Coping with Asthma Attacks

With around 26 million sufferers in the USA alone, asthma is a common problem that many people face the daily challenge of living with. While it is frequently a chronic condition; it can be managed but not cured, the good news is that there are several options for effective asthma management.

Types of Asthma

Asthma is a respiratory problem, which shows itself in the form of breathing difficulties and frequently, wheezing. These symptoms result from narrowing of the bronchioles, which are the airways in the lungs. During an asthma attack, the muscles in the bronchioles contract, making the airways smaller and mucus is excreted within the bronchioles, which makes breathing even harder.

Asthma is classified in various ways, the most common being by severity, which can be mild, moderate or severe and by persistence, which refers to how often the patient experiences the symptoms. Asthma can also be classified by its trigger; for example, allergic asthma and exercise-induced asthma or by its symptoms, nocturnal asthma and cough variant asthma.

Taking Control

In extreme cases, asthma can be fatal, so it is important that patients work closely with their doctors to establish effective control of the disease. The aim is to prevent or minimize symptoms to the greatest degree possible. This is often achieved with medications such as inhalers and nebulizers, which are used regularly and over the long-term, if not permanently. These drugs are usually only available on prescription, but may be purchased for competitive prices at online pharmacies such as Canadadrugcenter.com. It is essential that anyone with asthma takes their drugs exactly as prescribed; because once control has been achieved it must be maintained. Stopping medication or taking it in different dosages to those prescribed can result in loss of control of the asthma and the risk of suffering symptoms which can, as we have seen, be life-threatening.

Patients with asthma should see their doctor at least once a year for a check-up, although many will need to be monitored more frequently than this.

Living Well with Asthma

Many patients, particularly those recently diagnosed, find living with asthma stressful. Gaining good control of asthma should reduce that stress, but it may be necessary to adapt their lives to the condition. For example, those whose asthma is triggered by excessive exercise will need to avoid it; people who find that cold air triggers their asthma may have to limit their exposure to low temperatures and the obese may find that they have to lose weight in order to gain control of their asthma. There are many things that patients can do for themselves in order to limit the impact of asthma on their daily lives. These include:

• Become an expert in asthma, learn all about it. Informed patients will generally gain more from consultations with their doctors.
• Slow down and consider relaxation techniques to manage stress, especially in cases where stress is an asthma trigger.
• Investigate and consider breathing techniques, such as Buteyko breathing.
• Identify triggers and eliminate them where possible.
• Stop smoking and maintain a healthy weight.

Of course, none of these are a substitute for medical care. However, with a ‘can do’ attitude and skilled medical assistance, there is no reason why a person with asthma cannot live a full and fulfilling life.