Respiratory tract diseases develop in people from childhood, often the cause is poor ecology. People cannot eat certain foods because they develop a rash. Not everyone can pet a dog or kitten. Allergy causes breathing problems, asthma.
To make the disease less interfering with everyday life, you need to figure out how to organize a hypoallergenic life with bronchial asthma. This disease is not a sentence. Prevention methods for adults and children are simple. To prevent the disease from aggravating, you need to follow the recommendations of doctors. The disease changes the lifestyle of patients forever.
Asthma lifestyle: general guidelines
How to help asthmatics? Short memo:
- stay away from dogs, cats and other animals, contact with which may cause allergies;
- clean regularly using safe detergents;
- when cleaning is in progress, a patient with bronchial asthma should not be at home;
- household chemicals should be used as little as possible;
- bronchial asthma treatment includes sports, swimming, cycling, active lifestyle;
- you need to limit contact with allergens as much as possible.
It is good to breathe clean air. A home air conditioning and humidification system is no substitute for a vacation in the mountains.
Creating a hypoallergenic environment requires serious measures.
Allergy is a violation of the immune system, an abnormal reaction to the natural effects of the external environment. Bronchial asthma is a chronic pathology. It cannot be completely cured.
Therapy is aimed at improving the quality of life of patients and preventing contact with environmental factors that provoke a negative reaction of the immune system. This problem requires an integrated approach. Even psychotherapists have to participate in the treatment process.
Relatives need to know what this pathology is, what medications can be used, how to organize a hypoallergenic life, to provide patients with the necessary quality of life.
Doctors advise asthmatics to take notes, keep a diary. So each specialist can receive an individual report from the patient. This allows you to control the development of pathology. If the doctor and the patient handle the recordings correctly, good results can be achieved.
If you have a home peak flow meter, you need to measure the expiratory flow rate several times a day and record the data obtained after the procedure in a diary. Peak flowmetry is a diagnostic method that allows you to determine the level of bronchial obstruction in patients with asthma and monitor the development of the disease. Given the indications of this device, it is easier for doctors to adjust therapy.
In the diary, you need to note the time and day of the onset of the attack, describe the symptoms in detail. The drugs that helped to relieve the attack and their effectiveness are indicated.
The diary with the entries is given to the attending physician for review. It helps to analyze the patient’s condition, to choose the correct therapeutic method.
Hypoallergenic life as prevention of exacerbations in asthma
Requirements for the organization of a hypoallergenic life:
- windows must be environmentally friendly, wooden;
- curtains should not collect a lot of dust;
- you need to lay a tree on the floor;
- the carpet should be as short as possible and easy to clean. You need to wash it and vacuum it more often;
- not everyone can afford furniture made of natural wood. But such material will be most suitable for organizing a hypoallergenic life;
- the sleeping place should be located where the impact of external factors will be minimal.
Patients with bronchial asthma develop airway hyperreactivity upon contact with an allergen. Therefore, contact with household chemicals can also cause asthmatic attacks.
Patients should be protected from irritating odors as much as possible . An exacerbation of the disease can occur if there are smokers nearby. Secondhand smoke is considered one of the most serious irritants.
Features of a hypoallergenic life
Hypoallergenic life is a broad concept. For patients with bronchial asthma and a predisposition to it, the rules are determined individually. An allergist conducts certain tests and looks at what specific factors the body reacts to in children and adults. After that, specific recommendations are given on the organization of a hypoallergenic life.
For example, if a child is allergic to pollen, but there is no reaction to wool, then there is no need to limit contact with animals. The child has only pollen allergy. The same can be said for mold allergies or other provoking factors. Let’s list the main household allergens:
- dust mites;
- fungus;
- pollen of plants;
- pet hair, bird down and feathers;
- some foods and medicines;
- household chemicals.
Allergens penetrate into the body through the respiratory system, digestive system, and skin. The listed types of allergens are the most common.
Bronchial asthma cannot be called a sentence. Patients can lead fulfilling lives. After diagnosing the disease, you must visit an allergist. The specialist will tell you what to do to make the patient feel comfortable. You need to follow a diet, take medications to control the disease. The types and dosage of drugs depend on the age of the patient, the severity of asthma.
Asthma sufferers and their relatives are advised to attend asthma school. Asthma schools exist to teach patients with respiratory diseases how to use inhalers and what to do during attacks that occur in everyday life. In asthma schools, they talk about how to properly organize a hypoallergenic life, how to use medications, what can and can not be for people with allergies, asthmatics.
How to cleanse your home of allergens
Compliance with the rules of organizing a hypoallergenic life allows you to avoid problems in the future, treatment in a hospital setting, and helps to prevent serious complications.
Home cleaning tips:
- a washing vacuum cleaner replaces wet cleaning, so after using it, you do not need to additionally wash the floor;
- wet cleaning is carried out in order to get rid of dust. Therefore, the floor must be washed in the living area, no matter what the humidity level is.
The necessary cleaning equipment and detergents can be used after consulting a doctor.
Many allergens are found in pillows, sheets, and duvet covers. Dust accumulates in them, and dust mites multiply. Ticks are parasites that feed on microscopic particles of the skin. It is necessary to regularly change underwear, bedding, boil or wash at a high temperature. Dust mites die in these conditions. Parasites do not tolerate frost well.
To get rid of them, for the winter, blanket pillows can be left outside for several days or on the balcony. Soft toys can be placed in a plastic bag, put in the freezer for several hours. This will be enough to fight the ticks. Many children like to sleep with stuffed animals in their arms. In such a situation, the child should not be allowed to breathe dust. The toys must be clean.
Mold is one of the most common allergens. Children and adults are often allergic to indoor molds. Most often, this mold is found in pots with indoor plants, in the soil. Therefore, if you are allergic to mold, doctors recommend removing flowers from the house.
Mold often appears in the bathroom due to high humidity. Products containing harsh chemicals are not recommended for home mold control. Doctors advise using substances made on the basis of bioenzymes. After treatment, no ventilation or rinsing is required.
Microclimate
For asthmatics, it is recommended to stay in mountainous areas or near the sea. Mountain air is drier, cooler, stimulates lung function. Low atmospheric pressure is beneficial for asthmatics.
Coniferous air is useful for bronchial asthma, helps to reduce the number of exacerbations. Regular trips to nature contribute to the saturation of the body with oxygen.
The temperature of the sea air can rise up to 25-30 degrees. Asthmatics benefit greatly from the iodine and salt content of this air. These trace elements are deposited in the respiratory tract, preventing mucus blockage.
The indoor climate can be controlled using technical devices. Use a humidifier if the house is too dry. An air purifier differs from a humidifier in that it performs the function of cleaning from microscopic fragments of dust and dirt.
Such devices are equipped with special filters that trap microscopic dust particles, allergens, mites, pollen, etc. Asthma patients do not always need all of this equipment to ensure a good quality of life.
Living with pets
You will have to give up pets if someone from the family is allergic to them. An abnormal immune response may occur after a second interaction with an allergen. At the same time, people often find out about the disease after they have got pets.
An asthmatic person may develop allergies not only to animal hair, but also to saliva, dandruff, urine, and so on. Therefore, many are mistaken in believing that a hairless cat cannot cause asthma attacks. There are no hypoallergenic animals.
In such situations, you should try to limit contact with the sick person’s animal as much as possible. We have to send pets to the country or give them in good hands. You need to understand that allergies sometimes arise to the food that is given to animals, to their toys.
Food
To prevent allergens from entering the body, you need to follow a diet. Doctors advise to exclude from the diet:
- citrus;
- peanut;
- water with gas;
- biologically active additives;
- preservatives;
- smoked meats;
- sweet foods;
- fast food.
Do not eat food that causes allergies. Allergy testing helps to compile a list of prohibited foods.
Foods containing protein are included in the diet individually. If such food is the main cause of breathing problems, it should not be consumed. A diet is developed for all patients on a personal basis.
Conclusion
It is not easy to organize a hypoallergenic life for asthma patients. It all depends on what factors cause exacerbations. The course of therapy is determined by the doctor. It is useful to keep a diary, write down the features of the course of the disease. This helps to adjust the treatment, the doctor receives more detailed information about the symptoms and characteristics of seizures.
A suitable microclimate in the living space can be achieved by regular cleaning and means for regulating the humidity of the air.