I AM A 42 YEAR OLD WOMAN WHO HAS SUFFERED FROM ACUTE ASTHMA SINCE I WAS SEVEN YEARS OLD. OVER THE YEARS I HAVE LEARNED TO MANAGE MY ASTHMA WITH THE HELP OF MY LUNG SPECIALIST, MEDICAL DOCTORS, AND THE MANY ASTHMA CONTROLLING MEDICATIONS ON THE MARKET TODAY. I AM CONSTANTLY RESEARCHING ABOUT ASTHMA, PARTICIPATING IN CLINICAL STUDIES, AND HOPING AND PRAYING THAT ONE DAY THERE WILL BE A CURE FOR MY DISEASE.
BELOW ARE SOME THINGS THAT HAVE HELPED ME IN MANAGING MY ASTHMA:
BE CERTAIN TO TAKE YOUR MEDS AS PRESCRIBED TO YOU. DO NOT SKIP OR MISS ANY DOSES EVEN IF YOU ARE FEELING WELL. MANY ASTHMA MEDICATIONS ARE TIMED RELEASE AND THEY ARE EFFECTIVE ONLY IF THEY ARE TAKING AT SPECIFIC TIMES OVER SPECIFIC TIMES. THE DOSAGES RELEASE THEIR ACTIVE INGREDIENT OVER PERIODS OF TIME, REDUCING THE NUMBER OF DOSES NEEDED PER DAY. FOR EXAMPLE; HUMIBID AND MUCINEX ARE TIMED RELEASE MEDICATION.
DO NOT OVER MEDICATE YOURSELF. AS THIS CAN REVERSE THE EFFECT OF THE MEDICINE AND CAUSE THE EXACT OPPOSITE MAKING YOUR SYMPTOMS WORSE. IF A PERSON IS IN RESPIRATORY DISTRESS, TOO MUCH OF CERTAIN MEDICATIONS WILL ACTUALLY CAUSE THE AIRWAYS IN YOUR LUNGS TO CONSTRICT NARROWING THEM FURTHER, THUS SHUTTING OFF AIR SUPPLY.
WHEN I WAS YOUNGER AND MY MOTHER THOUGHT I WAS OLD ENOUGH TO BE IN CHARGE OF MY OWN MEDICATION, I REMEMBER DOUBLING THE DOSES OF SOME OF THESE MEDS. I REMEMBER WORSENING MY SYMPTOMS WHEN I TOOK TOO MANY PUFFS OF MY INHALER. I ALSO REMEMBER HAVING INCREASE HEART RATE, PALPITATIONS AND TREMORS FROM TAKING TOO MUCH BRETHINE. AND THE WORST MEMORY IS OF TAKING TOO MUCH THEOPHYLLINE THUS CAUSING MY BLOOD TO BE TOXIC.
(PARENTS SHOULD NOT ALLOW CHILDREN TO ADMINISTER THEIR OWN MEDICATION WITHOUT MONITORING THE AMOUNT AND DOSAGES TAKEN BEFOREHAND.) I WAS ABLE TO TAKE MY MEDICINE BY THE TIME I WAS TWELVE. I WAS SIMPLY TOO YOUNG TO REALIZE WHAT TAKING AN EXTRA COUPLE OF PUFFS OF MY INHALER MIGHT DO TO ME. TAKE HEED PARENTS OF YOUR ASTHMATIC CHILDREN.)
USE YOUR NEBULIZER AS YOU ARE PRESCRIBED TO DO. BREATHING TREATMENTS CAN BE TAKEN TWO TO THREE HOURS APART IF NECESSARY. MAKE SURE YOU CLEAN YOUR EQUIPMENT WITH WARM WATER AND A MILD DETERGENT OR VINEGAR AND WATER. MOUTH PIECES AND TUBING SHOULD BE REPLACED EVERY SIX MONTHS OR SO.
LEARN WHAT YOU ARE ALLERGIC TO. SEEK AN ALLERGIST AND HAVE THE ALLERGY SKIN TEST DONE. AND THEN AVOID THOSE PARTICULAR FOODS.
AVOID DUST, MOLDS, RAIN, COLD WEATHER, EXTREME HEAT, SMOKE, PERFUMES (CERTAIN PERFUMES ARE STRONGER THAN OTHERS), INCENSE (ESPECIALLY THOSE THAT CONTAIN CHARCOAL), BLEACHES, AEROSOL SPRAYS IF THEY CAUSE YOU TO HAVE ASTHMA FLARE UPS. BE CAREFUL WHEN MIXING CLEANING SOLVENTS.
TRY AND AVOID STRESSFUL SITUATIONS AND AVOID PEOPLE WHO CAUSE STRESSFUL SITUATIONS...LIKE EX BOYFRIENDS AND THEIR MOTHERS. (PRACTICE BREATHING EXERCISES)
DO NOT OVER DO ANYTHING. TOO MUCH OF ANYTHING MAY BE HARMFUL TO YOU.
AVOID CERTAIN FOODS. HOT SPICY FOODS SOMETIMES CAUSE MY ASTHMA TO FLARE UP. YES, HOT SAUCE TOO) THESE FOODS MAY CLEAR YOUR NOSTRILS BUT YOU MAY FIND IT DIFFICULT TO BREATH AFTER INHALING OR EATING THEM.
TEA AND COFFEE IS SAID TO HELP WITH ASTHMA. WILD CHERRY BARK TEA IS SAID TO BE ONE OF THE BEST TEAS TO LESSEN THE EPISODES. I HAVE YET TO FIND WILD CHERRY BARK TEA. HOWEVER, THERE ARE OTHER TEAS THAT CONTAIN THE WILD CHERRY BARK. CHECK OUT GNC STORES FOR THOSE TEAS AS WELL AS OTHER HERBAL TEAS.
TEA DOES HELP ME WITH MY FLARE UPS. HOWEVER, CAFFEINATED COFFEE IS BETTER FOR ME. EVEN PEPSI OR OTHER CAFFEINATED BEVERAGES HAS HELPED LESSEN ATTACKS. STAY HYDRATED AND DRINK PLENTY OF WATER. DON'T YOU HATE WHEN THE DOCTOR SAYS THAT. YOU WANT TO JUST PLUCK HIM IN THE FOREHEAD. BUT, SERIOUSLY, THIS HELPS DECREASE AND BREAK UP AND PHLEGM IN YOUR LUNGS.
SOME PEOPLE SAY THAT HOLISTIC MEDICINE ALSO HELPS WITH ASTHMA. I HAVE ONLY TRIED VARIOUS TEAS AND LAXATIVES.
EXERCISE, CARDIO, AND SHAPING UP WILL HELP LESSEN ATTACKS AND FLARE UPS. MILD EXERCISE CAN ALSO BE DONE. SHEDDING SOME EXTRA POUNDS, WHICH I AM TRYING TO DO NOW, AND I AM CURRENTLY ON THIS SO CALL LEMONADE DIET. WHICH IS BY THE WAY MAKING ME CRAZY WITH CRAVINGS OF EVERYTHING IMAGINABLY EDIBLE? BUT THAT'S ANOTHER STORY.
AVOID ALCOHOL IN EXCESS. I LOVE BEER, AND BEER, AND MORE BEER. AND I ALSO LIKE COCKTAILS LIKE MAI TAIS AND LONG BEACHES AND LONG ISLANDS, AND LONG BEACH ISLANDS.... BUT I HAVE TO BE CAREFUL. I REALIZE THAT WHEN I DRINK TOO MUCH, MY ASTHMA ACTS UP. AND FOR SOME ODD REASON, I GUESS I SAY ODD BECAUSE I DO NOT KNOW THE REASON THIS HAPPENS TO ME BUT WHITE LIQUOR MAKES MY ASTHMA WORSE. AND I ALSO BELIEVE THE CHEAPER THE BOOZE THE WORSE THE BREATHING.
AVOID SMOKE AT COOKOUTS AND CAMP FIRE SMOKE. ANY AND ALL SMOKE IS NOT GOOD FOR ASTHMATICS, REGARDLESS OF HOW ROMANTIC THAT FIREPLACE IS, MOVE AWAY FROM IT. DO NOT LET PEOPLE SMOKE IN YOUR HOUSE. I LIVE IN AN APARTMENT BUILDING ON THE SECOND FLOOR. AND WHEN MY WINDOW IS JUST SLIGHTLY OPEN, I CAN SMELL THE CIGARETTE SMOKE OF PASSERBY'S ON THE STREET. DON'T YOU JUST HATE CIGARETTE SMOKE?
RELAX CALM YOURSELF, MEDITATE, LISTEN TO MUSIC, AND LISTEN TO GOD. CAUTION THOSE AROMA CANDLES MAY NOT BE GOOD FOR YOU EITHER.
LET OTHERS HELP YOU WHEN YOU ARE NOT FEELING WELL. LET THEM COOK FOR YOU AND TEND TO THE CHILDREN. AND IF YOU DO NOT LIKE TO LET OTHERS DO THOSE THINGS FOR YOU LET THE HOUSE AND THE CHORES GO, THREATEN THE KIDS WITH WHAT YOU ARE GOING TO DO TO THEM WHEN YOU GET ON YOUR FEET. KIDS CAN DO SOME SNEAKY CRAZY THINGS WHEN THEY KNOW YOU ARE DOWN AND OUT. AND DON'T WORRY ABOUT CLEANING AND LAUNDRY. YOU NEED TO BREATHE TO DO THOSE THINGS ANYHOW.
DRINK HOT THINGS, HOT SOUP, HOT COFFEE, HOT COCOA, AND EVEN HOT WATER.
AVOID COLD THINGS LIKE POPSICLES AND ICE CREAM DURING FLARE UPS. THESE THINGS MAKE MY ASTHMA WORSE DURING EPISODES.
WHEN YOU FEEL A FLARE UP COMING ON STEP UP YOUR GAME AND APPROACH IT HEAD ON. GET YOURSELF ONE OF THOSE BLOWY THING DEVICES, (RIGHT NOW I CAN'T REMEMBER WHAT THEY ARE CALLED) THAT HELP YOUR MONITOR YOU’RE BREATHING. DON'T WAIT UNTIL YOUR BARELY ABLE TO MAKE IT UP A FLIGHT OF STAIRS. GET YOURSELF TO THE EMERGENCY ROOM AND GET HELP WITH YOUR BREATHING.
ONE REASON I WOULD END UP IN THE HOSPITAL WAS BECAUSE I WOULD WAIT TOO LONG TO GO TO THE ER. AND BY THE TIME I WOULD GET THERE I COULD BARELY WALK THROUGH THE EMERGENCY ROOM DOORS. ORAL STEROIDS WOULD BE OF NO USE, NOT IN THE CONDITION I WAS IN BY THEN, AND I WOULD BE ADMITTED AND PUT ON INTRAVENOUS STEROIDS FOR A WEEK. AND BY THE TIME I WAS DISCHARGED, I WOULD LOOK LIKE A MACY'S DAY PARADE FLOAT. DON'T YOU JUST LOVE THOSE STEROIDS?
TAKE VITAMINS AND IRON SUPPLEMENTS TO BUILD UP YOUR STRENGTH. THE OLDER YOU GET THE MORE ESSENTIALS YOU NEED.
HAVE YOUR DOCTOR PRESCRIBE YOU A DIURETIC FOR THE EXCESS WATER BUILD UP FROM THE STERIODS. YOU WILL BE PEEING. SO TAKE THEM WHEN YOU ARE NOT PLANNING TO GO OUT. REMEMBER, YOU MAY NEED TO TAKE POTASSIUM SUPPLEMENTS WHILE ON DIURETICS. STEROIDS ARE KNOWN TO DECREASE THE ELECTROLYTES IN YOUR BODY. EVER WONDER WHY YOU ARE LIGHT-HEADED DURING THOSE TIMES YOU ARE ON THEM? DON'T LIKE TAKING ALL THOSE PILLS, TRY SOME GATORADE OR SOMETHING SIMILAR TO THAT.
SEEK A PULMONOLOGIST SPECIALIST. AS I SAID EARLIER, I HAVE BEEN SEEING MINE SINCE I WAS 17.
KEEP UP WITH THE LATEST RESEARCH AND ASTHMA MEDICATIONS. HAVE YOUR PCP ASSIGN YOU AN ASTHMA MANAGEMENT COUNSELOR/ADVISER. JOIN AN ASTHMA STUDY.
KEEP YOUR APPOINTMENTS WITH YOUR DOCTORS.
GET A BOOK TITLED THE LITTLE ASTHMA HANDBOOK. IT IS MOSTLY FOR CHILDREN WITH ASTHMA BUT IT CONTAINS A LOT OF BIG INFORMATION ABOUT THE DISEASE.
THE INFORMATION ABOVE IS FROM MY OWN POINT OF VIEW. THEY ARE EXCERPTS FROM MY LIFE, MY THOUGHTS AND MY OPINIONS ABOUT LIVING WITH ASTHMA. THE INFORMATION SHOULD NOT BE USED AS MEDICAL ADVICE. THEY ARE MERELY SUGGESTIONS AND COMMENTS ON MY PART.
HOWEVER, FEEL FREE TO ASK ME ANY QUESTIONS YOU MAY HAVE ABOUT MY EXPERIENCE LIVING WITH ASTHMA. MAYBE YOU CAN EVEN OFFER YOUR THOUGHTS OR COMMENTS ON THE SUBJECT.
YOURS TRULY,
DONNA HAMILTON