Living Well Despite Asthma---5 Changes to Lifestyle That Will Help - By: Debbie Davis

Living with asthma can be a physical and emotional drain if not properly controlled. And let's face it, your condition impacts your entire family with day and night time flare ups, and trips to the emergency room. Gain better control of your asthma by taking these 5 steps to effect a change in your lifestyle.

Develop An Asthma Action Plan---This is a plan that your doctor will develop based on the severity of your condition. It will probably include a peak flow meter, a rescue inhaler, and various medications that suppress your body's reaction and those that can deal with the symptoms once they start to occur.

Committing to this regimen will lessen the peaks and valleys of this condition making it easier to live a more normal life with less fear and anxiety.

Keep Weight Controlled---Studies have shown that people who are overweight are much more likely to become asthmatic. And being overweight can not only exacerbate the condition but can greatly increase the likelihood of developing other related breathing problems such as sleep apnea.

A well balanced diet of fresh vegetables and fruits, lean meat, fish, and grains will keep your body fit; lessen chances of other diseases that often result with obesity such as diabetes and high blood pressure. Eating well will also strengthen your immune system and increase lung function, both of which can result in a better quality of life.

Clean House---Clutter exponentially increases the amount of surface where asthma triggers can collect. Get rid of the piles---books, magazines, mail, clothing, and toys. These are places that are hard to clean or may never get cleaned.

Typical household triggers such as dust, dust mites, mold and mildew spores, pet dander and seasonal pollen can collect and lie in wait. The result is that the least bit of air current can send them airborne for you to inhale and possibly trigger an attack. Get someone else to de-clutter for the same reason.

Give Attention To The Bedroom---This space more than any other in your home should be one of relaxation, rejuvenation, and sleep. However, dust mites often make this impossible. These tiny bugs are most prolific in the bedroom, and mores specifically your bed.

The warm, dark, and moist conditions that your mattress and pillow offer are ideal. And since they feed on dead skin cells (dander) that are constantly being shed, they are literally happy campers. The feces from these critters are one of the most potent asthma triggers, so it's important to get this problem under control.

Encasing your mattress and pillows with dust mite covers can greatly reduce their population and make sleeping through the night a reality. Wash your linens weekly in water that is 160 degrees Fahrenheit or warmer to kill them. Sunlight kills the mites, so letting your bed air out frequently will also reduce the population.

Filter Your Air----Irritants that cause debilitating symptoms and flare ups come in both particulate and gaseous forms. Being able to continually trap and eliminate these irritants in one of the most proactive ways to live stronger. By removing the triggers you are following the first and best rule of thumb for asthma----eliminate the triggers.

Even though there is no cure for asthma, making these 5 changes in lifestyle will help you live a more normal life. And there's no down side to that.

About the Author

Live well despite asthma by continually filtering the air in your bedroom and throughout your home. See the air purifier that can make it happen now at http://purerair.com/bedroom_machine.html

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