| Asthma is a chronic respiratory disease in | | | | 1. Avoid or control your exposure to |
| which airways in the lungs periodically | | | | allergens, food allergies, and irritants such |
| become narrowed, obstructed, or even blocked. | | | | as cigarette smoking |
| An estimated 15 million Americans suffer from | | | | |
| asthma, and the number of new asthma cases | | | | During pollen and mold season, keep your |
| increases yearly. | | | | windows closed, especially in the bedroom. |
| | | | Seal central heating and cooling system ducts |
| Asthma generally develops in childhood but | | | | to keep allergens from other rooms entering |
| may develop in adults with no previous | | | | your bedroom. |
| history of asthma. Males develop this | | | | |
| disorder twice as often as females. | | | | 2. Keep active |
| | | | |
| Asthma attacks, periods of breathing | | | | A sedentary lifestyle is associated with long |
| difficulty, occur in reaction to certain | | | | periods of shallow breathing. Routine aerobic |
| stimuli, usually something inhaled. Allergens | | | | exercise conditions your body's muscles and |
| responsible for allergies often trigger | | | | builds lung strength. Moderate activity, and |
| strenuous exercise, cold air, upper | | | | the deep breathing that accompanies it, |
| respiratory infections, and emotional stress. | | | | protects your lungs by acting as a clearing |
| | | | agent so that inhaled allergens spend less |
| Asthma is a complicated disease, but the | | | | time in your body. Check with your |
| control of this disease rests in your hands | | | | health-care practitioner before beginning a |
| and your family's. Along with medication, | | | | new exercise program. |
| self-care is essential. Your overall goal | | | | |
| should be to control asthma so that you can | | | | 3. Try postural drainage |
| live a full, productive life. One important | | | | |
| step is the use of a peak flow meter. With | | | | This technique uses gravity and gentle |
| this portable device, you can measure the | | | | rapping on the chest to loosen and eliminate |
| maximum speed at which air leaves your lungs. | | | | thick mucus. Nurses and physical or |
| As you exhale forcefully into the mouthpiece | | | | respiratory therapists trained in this |
| of this tube-shaped device, an indicator | | | | technique can show family members how to |
| scale measures the greatest speed of air | | | | perform postural drainage on you. |
| exiting the lungs. Doing several measurements | | | | |
| over time and recording the results on a | | | | 4. Use stress management |
| chart help you compare your readings with an | | | | |
| established normal range. Levels that begin | | | | Everyone experiences stress in life, but |
| to drop can predict an asthma attack. In that | | | | stress plays an even more complex role in |
| case, you can take preventive medications or | | | | your life if you have asthma. To help deal |
| notify your doctor. | | | | with tension and reduce the fear you |
| | | | experience during an asthma attack, learn a |
| Here are the helpful tips: | | | | stress management technique such as |
| | | | relaxation to relieve stress. |