Being diagnosed with asthma in your senior years can be frightening and frustrating. You may wonder what the future holds when it comes to your health, and you may be tired of wheezing and feeling short of breath at a time when you planned to travel and enjoy retirement. Proper care helps keep your symptoms under control and reduces your flares so your asthma is managed as best possible and you can continue an active life. Here are some asthma treatments and lifestyle changes that might help your condition.
Lifestyle Changes That Might Help Your Asthma
If you smoke, you should stop. If you live with a smoker, they should stop or not smoke around you since smoke can trigger wheezing. If you're overweight, it's good to lose weight and maintain your ideal weight to improve your respiratory capacity and to maintain overall health. You might even need to make changes to your home so you remove things that trigger wheezing and allergy symptoms since allergies are linked to adult-onset asthma.
Things, like removing carpet to control dust and mites, using an allergy filter on your HVAC, and keeping windows closed to keep pollen out, might help your symptoms. If you have a pet and are allergic to them, try to keep your pet out of your bedroom so you can have a long period at night where you can sleep without your allergies and asthma being triggered.
Medical Asthma Treatments Your Doctor Might Try
There are different medications your doctor can prescribe for your asthma. Some are taken as pills and others are inhaled. Some asthma medications work on a preventative basis. You have to take them daily to reduce the risk of wheezing and shortness of breath. It's important to take these drugs even if you feel well.
Other asthma drugs, such as a rescue inhaler, are to be used when you feel wheezing coming on. It's important to understand how your medications work so you know how to take them appropriately. For instance, some asthma medications reduce inflammation and others widen your airways to reduce wheezing. Some are fast-acting, and others take longer to take effect and last longer.
Your doctor may also recommend allergy testing so you can pinpoint substances that make your asthma worse. You may need to take allergy medications to further help control your asthma symptoms. While your asthma may not go away completely, your doctor may treat you with the goal to control your symptoms so asthma doesn't interfere with your life and keep you from doing the things you want to do.
To learn more about asthma treatment, contact a health professional near you.
Share