Summer is a time to get outside and have fun. From cookouts, to beach visits, to music festivals, many popular summer activities take place outside in the open air. This can be a problem for people with asthma because summer is also a time of asthma triggers. Warm weather, BBQ smoke, and increased pollen in the air are just a few summertime irritants that can make it difficult for asthma sufferers to breathe. To keep your airways clear so you can enjoy the better weather, it’s important to know how to effectively manage and treat your asthma at home.

The symptoms and severity of asthma can vary from person to person, but it’s often characterised by wheezing, trouble breathing and coughing. These symptoms are usually referred to as ‘asthma attacks’ and are the result of the airways becoming inflamed or swollen after exposure to an irritant. Since asthma is a chronic condition, it has no cure and often affects a person their entire life. As daunting as this may sound, people with asthma can achieve a normal quality of life by correctly following their treatment plan and taking their prescribed medications. Here are a few tips to help you manage your asthma and have a fun, happy summer!

5 Tips to manage your asthma triggers

Living with asthma requires proactive management to minimise triggers and control symptoms. By following these practical steps, you can identify triggers, monitor your condition, maintain a clean environment and keep your condition from worsening especially during the allergy season. Let's explore these tips to manage your asthma triggers effectively:

1. Identify and Avoid Your Triggers
2. Check Your Stats
3. Get into Those Nooks and Crannies
4. Create and Stick to an Action Plan
5. Stay Up to Date on Vaccinations

Identify and Avoid Your Triggers

It can sometimes be hard to narrow down your asthma triggers, especially if you’re in the early days of your diagnosis. Keeping a symptom diary can help you root out the potential suspects. Whenever you have symptoms, write down what you were doing before, during, and after the asthma attack started. Eventually you should be able to identify patterns which can help you discover your causes of asthma. Once you know what your triggers are, you can take steps to actively steer clear of them. For example, if you know that pollen can cause you an asthma attack, check the weather report each day for the forecasted pollen count. You can reduce your risk by wearing face masks or minimising your outdoor exposure on days when the pollen count is high.

Check Your Stats

Asthma symptoms don’t always come on suddenly without warning. They can sometimes develop over longer periods of time which makes them harder to detect. You can keep track of your symptoms and to identify possible undiagnosed triggers with a device known as a peak flow meter. Using a peak flow meter and keeping a diary of your results can help you gain a better understanding of your symptoms and what could be causing them. To use it, simply take in a full breath of air and blow out as hard as you can into the device.

Get into Those Nooks and Crannies

Dust mites, mould, and pet dander can accumulate in your home and are common causes of asthma symptoms. We know it’s not always easy to keep your home sparkling clean, but the better you stay on top of it the better your symptoms will be. Try to regularly clean hard to reach places like under the bed, between sofa cushions, and corners of your floor where irritants like to collect. Your curtains, blinds, and any soft furnishings will also need to be frequently cleaned. Another area that needs attention is your bed. Replace your bedding on a regular basis and opt for hypoallergenic bedding that’s specially designed for people with allergies and sensitivities.

Create and Stick to an Action Plan

Your GP can help you develop a plan that will help you manage your symptoms when an allergy attack comes on. An asthma attack can be very stressful so get to know your action plan well. This will make it easier for you to effectively manage and reduce your symptoms. If you don’t have an action plan from your GP, make an appointment to create one or download a template from a trusted source. Once you’ve filled it out, keep it on you and share the details with friends and family so they know what to do if you need help. Your plan could include information like which medications you need to take, what to do if your symptoms get worse, or when you need to call 999.

Stay Up to Date on Vaccinations

Protecting yourself against illnesses that can make asthma worse is an important part of preventing asthma symptoms. You can easily do this by staying up to date on your vaccinations. Get a flu jab each year before flu season because flu can be much harder on people with asthma. Covid-19 vaccinations and boosters are also recommended. Those with asthma should also consider getting the pneumococcal vaccine. This protects against a serious and potentially fatal condition known as pneumonia. The NHS offers it to babies, people aged 65 or over, and to adults with certain long-term health conditions like asthma. You can also obtain the vaccine privately through your local pharmacy.

Asthma Treatment

Your prescribed asthma medications are a vital part of managing, treating, and preventing the symptoms of asthma. Some of the most common medications used by those with asthma are small devices called inhalers. They work by directly spraying the medicine into your airways. There are two main types of asthma inhalers: a preventer inhaler that’s used daily to prevent asthma attacks and a reliever inhaler that’s used during an acute flareup of asthma.

Preventer inhalers like Ventolin Inhalers contain a low dose of steroids to keep down any swelling or inflammation in your airways. Using your preventer inhaler correctly will reduce the likelihood of you experiencing attacks. Reliver inhalers work by quickly reducing any swelling in your airways. They should only be used during an asthma attack and aren’t intended to be used to manage long term asthma symptoms.

Keep your airways clear this summer by buying your asthma inhaler online from us. We take the worry out of buying asthma treatment with our fast and convenient online pharmacy services. Take this short assessment to buy your Ventolin Inhaler online in the UK.