Can a Person with Asthma Live a Normal Life?

Posted by Nathan Vox on May 5th, 2021

Bronchial asthma is an inflammatory disease of the bronchi that develops upon contact with allergens that enter the body from the air. House dust mites, animal dander, pollen and mold spores are the most common causes of asthma attacks. Therefore, patients with bronchial asthma need to limit contact with these allergens as much as possible.

Let's start with housing. There should be no objects in the apartment that collect dust: thick curtains, carpets, soft toys, books on unglazed shelves. Unfortunately, a cozy bedroom with ruffles and cushions is not a suitable option for a person suffering from bronchial asthma. Spartan conditions are more suitable for an asthmatic: a floor covered with linoleum or laminate and an iron bed. Not glamorous, yes. But it will provide health.

The pillow and blanket must be synthetic, they must be washed regularly at a temperature not lower than 60°C (140°F), and in winter they must be taken out in the cold. Cotton, woolen and down bedding can be a source of allergens and house dust mites quickly start there. They feed on desquamated epithelium of humans and pets, so pets are an additional risk factor, regardless of whether the patient is allergic to their fur or not.

There is a whole industry of goods for allergy sufferers in the world, there are specialized stores where you can buy acaricides - these agents are added to the powder when washing, cleaning premises, and used in the form of sprays. There are also anti-allergenic covers for furniture and pillows, vacuum cleaners with a special filter that traps mite allergens (they are of such microscopic size that ordinary vacuum cleaners cannot cope with them). It is also necessary to monitor the level of humidity in the apartment - so that it is about 50%. Ticks like it when it is damp and warm, so their activity is maximum at the beginning and at the end of the heating season. But it is also not necessary to "dry" the air: at low humidity, the respiratory tract becomes easily permeable to all allergens.

Rescue spray

The formula for the prevention of attacks of bronchial asthma is "correct lifestyle + adequate drug therapy".

If the disease is mild, special permanent treatment is not needed. In this case, it is enough to use bronchodilator drugs in a can for inhalation. The most common inhalers are Combivent, Proventil, Ventolin and Combimist L Inhaler. All of them can be ordered online via danforthmuseum.org, a website of Trusted Tablets. The drugstore ship orders internationally via EMS and Regular Airmail. Here you can purchase medicines for almost every health condition. Ordering drugs online saves time and money - the pharmacy sets the lowest possible prices on medicines.

In moderate and severe forms, medications are used that not only expand the bronchi but also have an anti-inflammatory effect. These drugs need to be used regularly and for a long time, sometimes for years, but they can be used to achieve complete control over the symptoms of the disease, to make seizures occur extremely rarely.

Usually, hormonal inhalers are prescribed as a permanent therapy. There is no need to be afraid of such drugs. When used correctly, steroids are the most effective drug and have no significant side effects.

Another method of treatment is specific immunotherapy. The most significant groups of allergens that provoke exacerbations are identified, and they are injected subcutaneously or in the form of drops under the tongue, starting with very small doses. Thus, they try to "trick" the immune system. This method is used in patients over 5 years old with a stable and mild/moderate course of the disease and when it is possible to choose some of the most significant allergens.
If asthma exacerbations occur frequently and are difficult to stop in spite of therapy, then the treatment has been chosen incorrectly.

Fauna and flora

The presence of animals at home can be one of the "provocateurs" of asthma attacks. Many asthmatics hope that over time they will "get used to it" and will no longer react to the pet. Unfortunately, this is unlikely. If a person reacts to the hair, epithelium or saliva of a dog or cat, then the only reliable way to prevent seizures is to exclude contact with these allergens. Moreover, in this case, it is not enough just to give the animal away - you should thoroughly wash the whole apartment. For example, cat allergens are very resistant, they can persist in an apartment for up to two (!!!) years.

You shouldn't keep an aquarium in your bedroom and even ... houseplants. Both fish food and mold spores can be an allergen - mold in flower pots is a source of mold in your home.

It is good when the house is thoroughly ventilated. But during the flowering season of trees and grasses, pollen can enter the apartment through the windows and become a component of house dust, especially if the apartment is located on the lower floors. This is dangerous for those patients who react to pollen.

In general, the flowering season is a serious test for asthmatics. Trees “grow dusty” in April – May, grasses - in June – July, weeds - in August – September. Pollen can fly hundreds of kilometers. Its concentration in the air is especially high in the morning hours, in dry windy weather. And it can increase up to 12 times before thunderstorms!

So, if there is an opportunity to go on vacation at the peak of flowering, you'd better do it. In this case, it is necessary to change the climatic zone, and not just drive off 100-200 km.

Dangers of the big city

Periodical trips to the mountains or to the seaside are also important for enriching the lungs with oxygen, preventing attacks. Even a 2-week vacation will do the trick. But sharp changes in temperature should be avoided - you do not need to travel "from -30 to +30", and it is undesirable for the climate to be too humid (tropical or subtropical) or too dry.

In order not to provoke an attack of suffocation, you need to be vigilant. It is especially important to be always on the alert for residents of big cities who constantly inhale the “waste products” of a big city - exhaust gases. These substances can cause allergic reactions and act on the mucous membranes, damage them and make them more readily permeable to allergens. Many asthmatics develop nonspecific bronchial reactivity - that is, spasm, shortness of breath in response to non-allergenic stimuli: a sharp change in temperature, strong odors, exercise, stress. So if, for example, repairs are started in your office, you'd better stay home during this time so as not to provoke an attack.

You will probably be surprised but sports are not only possible but also very useful for asthmatics! Swimming in the pool, athletics, cycling will help you develop respiratory muscles. You need to do it at least twice a week. But you must pay attention to the place of training: exercising in a small dusty gym or outdoors during the flowering period can have the opposite effect.