Treating asthma: Lifestyle changes

This chronic respiratory disease strikes an estimated three million Canadians, including 10% to 15% percent of children. The good news is that sensible lifestyle changes can help most people to lead active, healthy lives

While you will likely need prescription medications to help manage your asthma, there’s a lot you can do to help yourself.

1. Have a plan. With your doctor, develop an asthma action plan, making sure you share the information with your family. It should list the drugs you take for maintenance and prevention, those you'll take for specific symptoms, how you'll handle an attack, when to call the doctor and where to go during a serious episode.
2. Identify your triggers. Keep a diary of attacks, noting what seems to cause them. Besides animal dander (particularly that of cats), pollen, cold air, exercise, dust mites and cockroach droppings, other common triggers include aspirin, chocolate, milk, nuts and fish. One study found that the diesel exhaust particles you'd breathe in just two days in Los Angeles can worsen asthma symptoms.
3. Slim down. Obese women, defined as those with a Body Mass Index of 30 or higher, have almost double the risk of developing asthma as other women, according to one Canadian study. And another study that tracked a group of nurses found that those who gained more than 25 kilograms (55 pounds) after age 18 were almost five times as likely to develop asthma as those who kept their weight down. It’s unclear whether obesity in men presents as great a risk.
4. Drink lots of water. Here’s another reason to down at least eight glasses of water daily: it keeps airways clearer by loosening mucus.
5. Keep indoor air dry. Reduce humidity below 50%. Using a dehumidifier or air conditioner also keeps the dust mite population down. Just be sure to change or clean filters often.
6. Don't smoke. And stay away from people who do. Second-hand smoke can not only trigger asthma attacks, it also increases the risk of getting asthma. One Swedish study of 8,000 adults found that 7.6% of those who were exposed to second-hand smoke growing up had asthma, compared to 5.9% of those who grew up smoke-free.
7. Bundle up. Wintry air can trigger asthma. So cover your nose and mouth with a scarf, which helps warm the air you're breathing.
8. Watch what you eat. Certain foods can help you control asthma better. Researchers in the UK found that people who ate at least two apples a week had up to a 32% lower asthma risk than those who ate fewer. They also discovered that those who had at least 55 mcg of the mineral selenium each day — the daily value — were about half as likely to have asthma as those who consumed only 30 mcg or less. Selenium is found in such foods as Brazil nuts, fish, oysters and sunflower seeds. Researchers believe that antioxidants like vitamin C boost lung health, and may help lower the risk for asthma.