Asthma can affect people of all ages. In fact, 1 in 12 people in the United States are diagnosed with asthma.
The most important thing that you can do for asthma is manage its symptoms, which sometimes increase in the warmer spring and summer months. Here are some tips to help keep asthma symptoms under control during this time.
Clean often.
Vacuuming and dusting regularly can help ease asthma symptoms. This is because pollen can collect within dust, so keeping your home as dust-free as possible can help reduce your asthma symptoms.
Keep the air conditioner on and the windows closed.
In your home, in addition to dusting and vacuuming often, it can help to keep your windows closed and your A/C running! Although this may increase your electric bill, it will most likely reduce your asthma symptoms. The reason? The pollen will stay outside.
Check the pollen counts.
Pollen counts are usually published daily in the newspaper, available online or on television weather reports. Keep updated daily on your area’s pollen counts. When the pollen count is high, try to stay indoors as much as possible. If you must go out, take a shower and change your clothes after returning home.
Take your medication.
In months when your symptoms increase, you may want to ask your doctor if you should increase your medication dosage, or take it preventatively instead of just when symptoms arise. But again, it is important to ask your doctor first.
Upgrade your air conditioner filter.
Another great way to help reduce allergy symptoms is to swap out your current air conditioner filter for a high quality filter that filters out more allergens than a standard filter. There are some great ones to choose from and you will definitely notice a difference in your home.
Follow these tips and you or your loved one will breathe a little easier this summer.