Living with Asthma
How Do I Manage Asthma?
Your asthma is under control when it does not interfere with your everyday life and prevent normal activities. You should be able to sleep through the night without symptoms, have few or no daytime symptoms, exercise and complete your daily routines without using a quick-relief medication or using it on a minimal basis. If you experience any of these symptoms or disruptors, you should discuss with your health care provider how to improve your asthma management.
Some of the ways to control your asthma include taking an active role by avoiding asthma triggers, using medication properly, working with a health care provider to develop an asthma action plan and having regular checkups. You also need to know when to seek emergency medical care for your asthma.
Even with proper asthma management, your asthma may still flare up from time to time. When asthma flares up it is called an asthma episode or sometimes an asthma attack. An episode can occur when a person with asthma is exposed to a trigger and shows one of the flare-up warning signs. These can include coughing, wheezing, shortness of breath and chest tightness. Follow your asthma action plan to relieve your symptoms. If they have not improved in 10-15 minutes, pay close attention for signs of an asthma emergency
Artificial trees may trigger asthma and allergy episodes as well. When unpacked, new trees can release chemicals into the air. Older trees may gather dust from being in storage all year. Packing and storing artificial Christmas trees in airtight containers can help reduce the amount of dust that collects.
There are a few steps you can take to minimize the risk of an asthma flare-up related to your Christmas tree. Real or artificial, air out your tree before you set it up inside. Try to wait until December to put up your tree. Mold starts to grow rapidly after a week inside the home. Spraying your real tree with a half water, half vinegar solution can help cut down mold. Wipe down your artificial tree (and other decorations) with a damp cloth to remove dust and allergens. Wear a face mask when setting up and taking down your tree and decorations can reduce the risk of a flare-up. After disposing or packing your tree up, make sure to thoroughly vacuum and dust the area. Make sure you have your asthma medications handy just in case you do have an asthma flare-up.
Asthma Triggers, Symptoms, & Warning Signs
The two main types of asthma triggers are irritants, which bother airways, and allergens, which cause reactions such as watery eyes, sneezing or a runny nose. Asthma triggers are specific to each person living with asthma. Learning which irritants and allergens trigger your asthma will help you avoid those triggers and manage your asthma. Although it’s not possible for you to control certain triggers, like pollen levels, there are many ways to make your home trigger-free for easier breathing.
Irritants include smoke, air pollution, extreme hot or cold weather, and strong odors. Allergens include animals with fur and feathers, dust and dust mites, mold, pollen, and rodents and cockroaches.
Asthma symptoms also vary for each person. Common symptoms include wheezing, coughing, shortness of breath, and chest tightness.
Most people with asthma feel early warning signs that their asthma is acting up. These signs let you know something is wrong before your asthma gets worse. Early warning signs include, breathing changes, throat clearing and/or itchiness, trouble with sleeping, headache, and chin itchiness.
Both real and artificial Christmas trees can cause allergy and asthma flare-ups. Real trees, regardless of type, can collect allergens and spores prior to being cut down. When they are cut down, they’re sprayed down with water, bundled, and packed for delivery to a tree seller. Unfortunately, this process allows mold to grow along the way.
There are several different asthma medication delivery systems. If you take inhaled medicines, you should practice using your inhaler at your health care provider’s office. If you take long-term control medicines, take them daily as your health care provider prescribes. Your health care provider may also advise you to use a peak flow meter to measure and record how well your lungs are working.
Every time you use an inhaler, it is important to also use a spacer or holding chamber. This device helps get more medication into the lungs. RHA provides a free Monaghan Z Stat Anti-Static Valved Holding Chamber courtesy of Monaghan Medical Corporation to each Fight Asthma Now© participant. Learn how to properly use an inhaler with a spacer.
Oral Corticosteroids in Asthma Care
Your doctor may prescribe oral corticosteroids (OCS) to treat moderate to severe asthma flares. These medications are designed to decrease airway inflammation and reduce mucus quickly, but they also come with a potential for serious side effects.
Asthma Action Plan
One of the best ways to manage asthma is to use an asthma action plan, developed with your health care provider. An asthma action plan is a written document that identifies your asthma triggers, warning signs, and medications to help you better manage your asthma. Every person living with asthma should have an asthma action plan. If you are the parent/guardian of a child with asthma, you should complete an asthma action plan with your child’s health care provider. A copy of this plan should be given to any adult who provides care for your child.
An asthma action plan outlines the steps to prevent or manage an asthma episode. The plan is customized just for you or your child. It should include:
- Appropriate use of medications
- What actions to take when you or your child is having asthma symptoms or a low peak flow reading
- Signs of an asthma attack
- When to seek emergency care
- Emergency contact information
Download an asthma action plan form for you or your child to take to your next healthcare appointment. Illinois schools are required to have asthma action plans on file for every enrolled child with asthma.
Medications That Relieve and Control Symptoms
Based on your asthma symptoms, your health care provider will prescribe asthma medications designed to work best for you. The two main types of asthma medications are:
Quick-Relief Medication (Reliever)
Everyone with asthma should have access to quick-relief medication delivered with a metered-dose inhaler. Your quick-relief medication is used to treat asthma symptoms when they first begin. Within 10 to 15 minutes of use, your quick-relief medication should work to reduce squeezing of the muscles around your airways. If you are prescribed a quick-relief asthma inhaler, you should carry it at all times.
Long-term Control Medication (Controller)
This type of medication is taken daily (even if you are not experiencing symptoms) and works to reduce your airway inflammation and mucus production. This makes your airways less sensitive to triggers and prevents asthma flare-ups before they happen. Not everyone with asthma needs a long-term control medication. Your healthcare provider will determine your asthma severity and whether you need one.
Signs of an Asthma Emergency
An asthma emergency occurs when you have followed your asthma action plan and asthma symptoms have not improved within 10-15 minutes. Signs that you are having an asthma emergency include:
- Difficulty talking (not able to finish a sentence) and/or walking
- Difficulty breathing
- Wheezing, coughing, chest tightness
- Skin sucking in by the ribs or neck (retractions)
- Fingernails or lips turning pale, blue or gray
Any one of these symptoms means your asthma is serious and can be life-threatening. Use your reliever medicine right away, tell someone you are experiencing an asthma emergency, and go to the emergency room or call 911.
