Darrick Robles Asthma is a condition on which you have a great influence with your behavior. We’ll tell you what you can do to prevent or alleviate symptoms. It will also tell you when to see a doctor.
Asthma and coronavirus
Asthma can worsen if an infection with the coronavirus is added. At the same time, the infection itself can be more severe and last longer if asthma is present. As a patient with bronchial asthma, it is particularly important to be boosted. From the age of 60 or if you have to take immunosuppressants regularly, you should now get vaccinated for the fourth time. It is also important to optimize the treatment of asthmatic complaints, of course in addition to adhering togeneral protective measuresto reduce the spread of the coronavirus.
COVID-19 primarily affects the lower respiratory tract, where the important oxygen exchange takes place. Optimized asthma treatment can reduce the risk of worsening the course of the disease due to severe pneumonia. If you are also pollen allergy sufferer, you benefit twice from the measures mentioned here. However, even optimally controlled and treated asthma does not protect against infection with the coronavirus.
Key recommendations for successful therapy
You should definitely do these 3 things:
1. Take your asthma medication regularly. With anti-inflammatory drugs that need to be taken for a long time, many asthmatics become careless after a while. Use a clear medication box or let your mobile phone remind you regularly to take it.
2. Make sure you always have all the necessary medicines at home. Make sure you always have your daily medicines and those for emergencies at home. You can easily get follow-up prescriptions for a prescription through Med-Healths. You should always have your asthma spray or inhaler with you when you leave the house.
3. Educate yourself about the disease. Gather information from reputable sources. The more you know, the better you will be able to deal with the disease, e.g.B. by learning what questions to ask when visiting a doctor. Our overview article on asthma gives you an initial orientation to the disease.
More tips for asthma patients
The 3 central recommendations above were mandatory – now comes the freestyle! The tips below fall under the umbrella term “lifestyle” but, at best, can be just as helpful as taking all asthma medication carefully. If you haven’t already, you should definitely try these things and see if and how your symptoms change.
- Do breathing exercises. In this way you can strengthen the lung activity.
- Move. Physical activity improves circulation and breathing.
- Become a non-smoker. Smoking makes asthma more difficult to treat; Drugs work worse.
- Avoid your triggers. For example, animal hair, bird feathers or pollen can worsen breathing problems.
- Stay calm. The mental component can play a major role in asthma attacks.
- drink enough Fluid helps clear mucus, and warm drinks can relieve a cough.
- Sleep increased. A pillow under your back can make it easier for you to breathe at night.
Practical tool: peak flow meter
Asthmatics can also measure their lung function at home and, if necessary, take medication or seek medical help. For this there is the peak flow meter, a small device that can be prescribed as an aid by the doctor. You blow into it with all your might and the peak flow meter measures the flow rate of the exhaled air. Asthma patients are recommended to take regular measurements and document the values.
When you need help – and where to find it
If you are an asthmatic and have symptoms that indicate COVID-19, you can use the symptom check in the Med-Healths App as a first step. Here’s how to tell if you should see a doctor. But regardless of a possible infection, you can get advice from a doctor about your asthma at Med-Healths.
Seek help especially if you have a cough or fever and the symptoms don’t go away after a week. The same applies if you have trouble breathing or if your symptoms get worse. In the event of acute shortness of breath, however, you should get help as soon as possible, i.e. call the emergency doctor!
During the current corona pandemic, it is of course particularly useful to see a doctor on video. In doing so, you are helping to relieve the health system in this tense situation. If you have asthma, the doctors at Med-Healths can not only advise you, but also prescribe the right medication for you or refer you to a lung specialist.
