Increased atopy (a predisposition to allergic sensitivity) in male adolescents. Smaller airway size in male adolescents compared to females. [3] X Research source Sex hormone fluctuations during premenstrual, menstrual, and menopausal years in women. Studies that re-introduced hormones for menopausal women had an increase in newly diagnosed asthma.
Ask your parents and other relatives if there is a history of asthma in your family. If you are adopted, your biological parents may have provided a family history to your adoptive family.
Note an allergic reaction you may have to common triggers, including food, roaches, animals, mold, pollen and dust mites. [6] X Expert Source Shaun Berger, MDBoard Certified Pediatrician Expert Interview. 17 April 2020. If you have allergies, you also have an increased risk of developing asthma. If you experience severe allergic reactions but can’t identify the trigger, ask your doctor for allergy testing. He or she will expose small patches of your skin to different types of allergens to look for allergic changes.
Smoking while pregnant causes childhood wheezing, increased risk of food allergies, and inflammatory proteins in the blood. The effect is even greater if the child continues to be exposed to second-hand smoke after birth. [8] X Research source Subbarao P. et al. Asthma: epidemiology, etiology and risk factors. Canadian Medical Association Journal. 2009 Oct 27; 181(9): E181–E190. Talk to your OBGYN before taking any oral medication to help you stop smoking.
Try relaxation techniques such as deep breathing, meditation, and yoga. Exercise regularly to release endorphins that ease pain and reduce stress levels. Improve your sleeping habits: go to sleep when you’re tired, don’t sleep with the TV on, don’t eat before going to sleep, avoid night time caffeine, and try to maintain same sleep schedule daily. [10] X Trustworthy Source Cleveland Clinic Educational website from one of the world’s leading hospitals Go to source
Avoid breathing the air around major streets or highways when possible. Have children play outside in areas far away from highways or construction. If relocation is an option, see the EPA’s air quality index guidelines to find the areas with the best air quality. [12] X Trustworthy Source United States Environmental Protection Agency Independent U. S. government agency responsible for promoting safe environmental practices Go to source
Studies show that aspirin and ibuprofen can cause lung and airway constriction in asthmatic patients sensitive to them. [13] X Research source ACE inhibitors used to treat blood pressure don’t cause asthma, but cause a dry cough that can be mistaken for it. However, excessive coughing from ACE inhibitors can irritate your lungs and trigger the onset of asthma. Common ACE inhibitors include ramipril and perindopril. Beta blockers are used to treat heart problems, high blood pressure, and migraines. They can constrict your lung airways. [14] X Trustworthy Source PubMed Central Journal archive from the U. S. National Institutes of Health Go to source Some doctors may prescribe beta blockers even if you have asthma, and just keep an eye on you for changes. Common beta blockers include metoprolol and propanolol.
If left undiagnosed or untreated, the early, mild symptoms of asthma can get progressively worse. This is especially true if you don’t identify your triggers and avoid them.
If coughing begins or worsens at night, it may be asthma. A common symptom of asthma is nighttime coughing, or coughing that gets worse right after you wake up. [18] X Trustworthy Source National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute Research and education center within the National Institutes of Health Go to source In more progressed cases, coughing extends into the day.
With moderate asthma, your respiratory rate can be from 20 to 30 breaths per minute.
If you see these infection symptoms combined with noise on exhalation and gasping for breath, you likely have asthma triggered by an infection. See a doctor to find out exactly what’s going on.
You may also feel like you can’t fully exhale. When the body needs the oxygen from inhalation, it shortens exhalation so it can get to oxygen more quickly. You may find that you can’t speak in full sentences, but are using short words and sentences between gasps.
Place your palm over your chest and note how many times your chest rises and falls in one minute. Use a stopwatch or clock with a second hand to time out an accurate minute. In severe episodes, your respiration rate will be over 30 breaths per minute.
Hold your hand out, palm up. Place the tips of the index and middle fingers of your other hand on the outer part of your wrist, below the thumb. You will feel a rapid, beating pulse from the radial artery. Calculate your heart rate by counting how many times your heart beats in one minute. A normal heart rate is less than 100 beats per minute, but in severe asthma symptoms you may get rates over 120. [26] X Research source Some smart phones now have heartbeat monitors built right in. If yours does, you can use that.
Look in the mirror to see both the deeply outlined neck muscles and the retracted muscles between your ribs.
Noise on inhalation can be a symptom both of asthma and of severe allergic reaction. You need to be able to distinguish between them so you can treat the cause appropriately. Look for hives or red rashes on the chest, which indicate an allergic reaction instead of an asthma attack. Swelling of the lips or tongue also point to allergies.
Albuterol inhaler pumps should only be used 4 times a day, but in an attack it’s ok to use it as often as every 20 minutes for 2 hours. [31] X Research source Take slow deep breaths, counting to 3 in your head on inhalation and exhalation. This can help reduce stress and your breathing rate. Remove the trigger if you can identify it. Asthma will get better when you use steroids prescribed by your physician. These drugs can be inhaled through a pump or taken as a tablet. Take a puff of the medication or a tablet with water. It takes a few hours to start working, but will control asthma symptoms.
Any signs and symptoms of asthma (coughing, shortness of breath, noises during breathing, etc. ) Past medical history (previous allergies, etc. ) Family history (history of lung diseases or allergies with your parents, siblings, etc. ) Your social history (tobacco use, diet and exercise, environment) Any medications you may be on (such as aspirin) and any supplements or vitamins you’re taking
Because asthma is related to allergies, he or she will also look for runny nose, red eyes, watery eyes and skin rashes. Finally, the doctor will inspect the throat for swelling and your ability to breathe, as well as any abnormal sounds that may indicate constricted airways.
If your value is over 80% of your best peak flow, you’re in a safe range. If your value is between 50 and 80% of your best peak flow, your asthma is not being well-managed and your physician will likely adjust medication for you. You’re at moderate risk of experiencing an asthma attack if you’re in this range. If your value is less than 50% of your best peak flow, you’re experiencing a severe decrease in breathing function that likely needs to be addressed with medication.
A common medication is an albuterol/salbutamol inhaler pump, which you use by pursing your lips over the opening and pumping the medication in your lungs while you inhale. Bronchodilator medications help open constricted airways by dilating them.
