Five things that could get in the way of a healthy you (and how to get around them!).

So you've come to grips with your asthma. That's great! I know you're committed to living healthier with this chronic condition, but here are five things that could get in your way (and how to get around them!).

1.  Frustration:  You decide to work out with your friend, jogging with him and you realize that you simply cannot keep pace. You decide to run faster, and that causes your chest to get tight and you become short of breath and have to quit. You decide it's easier not to excercise.

Don't let this happen to you.  Know you have a chronic lung disease, and that you must excercise regardless of this fact.  There are many advantages to excercise, including improved self esteem, stress relief, and the fact that it strengthens your heart and lungs and makes you feel less winded. 

Just because you have asthma should not be an excuse not to excercise.  And, as stated at National Jewish Health, "When asthma is well controlled, people with exercise-induced asthma should be able to participate in any sport." 

If you have trouble excercising with asthma, the following advice from National Jewish Health may help you:

• Talk to your doctor about pre-medicating yourself prior to excercise
• Participate in sports or activities with short bursts of exercise, such as baseball, softball, volleyball, tennis, downhill skiing, golf and some track and field events
• Sports that require continuous activity like swimming, cycling, distance running and soccer also can be enjoyed by people with exercise-induced asthma.
• A good warm-up and cool-down period are often helpful.

2. Irritation:  Those doggone allergies can be very irritating.  You decide to join your buddy in a walk around the park, but the pollen drives you crazy.  So you decide to go to your buddy's house to use his equipment, and you find you are allergic to his dog.  You put a treadmill in your own basement, but you are allergic to your basement too.  You decide it would be easier just to sit in your recliner and watch TV in a room you're not allergic to.

You can do prevent allergy symptoms.  The first thing you should do is find out what exactly you are allergic to (you have to see your doctor) and avoid those triggers.  Many allergists recommend getting rid of carpets, pets and plants, and dusting and vacuuming your home often. Here's a post about the top 5 things you need to get rid of to prevent triggering your allergies.

Still, those pesky allergens have a way of sneaking up on you and causing trouble.  Plus, many times it's nearly impossible to avoid allergens. Fortunately, there is medicine available that might help you, and you can discuss which one might work best for you with your doctor.  Many doctors recommend Singulair for allergic asthmatics because it blocks the chemicals released during an allergic reaction that cause asthma symptoms.  However, check out this link for other options.