How to Fight Asthma

Over 20 million people are afflicted with asthma, a chronic, often debilitating disease that causes constriction in the airways and difficulty breathing. Although there is no cure, even severe asthma can be manageable through medication, lifestyle changes and by eliminating certain triggers.

Things You'll Need

• Natural fiber mattress and pillows
• All-natural household cleaners

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Instructions

• 1

  Consult with an allergist to get tested for possible catalysts that could be triggering your asthma. The most common allergies are to dust mites, pollens, wheat, eggs, peanuts, ragweed, animal dander, dairy products, shellfish and milk. The allergist might prescribe immunotherapy, which is a series of allergy shots that over time reduces sensitivity to allergens.

• 2

  Eliminate mold from your environment to avoid inhaling spores which can irritate the lungs. Clean your kitchen and bathroom; mold thrives in damp places. Wipe down the areas, such as tile grout, where mold grows and replace old caulking.

• 3

  Eat food in its whole, unprocessed form without refined sugar as much as possible. Common preservatives and chemical additives in processed foods, such as sulfites, benzoic acid, tartrazine, sulphur dioxide, calcium benzoate, and red, yellow and orange food colorings, trigger asthmatic reactions in sensitive individuals. Diets high in sugar have also been linked to an increase in asthma.

• 4

  Purchase a mattress and pillows made from natural fibers. Commercial mattresses are composed of polyurethane foam plastic that are sprayed with polybrominated diphenylethers (flame retardant chemicals) and then covered in polyester. Constant exposure to polyurethane can cause irritation to the airways and asthmatic symptoms.