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#Post#: 37--------------------------------------------------
7 Lifestyle Tips to Manage Your Asthma
DIR By: LightMove
Date: November 2, 2021, 4:13 am
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What is asthma, anyway?
Inhale, exhale. We do both involuntarily, around the clock,
every day of our lives. For those with asthma, a chronic lung
condition, the very act of breathing can be frustrating and
sometimes scary – especially for kids. When you breathe in air
through your mouth or nose, it travels to the lungs by way of
the bronchial – or breathing – tubes. Visualize tree branches:
On the end of each branch are tiny sacs that push oxygen into
the blood system. When asthma flares up, those already narrow
breathing tubes swell and constrict, causing wheezing, coughing
and a feeling of chest tightness.
Is your asthma under control?
Although you may have heard otherwise, asthma cannot be
outgrown. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
estimates that the lifelong, unwelcome sidekick impacts 18.7
million adults and 6.8 million children in the U.S. alone.
Knowing your triggers and taking your medications as prescribed
are just some of the ways to control your disease. But diet and
exercise should also be part of your asthma action plan. Here
are some lifestyle changes you can make now to improve your
breathing.
1.Use a breathing exerciser.
Many doctors and pharmacists recommend that asthma patients use
breathing exercisers such as OPUMP. This portable handheld
device measures the amount of air expelled from the lungs.
Essentially, it tells you or your doctor how effective your
current asthma medication is and whether your action plan needs
to be adjusted. Talk to your doctor to determine if you or your
child should try it.
HTML https://theopump.com/
2.Know your triggers.
Asthma attacks can be triggered by allergens such as dust,
pollen, animals, mold, cigarette smoke, perfume or infections,
including the common cold or flu. Occupational hazards such as
dust, fumes, gases or other dangerous chemicals can also cause
asthma. Meanwhile, some patients only develop asthma symptoms
while exercising. Your doctor may prescribe a rescue inhaler
when sudden triggers lead to shortness of breath or wheezing.
3.Consider caffeine.
Coffee and black tea drinkers, rejoice! "These commonly contain
biological active chemicals that assist in bronchodilation,"
says Dr. Leonard Bielory, director of the STARx Allergy and
Asthma Center in Springfield, New Jersey. Bielory explains that
caffeine is chemically related to the drug theophylline, which
is used to treat asthma. It also reduces respiratory muscle
fatigue, thereby opening the airways. Research published in the
Cochrane Database of Systemic Reviews in 2010 found that
caffeine improved airway function for up to four hours in people
with asthma.
4.Don't forget fruits and veggies.
Research published in 2012 in the American Journal of Clinical
Nutrition suggests that antioxidant-rich diets – which
emphasize, for example, spinach, broccoli, strawberries and
tomatoes – may be linked to improved asthma symptoms. Patients
with asthma were assigned to one of three treatments: a
high-antioxidant diet plus an inactive placebo medication, a
low-antioxidant diet plus a tomato extract or a low-antioxidant
diet plus a placebo. The study showed that tweaked eating
patterns had an impact on asthma symptoms. The high-antioxidant
diet included five servings of vegetables and two servings of
fruit per day.
5.Try the anti-inflammatory diet.
Dr. Neil Kao of the Allergic Disease and Asthma Center in
Greenville, South Carolina, recommends the anti-inflammatory
diet for people with asthma. Inspired by the Mediterranean diet,
it claims to reduce the inflammation that often occurs in asthma
and other serious conditions such as heart disease, cancer and
Alzheimer’s disease. “The goal would be for people to be
conscious of their food choices, the portion sizes, perhaps lose
weight and avoid fatty or fried foods,” he says.
6.Stay active.
Physical activity is important for all walks of life – even if
you’ve got exercise-induced asthma. In a study published in the
June 2015 issue of the journal Thorax, researchers found that
patients with moderate and severe asthma experienced less severe
reactions to exercise after 12 weeks of education and aerobic
training. Bonus: It will also help you shred excess pounds that
may be worsening your asthma. "Since two-thirds of Americans are
overweight and this is a disproportionate trigger for asthma
symptoms, it should not be taken lightly," Kao says.
7.Calm down.
Take a deep breath if you can. Research has proven that stress
is strongly associated with asthma, hospitalization and the use
of asthma medications. Even laughing or crying too hard, getting
angry or fearful, and yelling can offset your asthma. The
American Lung Association suggests calming down via deep
breathing exercises or progressive muscle relaxation, which
involves tightening particular muscles and releasing the tension
while paying attention to how it feels once the muscles are
relaxed. Guided imagery – using words or music to conjure images
of a relaxing environment – is another tool you can use to
alleviate physical and emotional stress.
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