Health Tip

What is Asthma?

Asthma is a chronic condition that occurs when the main air passages of your lungs, the bronchial tubes, become inflamed. The muscles of the bronchial walls tighten and extra mucus is produced, which causes your airways to narrow. As a result, everything from minor wheezing to severe difficulty in breathing can occur. In some cases, your breathing may become so difficult that an asthma attack becomes life-threatening.
       More than 5,000 Americans die of asthma each year, and asthma accounts for more than 400,000 hospital discharges annually.
       Asthma is a treatable disease, and most deaths and flare-ups can be prevented. New drugs have been developed to replace standard medications, and greater emphasis is now placed on managing asthma conditions. Working with your doctor, you can gain control of your symptoms, reduce the risk of having severe attacks, and help maintain a normal life.
Self Care
       While medications are used to control symptoms and control inflammation, you can do several things yourself to maintain overall health and decrease the possibility of asthma attacks. Some of these things are:

• Exercise. Regular exercise can strengthen your heart and lungs so they don’t have to work as hard. Aim for 30 minutes of exercise on most days. If you have been inactive, start slowly and increase your activity little by little. Remember cold-weather exercise such as skiing is more likely to cause wheezing. When you exercise in cold weather, wear a facemask to warm the air that you breathe. Don’t exercise if the temperature is below zero. Activities such as golf, walking, and swimming are less likely to trigger attacks. Be sure to discuss your exercise program with you doctor before beginning.
• Use an air conditioner. An air conditioner helps reduce your exposure to airborne pollen from trees, grasses, and weeds. Air conditioning also decreases indoor humidity and can reduce your exposure to dust mites. If you don’t have air conditioning, try to keep your windows closed during pollen season.
  
• Maintain optimal humidity. Keep humidity in your home at 40 percent to 50 percent. If you live in a damp climate, you may want to use a dehumidifier.
  Keep bedding clean. To minimize dust that may aggravate nighttime symptoms, encase mattresses, pillows, and box springs in dustproof covers that can be removed and cleaned frequently. Replace bedding made of down, kapok, or foam rubber with Dacron. Wash sheets, pillowcases, and mattress pads weekly in hot water.
  
• Keep indoor air clean. Have your air conditioner and furnace checked once a year by a professional. Change the filters in your furnace and air conditioner according to the manufacturer’s instructions. If you use a humidifier, change the water daily.
  
• Reduce pet dander. If you’re allergic to dander, avoid pets with fur or feathers. Keep your pets regularly groomed and bathed to reduce the amount of dander in your surroundings.
  
• Clean regularly. Clean your home at least once a week. Because cleaning stirs up dust, wear a mask.
  
• Limit use of contacts. Try substituting eyeglasses for your contact lenses when the pollen count is high. Pollen grains can become trapped under the lenses.