Don't let asthma knock the wind out of you. Asthma is a lung disorder that is characterized by sudden fits of wheezing, coughing, or shortness of breath. According to the Center of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the number of people who have asthma is continually growing.
Approximately sixty-five percent of adults currently have persistent asthma, and nearly sixty percent of children currently have persistent asthma. Research and other evidence found the following self-care and lifestyle tips can help minimize and control your risk of asthma attacks.
What You Need To Know:
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Clean it up. To avoid triggering asthma, control household and workplace irritants such as dust, mold, smoke, chemicals, and animal dander. The Environmental Working Group informs readers,“Asthma can be caused by outdoor air pollution, but also by indoor emissions of chemicals, strong odors, mold, smoke or other factors. The air inside homes can be two to five times as polluted as outdoor air.” Dietary triggers like certain food additives should be watched carefully, also.
Keep a healthy body weight. Shed extra pounds to improve breathing and decrease the needs for medications. Losing excess weight brings along many health benefits, but its effect on asthma often goes unnoticed.
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An American Lung Association article shares that people with a body mass index (BMI) of 30 or more have a much higher risk of having asthma than those with a lower BMI. Extra weight increases the risk of having asthma and having more severe, difficult to control asthma.
Check out certain antioxidants. 30 mg a day of lycopene or 64 mg a day of beta-carotene can help prevent exercise-related asthma attacks. The US National Library of Medicine National Institutes of Health concludes in a 2006 study that symptomatic asthma in adults is associated with a low dietary intake of fruit, the antioxidants nutrients vitamin C and manganese, and low plasma vitamin levels. These findings suggest that diet may be a potentially modifiable risk factor for the development of asthma.
Try proven herbal remedies. Supplements containing boswellia extra (900 mg a day), ivy leaf extract (50 drops a day), or tylophora leaf (200 to 400 mg a day) may improve breathing symptoms, children should be given one-half of these amounts or less, depending on body weight. Everyday Health gives readers some common ingredients they may have in their kitchen that work, also. They include garlic, ginger, echinacea, honey, and turmeric.
Watch the salt. Avoid aggravating symptoms by limiting the use of table salt and salty fast food, and by reading labels to find low sodium groceries. A Health article describes to readers, “The hallmark feature of asthma is inflammation and tightening of the airways, and salt can contribute to inflammation by causing fluid retention.” Reducing salt plays a significant role in asthmatic symptoms.
Of course, if you have any asthmatic symptoms that make you uncomfortable, consulting an allergist is always an optimal source for help. Remember, these recommendations are not intended to replace the advice of a professional.
Shelby Pauling is an Economics major, Mathematics minor student at Spelman College from Chicago, Illinois. When Shelby is not studying, she ignites her creative side by researching upcoming health and beauty trends. Shelby’s understanding for the importance of health literacy in the black community led her to join Spelman College’s NAACP Chapter and the Health Careers Club, where she indulges in conversations and community service activities focused on stimulating dialogue amongst her peers and local Atlanta residents.
