Beautiful weather is back, so you already start feeling like eating ice cream and getting a sun tan. However, changes in temperature such as heat waves are known to make asthma sufferers miserable. Knowing how to keep your asthma symptoms under control and how to manage flare-ups in these times will help you enjoy even the scorching hot summer days as if you were in perfect health. Here are a few tips that could help.
Plan Before Getting Out
Don’t let the summer take you by surprise. You can plan ahead for hot weather by keeping tabs on the Pollen Count and on your local Air Quality Index before getting out of the house. If you notice worrisome values, you can choose to stay indoor and reschedule everything you wanted to do outside your home for the day.
Expect The Best But Prepare For The Worst
When heat kicks in and you start experiencing asthma symptoms, make sure you have your medication, such as Ventolin or Salamol handy. In fact, you should always have your asthma reliever with you, regardless of the season. You never know when you’re going to need it, particularly when you have to deal with extreme heat.
Be Smart About Getting Out
Of you know you’ll need to put up with the heat of the early afternoon, make sure you’re going to handle it the smart way. Keep your asthma medication in a dry and cool place rather than putting it on a table, under direct sunlight or in the glove compartment of your vehicle.
Avoid exercising outside. If you have to do it, take lots of breaks and keep your reliever medication close to you. Here are more details about exercising for asthma sufferers.
Keep Cool
Controlling your asthma in hot weather is a matter of staying cool. Use air conditioning and get inside between activities, to cool a little before getting out again. Swimming could also help you keep your asthma under control. In fact, anything that helps you stay cool will do.
Stay Indoors
Hot an humid days are the most dangerous for asthma sufferers. During such days, try to limit your outside activities. Also, stay inside if you notice that the pollen count is high.
Know What You Have To Do
Having an asthma action plan can save you from a lot of trouble. For instance, try to understand what triggers your asthma flare ups. Also, learn what you need to do when this happens. An asthma action plan can prove to be priceless, as it can offer you the tools to manage your asthma in a safe and effective manner. You are welcome to download an asthma action plan sample here.
Schedule Outdoor Activities Early In The Day
If you need to get out of you house, try to schedule such activities as early as possible in the morning. This would enable you to avoid the hottest hours of the day. Besides, air quality is better early in the morning, so you’ll exercise in healthier conditions.
Hydrate Yourself
This is something you should do on hot weather, regardless of your health situation. Drinking plenty of water is extremely important, as it allows you to maintain a proper hydration level.
Discuss With Your Doctor
If you notice your asthma becomes worse during summer or whenever you have to put up with hot and humid weather,discuss about this with your doctor, in order to make sure that the asthma treatment you receive is the right one for you. Heat and high humidity trigger allergy spikes, as well. These allergies may have a direct influence on your asthma condition. You may want to ask your doctor to test you for some of the most common allergens.
These tips should hopefully help you avoid developing asthma symptoms with each and every heat wave.
