Asthma can affect your quality of life. Symptoms such as coughing, wheezing, and difficulty breathing can cause you to miss work or social gatherings. They can also make it difficult to sleep at night. Any asthma sufferer should be working with an asthma doctor to manage their condition.
Below are several healthy tips from asthma doctor, Dr. Matthew Aresery of Intercoastal Medical Group in Sarasota and Bradenton, Florida.
Know Your Triggers
Knowing your triggers can help you avoid them. It can also help you act immediately when the time comes for you to take short-acting or rescue medication. Common asthma triggers include environmental allergens such as pollen, dust, mold, and pet dander. Dr. Aresery creates an asthma plan with each patient (no two plans are alike) according to their triggers, severity of symptoms, and preference.
Take Your Medication as Prescribed
Depending on your needs, you may need to take long-acting or maintenance medication. They usually come in the form of inhaled corticosteroids. Maintenance medication performs a critical function, in that future asthma attacks can become less severe. Short-acting medication such as rescue inhalers can prevent a worsening of symptoms. There is a proper way to take them to boost their effectiveness. Dr. Aresery teaches his patients how to properly use inhalers to reap the benefits of the medication.
Exercise
Most cases of asthma are due to environmental factors, but some can be triggered by exercise. If your asthma is not exercise-induced, it will really benefit you to remain physically active throughout the day. For one thing, exercise is good for the lungs and improves their function. Another reason why exercise is good is that it helps asthma patients maintain a normal weight. Overweight and obese patients tend to have worse asthma symptoms and do not respond as well to asthma treatment, as the extra weight puts pressure on the lungs.
Avoid Getting the Flu
Symptoms of the flu may exacerbate asthma symptoms. With asthma, your airways may become swollen and sensitive. The flu can cause further inflammation. It’s never been easier to avoid the flu now — social distancing, mask-wearing, and regular hand washing and sanitizing can help you avoid catching the flu. However, the safest bet would be to get your annual flu shot.
Eat a Healthful Diet
What you eat can affect your body and mind. As an asthma patient, what you eat can affect the effectiveness of your medication as well as your overall health. For instance, foods high in saturated fat can cause inflammation in the body and weaken the effect of asthma medication.
Allergy and Asthma Doctor in Sarasota and Bradenton, FL
At Intercoastal Medical Group, our allergy and asthma specialist, Dr. Matthew Aresery, treats asthma patients in our offices in Sarasota and Bradenton. Dr. Aresery takes a highly individualized approach to treating asthma, taking into account the patient’s lifestyle and overall health — factors that can influence the quality of life.
For personalized and compassionate treatment, make an appointment with Dr. Aresery. Call (941) 362-8640 or use our online appointment request form. We look forward to serving you!
