Any person at any age can get asthma. Nowadays people have realized Prevention is better than Cure and so awareness among people regarding preventions of asthma is increasing. This article suggests the prevention measures for asthma.
Need for Prevention of Asthma
Asthma disturbs the regular life of asthmatic patients due to difficulty in breathing. Asthma for a person might be due to any factor. Some of the risk factors of asthma can be controlled and some cannot. So, prevention of asthma is required by avoiding or limiting the controllable risk factors such as exposure to tobacco smoke, mold spores, obesity, dust mites, perfume, feather buds, pet dander, pollen, cockroaches, gastro esophageal reflux disease (GERD), occupational triggers such as chemicals, environmental irritants such as fumes, cold air etc. Family history where elders have allergic asthma, low birth weight etc. are non-controllable risk factors.
Preventive Measures for Asthma
The occurrence of the symptoms should be tracked and the triggers that stimulate asthma have to be avoided. Avoid food materials which might create excess mucus. According to the type of asthma, the appropriate diet precautions should be followed as instructed by Doctor. Be in the suitable climate, keep warm. There are various preventions of asthma depending on the factor causing asthma. Reducing body weight controls the risk factors namely obesity and GERD. Risk due to irritants can be reduced by minimizing long term exposure to irritants and also to allergic triggers. Asthma action plan should be drafted such that it includes information about periodical checkups to control asthma, details about medication regimen including quick relief medicines and medicines with long lasting effect.
Preventions of Asthma in Children
In case of family history, care should be taken for the children as they have increased risk of getting asthma. From the beginning, risk factors such as frequent childhood respiratory infections, low birth weight, living in low-economy over-populated urban area should be controlled to minimize the risk of getting asthma.
Steps to Prevent Asthma while Traveling
Have a copy of asthma action plan so as to prevent asthma due to any possible triggers while travelling. Ten minutes before boarding the vehicle such as car, the windows should be opened and the air conditioner should be on. This removes the dust and mold spores, if any, present in the vehicle. While traveling, keep air conditioner on with the windows closed to avoid outside dust and air pollution. Prefer to travel in the early morning when pollution is less. Sunny, allergy-proof hotel room away from the pool located in the non-smoking area is preferable. Keep asthma medicines handy. Drink more water to avoid dehydration.