fluctuate with factors that affect outdoor allergens.
“Because these are perennial, it’s more difficult to notice how much they affect asthma and allergy symptoms, as compared to seasonal allergens, but they can have profound effects on asthma symptoms,” Curtiss adds. “Overall, exposure to allergens seems to make allergic asthmatics more prone to have an exacerbation when they are sick with a viral infection.”
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Pay attention to your use of your asthma inhaler
Regular use of asthma inhalers can help asthma patients control their symptoms. “This is the absolute most important way for patients to protect themselves,” Curtiss stresses.
Pay attention to how often you reach for your inhaler, she says.
If you need to use your rescue inhaler more than two times during the day per week or more than two times at night a month, your asthma is not controlled and you should talk to your doctor about boosting your treatment, she adds.
“All asthma patients can protect themselves from severe exacerbations by paying attention to their symptoms each day and seeking help early at the start of a flare, when it’s more likely to respond to treatment,” Curtiss says. “If an asthma patient is using more than one rescue inhaler per month, this is a major red flag and needs an urgent evaluation by a specialist.”