help me control my asthma?

Hi there,

Sorry to hear you're having such a rough time. Sounds frustrating. But don't lose hope! Are you aware that the best route to better asthma control is to "clean up" your environment as much as possible? You see, there's only so much medicine can do as long as your allergy and asthma triggers are still in your environment.

Do you know what you are allergic to? Common allergy/asthma triggers include dust, mold, tree-grass-weed pollen, insect droppings and animal dander, urine and saliva. Have you done all you can to eliminate all of those things from your environment? If not, any efforts you make in that direction will be well worth it.

As far as exercise, obesity definitely makes asthma control harder. So try to get more active in order to reduce your weight even by as small an amount as 10%. It WILL help. If you can't exercise without symptoms, try something less strenuous, such as walking in your neighborhood. Gradually work up the length of time you walk, starting with only 5 to 10 minutes, as tolerated. Another great exercise for people with asthma is swimming, because the humid environment helps keep breathing easier.

Those are just a few thoughts. Oh, and have your doctor's office check your inhaler technique. Even if you think you are using it correctly, many people have been surprised to learn how much better control is when they make even small corrections in how they use their inhalers.

To your health,

Kathi

I would just like to comment here that Kathi is right on.  You may find that allergens and asthma triggers are lurking in places you never expected.  Is someone smoking in your home when you are not around?  Is there mold around your bathroom sink? Termites in the walls?  Dust mites under your bed and in your mattress?  Animal dander in your carpet?  Dust from a gravel road lurking in the air?  If your asthma continues to be difficult to control, it may be time to have your home professionally inspected for allergens.  In fact, recently I've learned there is a do it yourself kit so you can do this yourself.  You can read about it here.   

By the way, it sounds like you have hardluck asthma.  It's probably nice to know that you are not alone in your plight.  I have written quite a bit recently about hardluck asthma, and you can find links to all I have written in this link.