RELIEVE ASTHMA

ASTHMA...may just seem to be another word in my vocabulary before. But now, it’s not something that I can just laugh off. I acquired mine just 2 weeks ago. It started with just a simple cough that lasted for 2 weeks despite the antibiotics I took. The first “attack” I had was when I was getting ready to sleep. I started to cough as usual but then I couldn’t stop. It’s as if my cough came from the stomach but when I started to breathe…I can’t. It’s as if something is stuck inside of me. I tried harder to breathe but that’s when I heard a gasping sound. I started to panic hearing that it came from me. My husband started to pull me out from the bed and started to massage my back. That’s when I started to slowly take in air. After that, I just thought that it was just because I coughed so hard that I can’t breathe.

The next morning, I was taking a shower and the same thing happened. I thought I would pass out because I started to see black. I was just glad that my husband came in to check on me. I cried from panic not knowing what is happening to me. The same day I went to the hospital for a check-up. My doctor confirmed that it is asthma and was caused by an allergic reaction. I can’t understand where or why I got it. She told me that my cough was already an allergic reaction but because of it, I had asthma.

Without no one to ask about this because I don’t have any asthmatic relatives, I searched thru the internet. That’s where I knew that there are 2 types of Asthma: Intrinsic Asthma or sometimes called as Non-Allergic Asthma and the Extrinsic Asthma which is called as Allergic Asthma. There is no cure for asthma, although symptoms sometimes improve over time. With no cure for this, all we can do is to find ways not to trigger asthma attacks. So if you have Allergic Asthma the same as mine try the following to avoid the attacks:

1. Do not smoke. Cigarette smoke is a common cause of asthma aggravation.

2. Avoid foods which are known to cause allergy like chicken, eggs, chocolates, nuts etc…

3. Keep yourself away from dust

4. Do maintain proper cleanliness in your home. Regularly wash beddings, pillow covers, quilts, etc…

5. Don’t leave medications such as inhalers at home. You don’t know when the next attack is.

6. Drink lots of liquid and eat a balanced diet.

7. Take a walk…or do light exercises

8. Take anti-allergy medications as prescribed by your doctor

Also try the following steps if an attack occurs: Tilt your head upward and breathe thru your mouth. It really helps me breathe easily when I do this.