I have had asthma my entire life so to me it is normal. As I am getting older and the medication available is becoming more advanced, I have found that my asthma symptoms are definitely improving…but I doubt that they will ever go away completely. This is just something that I have learnt to live with, and will need to live with for the rest of my life.
Along with taking the medication prescribed to you by your Doctor, here are some easy lifestyle tips to help you manage you asthma symptoms:
- Avoid your triggers - everyone's triggers are different. One of my biggest triggers is cats - because of this, I will never own a cat and when I am visiting friends and family I try to stay away from their cats too.
- Stop Smoking - not only is smoking bad for your overall health, but it can also trigger an asthma attack. It also makes the medication you take less effective. It is important to be aware that second hand smoke can be just as bad for asthmatics so you should stay in a smoke-free environment.
- Get Regular Exercise - although physical activity can trigger asthma symptoms, these should reduce (or stop) once you build up your fitness levels. I remember my doctor telling me once that I when I start wheezing I need to stop and think about whether this is being caused by asthma symptoms or because I just walked up a hill and am unfit.
- Eat Healthily - eating a healthy diet with few additives may help with asthma in the long term. It also helps if you are within a healthy weight range as obesity has an adverse impact on asthma and its symptoms.
- Check your Painkillers - if you take aspirin or other painkillers there is a very small chance that you could have a bad reaction to the medication and it could trigger an asthma attack. The painkillers that you should try to avoid are NSAIDs (Nonsteroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs). These include drugs such as aspirin & ibuprofen.