If you have asthma, there are ways that you can prevent an attack. Common asthma triggers in the environment, illnesses, and irritants in the air should be avoided if you have asthma. Medication maintenance and monitoring your asthma are ways for you to be in control of your condition. In any case, being ready for an asthma episode by having your emergency medications available at all times and knowing when to call for emergency medical attention is important.
Maintenance Medication
Taking the medications that your doctor orders for asthma maintenance is important. Sometimes, you may not need them, but let your doctor decide whether or not you should discontinue your asthma maintenance medication. When you have asthma, depending on your severity, your doctor may require that you take medications regularly to prevent an attack. The National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute recommend you take your medications as your doctor orders in order to prevent an attack.
Environmental Control
It is important that you are aware of triggers in the environment that exacerbate your asthma and allergy symptoms. For some, it is dust mites or pollen. For others, it is pet dander or household chemicals. For many, it is cigarette smoke. Avoiding these allergens is helpful in preventing an attack. If dust mites are a problem for you, encasing pillows and mattresses with mattress and pillow covers to reduce allergens is important. Staying away from pets with dander, using a vacuum with a HEPA filter and avoiding cigarette smoke are other measures that you might take to reduce triggers in the environment. If the cold weather or hot weather exacerbates your symptoms, you may need to avoid going out in the cold or make sure that you stay somewhere that is air conditioned if it is too hot.
Monitoring Your Symptoms
Knowing your body and treating symptoms early is important when you have asthma. Symptoms that you might be having an asthma episode include wheezing, coughing, or shortness of breath. The Mayo Clinic recommends using a peak flow meter daily and having a written asthma action plan that is developed by your doctor is important in order for you to monitor how your lungs are doing and to help you be proactive in treating your condition in order to prevent a severe attack. A peak flow meter is a device that you blow into that helps you self monitor your lung capacity while it can also help you identify how your lungs are functioning even before you have symptoms. Your symptoms, asthma action plan, and peak flow readings are tools which can identify to you or your doctor that you need to make a change in your medications, change your activity level or monitor yourself more closely.
