If you or someone you live with has asthma, you know how dangerous it can be. Trouble breathing, coughing, mucus buildup and the constant concern of an asthma attack happening.
Although many factors are out of your control, there are things you can do at home to prevent a flare-up. Sometimes all it takes are the smallest changes to make your environment more suitable for someone living with asthma.
Here are a few ways you can prevent an asthma flare-up at your home.
What is Asthma?
Asthma is a chronic disease of the lungs. The airways tend to be irritated, inflamed and narrow. This causes difficulty breathing, tightness in the chest and coughing.
Typically, you get diagnosed with asthma as a kid. However, asthma can affect anyone at any age. Unfortunately, there is no cure for asthma. You do not grow out of it or get over it. Instead, you learn how to manage it with steroids, inhalers and anything else your doctor recommends. You can also help to keep your asthma under control by limiting your exposure to any triggers (something that causes asthma symptoms to occur).
Keep the Air Clean
Consider the air you are breathing in. Is it stale, dirty, moist and smelly? Or is it crisp, fresh, with no odors? The type of air you breathe in significantly influences your asthma symptoms. If allergens that trigger your asthma fill the air in your house, that is what you are breathing in on a daily basis.
So ventilate the home and keep the air circulating. The best way to do that is with a home heat recovery system from BPC Ventilation. The machine brings fresh air into the home while expelling the old, stale air from the inside. It also recycles the heat from the old air over to the incoming air, which helps to keep the temperature regulated in the home.
On top of that, the circulation keeps the humidity in the home at ideal levels. High humidity levels lead to excess moisture in the house. When there is too much moisture, mold forms. Breathing in the mold spores is very dangerous for someone with asthma.
Keep the House Clean
Don’t let the cleaning fall behind. Dust and dirt in the house is usually a trigger for asthma. Keep the floors clean, vacuum any carpet and disinfect surfaces. The cleaner you can keep the house, the healthier everyone will be.
Change Linens
Changing the bedding is a regular practice to get into. If the bedding doesn’t get changed, it holds in any allergens in the air. So when you sleep, you are nearby to these allergens, breathing them in all night. Changing the bedding is especially crucial if you have an animal that sleeps with you.
Be Prepared
Since asthma is something you will never get rid of, it is smart always to be prepared. Have your emergency medication readily available around the house. Know where it is and make sure those you live with also know. The last thing you need is to have an attack and not have any of your medication available.
Photo Credits
Photos are – pixabay public domain
Guest Author Bio
Stephen Jacobson
Stephen Jacobson is a freelance writer for ModestMoney.com. In addition to writing about finance he also covers a wide variety of other topics.
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