|
| |
Living With Asthma
If you have asthma, it is important to learn how to take care of yourself.
Work with your doctor on a daily asthma self-management plan that you are both
happy with.
- Tell your doctor about all other medications you are taking, in case one
of them affects your asthma.
- Follow your asthma self-management plan and have regular checkups.
- Learn to use your medication correctly. Ask your doctor to teach you how
to use your inhaler. This is very important. If you do not use your inhalers
correctly, less medication will get into your airways.
- If you are having problems taking your asthma medicine, let your doctor
know right away.
You need to know what things bring on your asthma symptoms. Then do what you
can to avoid or limit contact with these things.
- If animal dander is a problem for you, keep your pet out of the house or
at least out of your bedroom, or find it a new home.
- Do not smoke or allow smoking in your home.
- If pollen is a problem for you, stay indoors with the air conditioner on,
if possible, when the pollen count is high.
- To control dust mites, wash your sheets, blankets, pillows, and stuffed
toys once a week in hot water. You can get special dust proof covers for your
mattress and pillows.
- If cold air bothers you, wear a scarf over your mouth and nose in the
winter.
- If you have symptoms when you exercise or do routine physical activities
like climbing stairs, work with your doctor to find ways to be active without
having asthma symptoms. Physical activity is important.
- If you are allergic to sulfites, avoid foods (like dried fruit) or
beverages (like wine) that contain them.
Be alert for warning signs of an asthma attack.
- Watch for symptoms (for example, coughing, wheezing, chest tightness, and
difficulty breathing) and use your quick-relief medicine as directed by your
doctor.
- Use your peak flow meter as directed to monitor your asthma.
If your asthma is not under control, there will be signs that you should not
ignore. The following are some signs that your asthma is getting worse:
- You have asthma symptoms more often than usual.
- Your asthma symptoms are worse than they used to be.
- Your asthma symptoms are bothering you a lot at night and making you lose
sleep.
- You are missing school or work because of your asthma.
- Your peak flow number is low or varies a lot from day to day.
- Your asthma medicines do not seem to be working very well anymore.
- You have to use your short-acting quick-relief, or "rescue," inhaler more
often. (Using quick-relief medicine every day or using more than one inhaler a
month is too much.)
- You have to go to the emergency room or doctor because of an asthma
attack. You end up in the hospital because of your asthma.
If your asthma seems to be getting worse, see your doctor. You may need to
change your medicines or do other things to get your asthma under control.
Your Child's Asthma
If your child has asthma, it's something you think
about every day. But it is not something you need to worry about every day.
Asthma can be controlled and your child can live an active carefree life.
Here is what you should expect when you have your child's asthma under control,
your child should...
- Be symptom-free all or most of the time
- Enjoy being physically active without having asthma symptoms
- Not miss school or daycare because of asthma symptoms
- Sleep through the night without asthma symptoms
If your child needs to use his/her albuterol inhaler-sometimes called a
"rescue" or "quick relief" inhaler-more than twice a week to treat asthma
symptoms (except to prevent symptoms triggered by exercise), it may mean that
his/her asthma is poorly controlled.
Helping Your Child Live With Asthma
All children depend on their parents for their
well-being. But children with asthma need extra care to stay healthy. While
caring for a child with asthma can seem overwhelming at times, it's easier than
you think.
Here are some practical tips that can help:
Educate yourself, your child, and your child's caregivers.
Nothing is more important than education. Teach your child as much about asthma
as possible. Also, tell daycare providers, teachers, school nurses, babysitters,
and coaches about your son's or daughter's condition, and about his or her
Asthma Action Plan and Asthma
Emergency Contact List.
Also, help your child understand the importance of his or her medications, and
have your child use them as recommended by your child's healthcare professional.
The more everyone involved with your child's well-being understands about
asthma, the easier it will be to deal with it every day or in an emergency. Of
course, you should always talk to your child's healthcare professional and NEVER
be afraid to ask questions.
Help your child cope with others.
If your child has asthma, one issue he or she may face is the feeling among
friends and schoolmates — whether real or imagined — that asthma makes him or
her different. Remember the pressure you felt as a child or teenager to be like
everyone else? It's the same for your child. Having asthma can make a child feel
even more apart from the crowd.
Help your child to understand that asthma can be controlled. Work with your
child so he or she doesn't downplay their asthma symptoms and avoid taking
medication. There are support groups that can help your child cope with his or
her asthma. Your child's healthcare professional, clinic, and many other
organizations can provide information about these groups.
Some organizations also sponsor camps for children with asthma. Spending time
with other children who have asthma can help young people build confidence, feel
less different and make it easier for them to follow their healthcare
professional's advice.
| |
|
|
Jokes:
|
|
|
Other Funny Stuff:
|
|
|
|
