Things You'll Need:
- List of symptoms and signs
- Observation skills
-
Step 1
Learn from your health care professional about potential asthma triggers. If these triggers are recognized and avoided, you can significantly lower the risk of an asthma attack. Some triggers include pollen, mold, cat or other animal dander, dust mites, respiratory infections, air pollution, exercise, emotions, certain weather conditions and hormonal changes.
-
Step 2
Keep the lines of communication open with your doctor in regards to your medication. Make sure to take it as prescribed to minimize your risk of an asthma attack.
-
Step 3
Watch for increased wheezing or shortness of breath, chest tightness or pain, anxiety and feelings of fright and an increased reliance on your bronchodilators if you are an adult.
-
Step 4
Learn the signs of an impending asthma attack in children if your child has asthma. These include shortness of breath while at rest or during exercise, a wheezing sound during exhalation, frequent coughing, restless sleep, anxiety and sweating. Children may also wake up coughing during the night.
-
Step 5
Monitor environmental factors that might cause an asthma attack and use them as a warning for possible attacks. Know that a high pollen count, an increase in the pollution index, windy and dusty conditions, high temperature and high humidity and low temperature and low humidity are all warning signs of a potential asthma attack.
-
Step 6
Stay indoors on days when these environmental factors are high. By avoiding these triggers, you can better prevent your asthma from flaring up.
