Asthma is one of the most commonly prevalent respiratory diseases that affect people of all age groups. It is characterized by the narrowing and swelling of the airways, leading to difficulties in breathing and shortness of breath. The mucus production in the airways can trigger coughing and wheezing, which aggravates the condition even more. The intensity of disease varies from being a minor nuisance for some to being serious enough to hinder the quality of life in others. It can be even life-threatening during an asthma attack, which may happen at any point in time. Hence, it becomes crucial for asthma patients to understand how to deal with the disease. If you are suffering from asthma, the bad news is that the condition cannot be cured but the good news is that you can manage it.
Management of asthma is basically concerned with the control of its exacerbations and attacks. Here are 7 tips that would be helpful to exercise effective control over asthma and its severe attacks:
- Know your triggers: Asthma attacks are usually triggered by certain agents which may vary from person to person. The common triggers include cigarette smoke, dust, pollen, household and industrial chemicals and allergens. For controlling the exacerbations, it is important that you should identify your triggers and avoid them completely. Keep a note of the agents that lead to the aggravation of the symptoms so that you can maintain a distance from them.
- Know your warning symptoms: Knowing the early warning symptoms of an attack is another key element of an effective asthma control strategy. Most people experience symptoms such as itchy throat, runny nose, headache, chest tightness, itchy eyes, and anxiety prior to an impending attack. Like the triggers, these symptoms too may vary from person to person. Be vigilant about the specific signs that you experience and report them early to prevent an attack by getting timely medical assistance.
- Get regular checkups: The condition is highly unpredictable and may worsen at any moment even if you are otherwise symptom-free. Proper diagnosis, regular checkups and right treatment form the mainstays of an optimal asthma management strategy. Find a specialist who can help you deal with the specific complications of the disease. Ensure that you get regular checkups, at least once a year even if you feel healthy.
- Be regular with your controller medicines: Proper medical treatment with the right medicines is essential for control of exacerbations and attacks. Your doctor would recommend controller medicines, which are specifically meant to make the airways less sensitive to your triggers and bring about effective disease control. These are to be taken in the right dosage every day, without missing a dose even if you feel good.
- Keep your rescue inhaler handy: While controller medications make one part of the therapeutic control, rescue medication is the other. An inhaler is a small hand-held device that works as a rescue medication during an attack. Symbicort is one of the widely prescribed inhaler medications for asthma rescue. You have to make sure that you always have it stocked and carry it along wherever you go. It is a good idea to use Symbicort discount card to economize your purchase while replenishing your medication supply.
- Have a proper action plan: Discuss an action plan with your specialist and have it penned down to deal with an attack when it takes place. The doctor can help you to chalk out a strategy that you would need to put into action when you experience the warning symptoms. This enables you and your caregivers to identify when you would require a rescue inhaler and when medical help would be needed. It is important that you should share this action plan with your family or caregivers.
- Maintain an asthma journal: Asthma is a long-term disease that may vary from time to time in terms of severity and symptoms. Therefore, it is important to maintain a journal to keep a record of your symptoms, treatment and observations throughout the time span of the disease. This will help you to communicate all the facts and information to your specialist so that he can formulate an effective control strategy for you.
Having a right control strategy for asthma can make a big difference to your health and quality of life. But you cannot make and implement it alone; there is a need to involve your caregivers and healthcare providers to ensure that you have a proper plan in place and it is well-executed in the hour of need.