Bronchial asthma is an inflammatory airway disease that affects 10% of the world’s population. It affects people of all ages, including children.
Asthma is a chronic disease, which is characterized by periods of remission and exacerbation, and can also occur with various complications.
An asthmatic should know the contraindications that exist in bronchial asthma. Ignoring them can lead to a worsening of the condition and the development of an attack.
What is bronchial asthma
Bronchial asthma is a chronic inflammatory process in the airways with the direct participation of a variety of cellular elements. Asthma occurs as a result of increased sensitivity of the bronchi to the effects of certain substances (allergens) and irritants.
Upon contact with irritants, immune defense is activated, in which the body perceives its cells as foreign and begins to attack them.
As a result, a spasm of smooth muscles occurs, followed by edema of the mucous membrane and the accumulation of a large amount of difficult-to-separate mucus on the walls of the bronchi, which leads to a narrowing of their lumen and is accompanied by attacks of suffocation.
Lifestyle features for asthma
Patients who are diagnosed with bronchial asthma must adhere to certain restrictions in their daily life so as not to aggravate their condition.
The following contraindications exist for asthma:
- alcohol abuse;
- smoking;
- visit to the bath and sauna;
- keeping pets;
- participation in construction works, repairs;
- the use of feather, down, cotton pillows and blankets, fur products;
- strong emotional upheaval.
To improve your health in case of bronchial disease, you must adhere to some recommendations:
- strengthen immunity by hardening and taking vitamin preparations;
- avoid colds;
- spend more time outdoors;
- wear clothes made from natural fabrics (natural furs, wool and down must be excluded from everyday life);
- do not overload the body with unnecessary physical and mental stress;
- avoid inhalation of harmful substances (use personal protective equipment when doing household work and at work);
- carry out timely therapy of bronchial asthma.
If an exacerbation occurs as a result of allergic reactions to the flowering of certain plants, it is necessary to leave the village for this period.
Knowing the contraindications for asthma will help to avoid negative effects on the body of dangerous factors and reduce the likelihood of an attack.
Household restrictions for asthma
Bronchial asthma is a disease, one of the causes of which is the ingress of an allergen into the respiratory tract from the air.
So that the disease does not interfere with a normal and fulfilling life, to maintain good health, you must adhere to some rules:
- In living quarters, it is undesirable to keep objects that collect a large amount of dust: carpets, books, figurines, heavy curtains, soft toys.
- It is forbidden to keep pets, even if their wool, down or feathers are not allergens for a particular person. Sharing with pets can provoke the development of allergies and cause a complication of the disease.
- You can’t keep indoor plants, as mold develops in pots with soil, inhalation of its spores is contraindicated in bronchial asthma.
- It is necessary to maintain cleanliness, the required level of humidity and observe the temperature regime, regularly ventilate the room and do wet cleaning.
- The bath is also categorically contraindicated for asthmatics, since heat and high humidity make it difficult to breathe, can increase coughing and provoke an attack of suffocation.
Compliance with the listed recommendations will help keep the disease under control and avoid complications.
Contraindicated drugs
For the treatment of bronchial asthma, drugs are used for symptomatic and basic therapy.
The drugs of the first group are used for a short time, only to relieve an asthmatic attack.
The second group of drugs is used for a longer time, their action eliminates the inflammation that occurs in the bronchi, promotes their expansion and improves sputum discharge.
All drugs have side effects to a greater or lesser extent. They should be used with caution, only under medical supervision.
There is an aspirin form of the disease, a predisposition to which can be inherited. With this form, all medicinal products containing acetylsalicylic acid are contraindicated, since they provoke asthmatic attacks.
Medicines in this group have antipyretic, anti-inflammatory and analgesic effects, so they are widely used. They are sometimes used to treat patients with an allergic reaction to aspirin. In such cases, concomitant medications are prescribed to reduce their negative effects.
The group of contraindicated drugs includes not only non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, but also beta-blockers used to treat cardiovascular diseases.
Medicines should be prescribed by the attending physician, uncontrolled use of drugs can cause suffocation and anaphylactic shock.
Diet restrictions
One of the features of bronchial asthma is that it depends on a person’s diet. There are many foods that often cause allergic reactions, leading to an exacerbation of the disease.
In case of bronchial asthma, accompanied by an allergic reaction to food, a diet should be followed. Its constituents should contain the necessary nutrients and trace elements, be high in calories and be easy to digest.
Diets using fermented milk products and vegetables (except potatoes) have proven themselves well.
In bronchial asthma, the use of products with a long shelf life is contraindicated, as well as:
- cheeses and smoked meats;
- soybeans;
- sausages;
- seafood;
- marinades;
- alcoholic beverages.
It is necessary to limit the use of foods high in histamine. Strawberries, kiwi, bananas, pineapples, pears are rich in histamine – you should observe moderation when using them.
You should adhere to the diet for overweight, as it is one of the factors of instability in asthma. Therefore, it is necessary to reduce the consumption of table salt, confectionery, fried, salty and spicy foods that stimulate the appetite and retain water in the body.
If there are no exacerbations of the disease, fasting days can be carried out under the supervision of a doctor.
In the absence of food allergies, asthmatics can fully eat natural products that do not contain food additives and preservatives, and most importantly, avoid overeating.
Bad habits for asthma
Bronchial asthma is a serious disease that is exacerbated by negative factors. These include smoking and drinking.
Smoking weakens the immune system and reduces the body’s resistance to viral infections, which, in turn, leads to impaired respiratory function.
Secondhand smoke (inhalation of tobacco smoke) also has a negative impact on the patient’s health. It leads to a narrowing of the lumen of the bronchi, excess mucus formation, which complicates the respiratory process and can provoke an asthmatic attack.
Alcohol has no direct effect on the respiratory system, but when passing through the gastrointestinal tract, it quickly enters the bloodstream. Harmful substances cause body poisoning, thereby exacerbating inflammatory processes. Drinking alcohol during treatment can provoke serious complications and lead to irreversible consequences, since alcohol and asthma medications are incompatible.
Therefore, in bronchial asthma, smoking and excessive alcohol consumption are categorically contraindicated.
Sports for asthma
Before starting training, it is necessary to consult a doctor about the admissibility of additional loads on the body if the patient’s condition is stable.
Increased physical activity can, instead of a positive effect, cause a serious complication of the disease, up to the appearance of coughing attacks and the onset of suffocation.
Lack of physical activity is also dangerous and can lead to a decrease in immunity, deterioration of blood supply to internal organs, oxygen starvation, which activates inflammatory processes in the body.
It must be remembered that during an attack or exacerbation of bronchial asthma, physical activity is completely contraindicated. It is recommended to attend workouts only during periods of prolonged remission.
The preference should be given to swimming, breathing exercises, martial arts, Nordic walking, cycling, jogging. In the gym, you need to control the pulse, when it increases to 130 beats per minute, you need to slow down.
At the initial stage, the intensity of the load should be moderate and increase as the body gets used to it. Sports activities must be supervised by a coach. In case of deterioration, coughing, shortness of breath, you should stop training and use an inhaler.
With bronchial asthma, it is contraindicated to engage in scuba diving, weightlifting, long-distance running and winter sports (frosty air provokes narrowing of the bronchi).
Regular exercise helps to improve the functionality of the respiratory system, strengthen the respiratory muscles and the diaphragm.
Labor activity with asthma
Bronchial asthma has a negative impact on the quality of life of people and imposes certain restrictions on choosing a profession. Inappropriate work (hard physical labor, increased concentration of attention, poor climatic and working conditions) can be dangerous for the patient and lead to an asthmatic attack with subsequent aggravation of the disease. Therefore, the choice of profession should be approached thoroughly.
Professional activities related to:
- with construction and household chemicals;
- with the treatment of animals;
- with agriculture;
- with work in polluted rooms and at heights;
- with increased emotional stress;
- with excessive physical exertion;
- with food colors and additives;
- with a sharp change in temperature.
In case of bronchial asthma of a controlled form, after consultation with a doctor, you can choose a profession that does not cause health problems. In the event of a severe uncontrolled illness, a person is given a disability group.
Finally
Bronchial asthma, even with a severe form of the disease, should not disrupt the usual rhythm of a person’s life. This can be achieved by avoiding the violation of the contraindications for asthma patients.
It is important not to let the disease take its course, but to keep it under constant control. It is necessary to properly organize and observe the diet, rest, physical activity, undergo regular examinations and a full course of drug therapy.