5 Tips How to Prevent Asthma

A chronic but manageable condition, asthma occurs when the bronchial passageways in your lungs become inflamed. In turn, this causes your bronchial muscles to tighten up, forcing fluids into your air passageways. The result is difficulty breathing, which can range from minor to severe.


1

Know what triggers your asthma attacks. No two cases of asthma are identical and thousands of different irritants, from smog to air that's too cold, can cause an attack. Understand your personal circumstances, and try your best to avoid situations that bring a heightened probability of causing an asthma attack.

2

Don't smoke. While this is sound medical advice for anyone, asthma or no asthma, it is particularly important that asthma sufferers take extra-good care of their lungs.

3

Communicate with your doctor. Managing asthma requires you to co-operate with your doctor to assess your triggers and form a step-by-step plan to manage them. Your doctor can help you form an effective strategy for using your medications and to prevent acute attacks, as well as recognizing situations that cause lung and bronchial irritation.

4

Use a breathing monitor. Many asthma sufferers use a home peak airflow meter to measure their optimal breathing capacity, so that in the event that their breathing becomes compromised, they can recognize the decrease in airflow immediately. This is particularly important because your lung functioning can sometimes be impaired even if you aren't showing any symptoms of restricted breathing or an impending attack.

5

Learn to spot the warning signs of a pending asthma attack. Even the slightest shortness of breath, cough or wheeze might be a sign that an asthma attack is pending. Keep your medication handy and treat any difficulty breathing early, so as to prevent the onset of a more severe attack. Acting early to treat an attack also allows you to cut down on the amount of medication that you need to use to relieve your symptoms. This will allow for better long-term management of your condition.

By an eHow Contributor
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