With flowers in bloom, pollen released by plants and increased pollution; there are more irritants than ever in the air. This makes it hard for most people with asthma hard to breathe. One way to help simply manage your asthma is to follow an action plan to help you to track your symptoms, ultimately keeping you or your child out of the doctor’s office or hospital.
According to a recent study from the University of Southern California, children with asthma who were exposed to higher concentrations of particles were more likely to develop bronchitis.
One of the best ways to keep your asthma under control is to avoid triggers, such as tobacco smoke, dust, molds, pests and seasonal allergens. If you know what triggered you or your child’s attack, write it in your action plan. Also, try to stay away from the trigger and tell your doctor.
Getting help right away when asthma gets worse can save a life. Doctors at CalOptima — California’s top-ranked health plan — recommend that you get follow-up care after an emergency room (ER) or hospital visit. Following are tips to help you to breathe easier:
- Take your medicine as prescribed by the doctor. Make sure to tell your regular doctor about any prescription or changes made by a hospital or ER doctors during your follow-up visit.
- Keep and use an asthma diary: This can help you and your doctor track how your asthma changes over time. This can include asthma symptoms, medicine dosage and more.
- Warm up before exercise: Try not to exercise outside when it’s cold or when the pollen count is high. Also, keep your or your child’s inhaler handy just in case any symptoms flare up.
Don’t forget, no one knows your asthma better than you. Follow your action plan, and talk to your doctor about your symptoms. This will help prevent future unplanned doctor visits. The more you know, the better you will be at managing your family’s health.
Tobias Armstrong says
As someone who suffered from asthma as a child, I can agree that getting help right away is far and away the best way to save a life. Avoiding triggers is another huge way to make sure it doesn’t get bad, and avoid things like tobacco smoke is probably the most important. There’s a ton of things that I found worked for me, and I think you hit them all on the head. Thanks for sharing!