Don't Let Asthma Control Your Life

More than 10 million adults in American live with asthma. During asthma flare-ups, coughing, wheezing and difficulty breathing are something you deal with every day. From the moment you wake up, when asthma is at its worst, to when you go to bed at night, it can feel like a struggle to breathe.

Fortunately, you can take control of your asthma and spend most of your days symptom free. Asthma is one of those conditions that seems to come and go. You may have days or weeks where you don't have any asthma symptoms at all. Then you may have a flare up that lasts for weeks on end.

Often, asthma flare-ups are triggered by something like exposure to cigarette smoke, air pollution, pollen, or stress. Doing what you can to recognize and avoid your triggers is the first step to reducing the frequency and severity of your flare-ups.

Controlling your home environment is another good strategy. Insist that people smoke outside. Use a humidifier (or a dehumidifier) to keep the humidity in your home between 30 and 50 percent. Change furnace filters every month or two, and dust each day.

When you do have an asthma flare-up, research shows that acupuncture can provide safe, immediate relief. Acupuncture performed by a trained professional can help to immediately open up your bronchial passages making it easier to breath.

Stay well,
Meghan Krohn