|
|
 |
living with asthma: one day at a time
Asthma can affect your whole life:
- Emotions
- Physical well-being
- Financial well-being
- Family
- Work
- Social Life
- Lifestyle
- Living arrangements
You can probably think of other areas where you are personally
affected by your asthma. The more you know about your asthma, the more effectively you can help
control it and lessen its effect. One way to decrease its impact on your life
is by educating yourself (and others) about asthma. You need to understand exactly
how asthma affects each part of your life. Once you do, you can take steps to
reduce asthma’s impact on your life.
responses of family and friends
lifestyle changes
how you feel physically
indoor environmental effects
emotional responses
responses of family and friends
While you are responsible for managing your asthma, your family and friends
also play an important role. Certainly, it is important that they understand
your condition and how it is affecting you. However, your asthma symptoms may not always be obvious to others.
As a result, there may be times when family members or friends express doubt that you have
asthma, or they may think that your asthma symptoms are all in your mind. They
may also react with panic or fear when you have an asthma attack.
Other responses common among the family and friends of a person with asthma
are shame, guilt, and avoidance. Family members may also be jealous and resent
the attention you receive because of your asthma. Try to bring these feelings
into the open so they are recognized and understood.
Another common response of family members and friends of someone
with asthma is to be overprotective. Sometimes, family members may limit activities
outside the home, including exercise, shopping, or vacations because of your condition.
However, with proper precautions, asthma should not greatly limit your activities. Education
is the answer to all of these responses.
- Explain to your family and friends the signs of worsening and severe asthma.
- Review your Asthma
Action Plan with your family and friends so that they understand that
you are doing everything possible to control your asthma.
- Have an emergency phone list ready and let your family know where it is.
- If appropriate, give each person a role to play in case you have an asthma attack. For
example, one person can get the emergency phone list, while another gets your
medicine. Then, if you have an asthma attack when family members or friends are present,
they too will feel like they can help instead of just wondering what to do
or what is going on with you.
lifestyle changes
Some people respond to their asthma by changing how they live.
For example, they may limit their trips away from home. They may avoid parties,
family outings, vacations, or even trips to the grocery store. Often, the reason
behind this is the fear of having an asthma attack when they are away from home.
- To lessen this fear, form a plan for such
times. When you are going on vacation, find out the locations and phone numbers of the nearby hospitals.
Carry a list of your medicines and other information (such as a letter from your
healthcare professional) that will be helpful to medical personnel who may
need to treat you for the first time. This information can be written on your
Asthma Action Plan.
Another common response to asthma is to stop exercising or
to avoid physical activity.
- With the agreement of your healthcare professional,
you can continue to exercise if you know your exercise limits, take preventive
medicines if needed, and are aware of asthma signs and symptoms that may develop
during or after you exercise or are very active. An exercise specialist or your healthcare
professional can help you develop a suitable exercise program. Remember, exercise
can be as simple as taking a walk or climbing stairs, and with good control
of your asthma, you should be able to exercise and be physically active.
how you feel physically
People with asthma may notice that how they feel physically may vary from day to day. This may
include feeling tired, getting sick often, or gaining weight. These changes
are usually caused by asthma but can sometimes be a side effect of your medicine.
Most often, it is some combination of the two.
- The best way to deal with feeling tired is to get adequate rest. If feeling
tired is an early warning sign that your asthma is getting worse, follow your Asthma Action Plan
and take steps to avoid a full-blown attack.
Trouble sleeping can be caused by your medications or by your
asthma. Sleep loss from asthma symptoms may mean that your asthma medicines should
be adjusted. Let your healthcare professional know what is happening. You should
never adjust any of your medicines without talking to your healthcare professional.
Just like everyone else, people with asthma can get lung infections,
colds, or influenza. Four important ways to help prevent getting these problems
are:
- Eat a balanced diet
- Get plenty of rest
- Wash your hands often
- Get a flu shot each year
Having asthma itself doesn’t cause weight gain. However, asthma
medications (especially steroids in pill or liquid form), lack of exercise, lifestyle
changes, or feelings of depression can cause you to gain weight.
- If you think one of your medicines is causing
you to gain weight, talk to your healthcare professional. Another medicine
may be right for you. But remember, do not stop taking any medicine without
your healthcare professional’s okay.
- Get moving! Asthma shouldn’t stop you from
exercising. Get an exercise
plan from your healthcare professional.
- Asthma doesn’t mean you need to completely
change your lifestyle. Talk to your healthcare professional if you’re having
trouble doing something you want to do.
- At times, you may feel sad or guilty about
having asthma. It’s not your fault. Asthma is a lung disease that millions
of people have. However, if you’re feeling depressed or blue, talk to your
healthcare professional.
Waking up at night may be the result of something in your room triggering
your asthma. Take a close look at everything in your bedroom and consider the
following changes:
- Encase your mattress and pillow in a special dust-proof cover.
- Replace old pillows with new ones at least once every 5 years.
- Wash the sheets and blankets on your bed each week in hot water. Water must
be hotter than 130°F (this kills dust mites).
- During the day, keep dust off your bed by covering the entire bed with a
bedspread. At night, take off the bedspread and put it in another room.
- If you’ve done all these things and still have trouble with your
asthma during the nighttime, talk to your healthcare professional.
indoor environmental effects
You can help prevent many asthma symptoms and attacks by avoiding
things in your home or office that can trigger your asthma. If allergens
such as dust mites, mold, or fumes trigger your asthma, do what is necessary to
avoid them.
- Make sure your home and office are kept as free of dust as possible.
- Avoid cool, damp places (for example, a basement) if mold triggers your asthma.
- Avoid household cleaning products that trigger your asthma symptoms.
- Use the other suggestions discussed earlier in this program.
emotional responses
Common emotional responses to asthma include:
- Feelings of depression and low self-esteem
- A lack of confidence
- Anger
- Panic and fear--especially the fear of dying from asthma
It is not unusual for someone with a chronic illness like asthma
to experience feelings of depression or low self-esteem.
These feelings can occur more regularly in some people, especially
in people with prolonged uncontrolled asthma. If you think you or a family member
has become depressed, seek the advice of your healthcare professional.
Anger and frustration are also common emotions for people with asthma. Try
to figure out the source of these feelings and then find a way to use that anger
more productively. Again, the sense of control you gain by effectively managing your asthma
will help lessen or eliminate the anger you feel about having
asthma.
Feelings of panic and fear are also common responses in patients
with asthma and may explain why some people with asthma may avoid going outdoors
or exercising. Keep in mind that fear of situations related to your asthma can
be useful if it leads to taking preventive steps. But, the more you know,
the more you can effectively manage your asthma and live your life without
fear.
|
|
|
