Follow these useful guidelines to dramatically lower the risk of asthma attacks for you and your loved ones.
If you or someone in your home has asthma, it is important to reduce the risk of asthma attacks from happening. Although you cannot fully prevent these attacks, there are many steps you can take to lower the risk of having them. Keep in mind that you can also come up with asthma questions to ask a pharmacist when you visit our independent pharmacy in your area.
Know the Triggers
Being exposed to certain allergens can cause asthma symptoms to flare up and put you or your loved one at a higher risk of having an attack. Some common triggers include mold, dust, pet dander, cockroach droppings, rodents, secondhand smoke, and strong perfumes and other fragrances.
In order to prevent asthma attacks, you will need to identify the triggers that cause them. For example, do you tend to have attacks after dusting or being around someone who smokes? Do you have attacks when you are around dogs or cats? Determining what triggers your attacks can help you reduce the risk of having them.
Avoid Triggers
When possible, avoid things that trigger your asthma attacks. Some of these triggers might be easier to stay away from than others. In general, you should take steps to avoid the particular triggers that affect you. Depending on what these include, you might need to avoid being around smokers or people who wear heavy perfume. You might also want to avoid being around cats and dogs if pet dander affects you.
Clean Regularly
Mold and dust are common allergens for those with asthma, so it is important to minimize or prevent them in your home. You can keep dust to a minimum by vacuuming often and washing bed linens on a regular basis.
For mold, make sure you control the humidity levels in your home to stop mold from growing. You should also have leaks fixed as soon as possible before mold has a chance to grow inside your walls and floors. Keep in mind that cleaning regularly also helps eliminate any cockroach droppings you might have in your home.
Prevent Pests
Keeping rodents and cockroaches out of your home can cut down on your exposure to these asthma triggers. You can keep pests at bay by making sure you do not leave any crumbs or food around for them to feed on.
Fixing leaks removes sources of water for rodents and cockroaches, while filling in gaps in your home helps prevent them from getting inside in the first place. Pay close attention to cracks around doors and windows, since pests tend to enter homes through these areas.
Always Have an Inhaler
Since you cannot fully prevent asthma attacks, make sure you have an inhaler with you at all times. This helps ensure that you can stop your attacks from getting worse.
If you need more information on asthma prevention or need to fill a prescription for an inhaler, please contact our pharmacists in Benton, AR by calling 501-392-5470.