Among the many ailments plaguing Singaporeans, asthma is one of the more common health problems affecting today’s residents, with about 5% and 20% of adults and children suffering from this disease, respectively.
Asthma is considered a chronic respiratory problem that causes the lungs’ airways to temporarily narrow and tighten up, making breathing much more laborious.
While it’s not necessarily a life-threatening condition, the ailment may eventually bring permanent damage to the lungs. Hence, it can be fatal if left untreated.
Keeping the disease under control is necessary to prevent the affliction from interfering with one’s daily life. Here are some tips on how to you can keep asthma at bay.
1. Stick to the prescription
As stated earlier, asthma is chronic, meaning it’s a long-term disease. Once you get it, you will have it for life, even though there are no active symptoms present.
Even if you are not feeling asthmatic symptoms, such as shortness of breath, wheezing, coughing, and tightening of the chest, continue to take your medication as prescribed.
If you don’t have a proper medical prescription yet, you can quickly get one from the comforts of your home with apps and digital solutions that provide telehealth in Singapore.
In short, you must keep on managing your asthma even on the days when its symptoms aren’t acting up.
2. Determine your triggers and avoid them
As much as possible, determine which things or activities trigger your asthma and avoid them at all costs.
Having this knowledge in mind can prevent your symptoms from worsening. As you may already know, this route is far better and more accessible than curing the symptoms that can result if not done otherwise.
3. Learn to use inhalers properly
If you’re prescribed an inhaler, learn how to use it properly for maximum effectiveness in real-world use. Your physician will typically be the one to show you how to do it correctly, so pay close attention and ask them to watch you do it yourself to make sure you have the technique right.
Knowing the proper technique ensures that your medicine fully reaches your airways, relieving the symptoms of an asthma attack.
4. Stay fit by regularly exercising
Besides the usual benefits, like maintaining healthy body weight and relieving stress, regular exercises improve the strength of your respiratory muscles, which helps in lessening the intensity of your asthma’s symptoms.
5. Avoid viral infections
Other diseases, especially those caused by viruses, are another common cause of asthma symptoms. Viral infections, such as the cold and common flu, tend to infect the airways and the lungs, leading to the flaring up of the symptoms.
Therefore, like regular triggers, do exercise precautions to avoid these viruses, such as:
- washing your hands thoroughly and frequently
- getting a flu shot
- consulting your physician regarding a pneumonia shot
- wearing proper protection such as face masks
Conclusion
Having asthma can undoubtedly be challenging at times. However, by knowing the ways and precautions to keep it in check and under control, you will be able to live life as normally as everyone else.
Asthma and its symptoms can prove challenging to deal with without the proper medication and treatment.
For a hassle-free medical consultation with an online doctor in Singapore, download the MyCLNQ app, the leading app for telemedicine in Singapore, to set up a digital appointment and access a range of telehealth services today.