will feel a little out of breath, and it tend to inflame your airways too. This is also true for emphysema, but the difference with emphysema is that your condition will worsen overtime. The airway will get narrower and narrower and it is not something that you can control and live with.

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The asthma you will find that you can live with it. In fact, there are millions of people around the world living quite comfortably with asthma. With bronchitis on the other hand, all you need is some medication from a doctor and a little time and you will be good to go in not time.
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Other symptoms of asthma are wooziness on the chest and a painful cough. Again, these two things are also associated to bronchitis and emphysema. This is why you cannot diagnose any of these three things on your own.

If you are sure that you have at least one of these things, you need to get yourself to a doctor as soon as is possible. you need to make sure that you get treated, especially if you find that the asthma signs and symptoms you are finding are pointing more to emphysema than any of the other two.

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Relieve Asthma in 5 Steps

May 11th, 2010 Dan Hicks No comments

Asthma attacks can be really dangerous, especially since it can escalate quickly and cause severe damages to your health. This is why learning how to relieve asthma is a necessity for people suffering from the disease, so, they can easily manage and recover from any asthma attack.

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But how can one quickly deal with asthma?
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Here are five simple steps you can take to get asthma relief during an attack:

1. Calm down. An asthma attack can cause anxiety to some patients, but you should know that this can only make matters worse. By panicking, you’ll only make your body need more air, which is already hard to do since your airways are already constricting due to the asthma episode. So, if you’re already sensing the onset of an attack, make sure to keep your calm.

2. Grab your fast relief meds. Quick acting medications are always your number one aid when it comes to asthma attacks. So, as much as you can, always keep you fast relief medications like inhalers, at hand. This will help you prevent a full blown episode and may even save you from further damages.

3. Remove or get yourself away from the thing that triggered your attack. Generally, asthma attacks are triggered by something. Once your asthma episode has already kicked in, you should also immediately identify what has caused it, so you can get away from it. If its exercise, stop whatever you’re doing; if it’s environmental, get yourself away from it or have someone remove it in the vicinity so you can stop the attack from worsening and make your attack stop.

4. Monitor the developments. Sometimes, depending what triggered your attack and how severe your asthma condition is, fast acting meds won’t work as effectively as possible. So, make sure to monitor yourself after taking the asthma drugs. This will not only help you recover, but it will also help you assess what to do next in case your medication didn’t work.

5. Start on other ways how to relieve asthma. Aside from quick-relief meds, there are still other ways to deal with your condition. Make sure to learn these other ways so you can have more options in getting asthma relief.

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Remember, asthma may be a common health condition millions all over the world suffer from, but it doesn’t mean that it should be taken lightly. Make sure to really find ways how to relieve asthma so you can help yourself control and fully manage this condition, allowing you to live a normal, active life.

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Asthma and Hospital Stays

May 5th, 2010 Dan Hicks No comments

Children usually recover very quickly from attacks such as these once the asthma has been controlled by emergency action. Sufferers rarely spend more than one or two nights in hospital. While your child is in hospital the doctors may do some tests, such as a chest x-ray, to eliminate any other causes for the breathing difficulty. Make sure you know the danger signs so you can call for help as soon as it is needed.

Let the emergency services know what you have noticed about your child’s condition. Do not panic. No matter how difficult it is, try to appear calm to avoid alarming your child further. So, what happens in an emergency? You need to phone for an ambulance immediately if you notice that your child’s lips, tongue or the bends of her fingernails show any bluish tinge.

You also need to stay with your child. All her body systems are deprived of oxygen and are starting to slow down. Her condition is now life threatening. You need to tell the emergency service about your child’s condition; how she is breathing, her skin color, etc, so that they arrive fully equipped to deal with the crisis. Your child will immediately be given oxygen. Once she reaches hospital, anti asthma drugs may be given intravenously.

She may also be put on a drip to replace any fluid lost through dehydration. These are the signs that your child’s condition is now very serious and needs immediate medical attention:
- her peak flow is one third of normal
- she is unable to speak
- she has chest pains
- her breathing has become shallow
- her lips, tongue or fingernail beds are turning blue
- her level of awareness drops, or she loses consciousness

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Children With Asthma

May 1st, 2010 Dan Hicks No comments

Despite the fact that asthma is becoming increasingly common, some children with the condition do feel isolated and different from their friends. It is important that you do everything you can to dispel these feelings and help your child to live as normal a life as possible. Apart from the times when your child feels really unwell, there is no reason why he should not do all the things other children does.

If your child finds himself constantly excluded from activities that he sees others enjoying, he will feel miserable and depressed, so it is essential that he is allowed to play and take part in other physical activities just like everyone else. You may find that as your child gets older and becomes more image conscious he starts to refuse to take his medication to school and is reluctant to use an inhaler in front of friends in case they see it as a sign of weakness.

Even if he does take the medication with him, he may decide not to take it. You may need a new strategy. Make sure your child knows what triggers an attack. Do not allow your child to use his asthma as an excuse for not joining in. Tell your child how common asthma is and work with him to find out more about the condition. Allow him to take control of his own medication as soon as he is old enough.

Involve him in any discussion in his medication. Resist the urge to be overprotective. Encourage him to participate in all childhood activities as far as possible.

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Asthma and School Teachers

April 11th, 2010 Dan Hicks No comments

Teachers are encouraged to work in partnership with parents on all aspects of school life, including health issues. It will also help your child’s academic progress if you can develop a close relationship with teachers. If she does have to take time off school you will then be able to talk to them about what work can be completed at home. You can obtain a range of information packs designed specifically for teachers to help them and their other pupils understand asthma and its implications.

What is the teacher is unhelpful? Occasionally an asthmatic child may come up against an unsympathetic teacher, who can seriously dent her confidence. If she suddenly becomes very anxious when it is time to go to school which, in itself, can bring on an asthma attack, you need to investigate possible causes and discuss the matter with the head teacher.

While you need to feel confident that your child is well cared for, you also have to make it clear to the school that you are not asking for special treatment and that she should not be routinely excluded from any activity. Not should she be allowed to use her asthma as an excuse for bas behavior. An older child will gradually gain more independence, including staying overnight with friends.

Ask her friends’ parents not to treat her differently, but make sure they know the signs that an attack is imminent. If your child is using her preventer properly she will need to use her reliever a lot less and on most days not all.

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A few words about asthma

March 27th, 2010 Dan Hicks No comments

Food is very often found to be the most frequent cause for asthma or lung difficulties. The foods that most commonly cause this condition are eggs, shellfish, nuts and fish. There are other food substances that can cause asthma symptoms and other related breathing conditions and these include wheat, milk, citrus, cheese, chocolate and also the artificial colorings that are added to food. It is very important to try and eliminate the things that can cause asthma, as this will help you to prevent an attack.

Asthma attacks can be very stressful and regardless of how sever the attacks have been in the past you can take reassurance that the developments in treatments can help to reduce the severity of the attacks that you suffer from and in some cases it can help to keep attacks to a minimum.

There is several different things can be very beneficial for people that suffer from this conditions. These things are able to prevent attacks and also reduce the severity of the attack. Astragalus is a form of Chinese herb and it is able to increase the protective energy of the individual person and it also strengthens the lungs. Mullein is able to strengthen the respiratory system of the individual. Lobelia is able to relax the nervous system whilst stimulating the respiratory system and it cleanses the air passages.
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The sulphur compound that is found in onions is another good way of reducing the severity of this condition. The mustard oils within the onions prevent the inflammatory response, which is what lead to an asthma attack and other related respiratory conditions. Magnesium supplement can help to control this condition because people that suffer from this condition often have a deficiency in magnesium.

If you suffer from this condition these things can help to keep the attacks at a minimum and reduce their severity however it is a good idea to use these along with the assistance that the doctor may give you.

Viral Induced Asthma

March 4th, 2010 Dan Hicks 1 comment

Asthma is a chronic ailment which affects the respiratory system. Not only is this condition inconvenient and unpredictable when neglected it can also become deadly. In actuality, according to surveys, asthma accounts for about 20% of the hospital admittance made each year, 3-5% of which is fatal. There are many factors that can cause the disease, allergies, exercise, stress, cold weather, and even viruses. Taking a deeper look at the role viruses play in bringing about the symptoms, here are a few facts about viral induced asthma along with the avoidance tips that you might want to keep in mind:

  • Viral induced asthma is what happens when viruses cause or worsen asthma symptoms. When faced with a viral infection the body counteracts by triggering and inflammatory response to attack the viruses and defend itself. While for non asthmatics this response can help hasten recovery for those who are afflicted by the condition, this response can cause swelling and increased sensitivity of airway cells as well as the excessive production of mucus, thereby worsening the problem.
  • Simple viruses like influenza A or rhinovirus can be anything but common or simple for asthmatics as it can further irritate the already sensitive air passages, triggering flare-ups and even worsening attacks. Research has also found that another virus namely; the Respiratory Syncytial Virus have been known to bring about symptoms similar to asthma when contracted and is already linked to death of small children in rare occasions.
  • In adults RSV can also cause wheezing even for individuals who have no history of asthma and induce symptoms to those who are already afflicted. What’s good about viral induced asthma (although there may be nothing really good about it) is that, viral induced asthma cases tend to wax and wane along with the seasons. Rhinovirus for example has a peak season in late fall, and influenza A usually peaks in late winter. RSV on the other hand is most common during the winter months, peaking from January to February in the northern hemisphere.
  • The bad news is that at this moment there are no medications that can permanently rid the mentioned viruses as well as prevent the attacks associated with asthma. Your primary weapon would be precaution and avoidance. Getting your flu-shot, frequent hand washing and temporarily limiting contact with people who have upper respiratory symptoms are some of the good tips that you should be keeping in mind as well.

If you want to know more about viral induced asthma as well as the additional steps you can take in order to avoid it, ask your health care provider or check out medical sites on the internet as both will surely be able to provide you with the information that you need.

Unstable Breathing

February 5th, 2010 Dan Hicks No comments

As infants, all of us have already been practicing proper breathing; that’s a fact. Try observing small children, when they breathe it is not the upper chest that does most of the work, this is because smaller children and infants use their lower respiratory organs to breathe. For most part this breathing method utilizes the lower respiratory organs, meaning; diaphragm and abdomen. This in turn balances pressure within the three major respiratory organs and assures full oxygen circulation all throughout the body.

As we grow older sadly we either tend to forget this method or we are taught differently. Most of us have been informed that the proper way of breathing would be chest breathing, for so long most have been fed with this idea that breathing using the abdomen and diaphragm is not only improper but also unnecessary.

Now science has proven this otherwise as breathing using the chest muscles alone weakens the other breathing organs and puts entire pressure on the upper respiratory organ which is the chest. This can lead to shortness of breath, inefficient lung usage and for asthmatics, can even trigger or worsen their condition. But this method of incorrect breathing can be reversed through the use of breathing techniques.

Breathing techniques like Pranayama, Buteyko, and Papworth have been known to help a lot of asthmatics deal and successfully manage their condition by correcting erroneous methods of breathing. While these three may differ in core principles and base techniques, each of them provides common sense methods along with rational explanations as to why some asthma causes and breathing are in a sense, highly related.

Take Buteyko for example. The particular formulation of this technique was based on the premise that asthmatics tend to over-breathe during flare-ups and attacks thereby worsening the condition. It has also further concluded and proven that hyperventilation caused by over-breathing highly diminishes the affectivity of carbon dioxide within the body to ease inflamed respiratory muscles. Papworth although slightly similar in terms of techniques, revolves around its core principle, which is the importance of nasal and diaphragmatic breathing as well as the individual development of breathing patterns within each individual to suit every activity, which also minimizes, if not, eliminates the chances of EIA or exercise induced asthma.

Pranayama on the other hand have long been used in India and is, in one way or another basis for the development and eventually creation of the Buteyko breathing method. This yogic method has been known to teach individuals the achievement of greater well-being through the use of breathing alone. Even from a simple standpoint asthma causes and breathing are in a way, have been, and always related. If you would like to know more about any of the methods mentioned above, check the internet for medical journals or articles, you never know, you might actually find the alternative that you have so long been looking for as well.

Smoking and Asthma

December 3rd, 2009 Dan Hicks No comments

The chemicals in cigarette smoke irritate the lungs, which in someone with asthma are already inflamed. If you have asthma, smoking is about the most dangerous thing you can do and the best thing to do is stop. Many smokers fear that is they quit they will put on weight. Some people do indeed gain weight, but usually only a few kilograms which are lost in a matter of months.

Smoking reduces the appetite so when you give up cigarettes, food tastes better and you eat more. Moreover, many smokers enjoy a cigarette after a meal. When you give up that may be replaced by a second helping or a dessert. If you are hungry, snack on fresh fruit and vegetables. If you feel you need hypnotherapy, acupuncture, nicotine patches or chewing gum to help you, by all means use them, but sometimes all they do is put off the day when you throw away the cigarettes, ashtray and lighter.

You will have a tough couple of weeks and you will need the support and tolerance of friends and family, but it will be worth the effort. You may experience withdrawal symptoms, such as irritability and sleeping problems. Be proud that you have given up smoking, take it one day at a time and congratulate yourself at the end of the day.

Do not be tempted to have just one cigarette. It will probably lead to another and another. Acid air is caused when gases such as nitrogen oxides and sulfur dioxide react with water vapor. Not much is known about its effects. Power stations, cars, lorries and heavy industry are among the main contributors to atmospheric pollution.