As autumn and winter come, asthma is really terrible. Scientific prevention can help you

Asthma is more likely to occur in autumn and winter. Both the chronic persistent stage and the acute attack stage require scientific medical treatment, especially for severe asthma, which requires ICU monitoring and treatment when necessary. Therefore, scientific prevention is particularly important. Today, we will discuss how to scientifically prevent and treat asthma in daily life and diet in combination with the "Guidelines for the Prevention and Treatment of Bronchial Asthma (2020 Edition)" [1].

What are the symptoms of asthma?

Asthma is a chronic inflammatory disease characterized by reversible airflow limitation, and patients may experience recurrent wheezing, coughing, chest tightness, and shortness of breath. According to the 2020 version of the guidelines, as the course of the disease increases, asthma may lead to changes in airway structure, making it a heterogeneous disease. The guidelines divide asthma into acute exacerbation, chronic persistence, and clinical control.

**Which high-risk factors should be paid special attention to? **Many studies have shown that the risk factors for asthma mainly include genetics, environment, mental health, infection, and allergens [2]. 1. Genetic factors are an important influencing factor for asthma. If both parents or one of them has asthma, the possibility of their children suffering from the disease is higher.

2. Continuous contact with allergens. Long-term contact with dust, pollutants or inhaled allergens (such as animal fur, pollen, etc.) may irritate the respiratory mucosa and trigger asthma. People with allergic constitutions may experience allergic reactions in the respiratory mucosa when they come into contact with allergens (such as animal fur, pollen, etc.) in daily life, thus inducing asthma.

3. Accompanied by complications such as sinusitis, gastroesophageal reflux, depression and anxiety. Mental factors may also cause asthma attacks. Long-term excessive mental stress may cause cerebral cortex function disorder, leading to bronchospasm.

4. Infection factors are also a possible cause of asthma attacks. Infections such as bacteria and viruses may cause diseases such as bronchitis and pneumonia, which in turn lead to asthma attacks.

5. Failure to use medication according to doctor's instructions.

6. An acute asthma attack occurred in the past year.

Once asthma occurs, how to deal with it scientifically?

For patients with asthma, it is recommended to see a regular hospital's respiratory department in time and actively cooperate with the doctor's treatment to avoid delaying the condition. The doctor may recommend that the patient use drugs such as beclomethasone dipropionate aerosol and budesonide aerosol for treatment. In addition, patients should also pay attention to healthy diet in daily life and avoid eating spicy and irritating foods to avoid aggravating the condition.

Pay attention to good living habits to effectively avoid triggering asthma

1. Maintain air circulation: Open windows every day to ventilate and keep indoor air circulating, especially for newly renovated houses. Chemical substances must be tested and qualified before moving in. You can also use an air purifier to help reduce indoor odor.

2. Keep the environment clean: Clean regularly to keep the indoor environment clean and tidy, and reduce dust. Especially carpets, cushions, air conditioning filters, etc. Bedding should be cleaned and replaced in time to avoid the breeding of mites. Try not to keep pets at home, especially cats, dogs and other pets with more hair, as their hair often harbors mites or mold, which can easily induce asthma.

3. Stay away from irritating gases: Avoid using paints, cleaners, perfumes, spices, shampoos, etc. with very strong odors, and choose cleaning products and personal care products without irritating odors. In particular, avoid contact with smoke to reduce irritation to the respiratory tract, because smoking and secondhand smoke will aggravate asthma symptoms, so stay away from smokers and smoking places.

4. Avoid allergens: Try to avoid contact with substances that you are allergic to, such as pollen, dust, pet hair, etc. The smell of some foods may irritate the airways and trigger an asthma attack. Depending on your personal situation, avoid eating foods that may trigger allergies, such as spicy foods, seafood, peanuts, etc. Some people may be allergic to certain drugs, which may cause asthma attacks. Before using drugs, you should consult a doctor and tell him your allergy history.

5. Pay attention to self-protection: If there are irritating odors in the working environment, such as chemicals, dust, etc., appropriate protective measures should be taken, such as wearing a mask or using air filtration equipment.

6. Treat winter diseases in summer: Traditional Chinese medicine believes that asthma is caused by deficiency of the lungs, spleen and kidneys, and the remission period is mostly due to deficiency of the body's vital energy. Therefore, Sanfu moxibustion based on the theory of "treating winter diseases in summer" has become an effective means of treating asthma during the remission period.

7. Keep warm, prevent colds, and reduce the occurrence of respiratory diseases that may induce asthma.

8. Exercise regularly and moderately to increase the body's resistance and enhance cardiopulmonary function.

9. Have regular physical examinations and take medications as directed by your doctor[3].

Diet therapy, scientific health care

1. According to personal circumstances, avoid eating foods that may cause allergies, such as milk, eggs, peanuts, seafood, etc. People with allergies should try to avoid shrimp, crab, beef, yellow croaker, hairtail and other foods that are prone to cause illness. Certain foods may cause allergic reactions and worsen asthma.

2. Increase the intake of foods rich in vitamin C and E: Vitamin C and E have antioxidant effects and can reduce airway inflammation. Eat more citrus fruits, green leafy vegetables, nuts and other foods rich in these two vitamins.

3. Control salt intake in the diet: A high-salt diet may aggravate airway inflammation. You should try to reduce salt intake in your food and reduce the use of salty foods.

4. Avoid smoking and drinking.

5. Dietary recommendations: pear juice honey, white radish honey juice, almond stewed pear, etc.

6. Balanced diet: Avoid or eat less raw, cold, spicy, greasy, and irritating foods. Maintaining a balanced diet, taking in the right amount of protein, carbohydrates, and fat, and increasing the intake of fresh fruits and vegetables will help improve immunity.

7. Scientific exercise: moderate aerobic exercise can enhance lung function and improve respiratory diseases. Choose a suitable exercise method, such as walking, swimming, etc., and pay attention to avoid overexertion and overbreathing.

8. Regular check-ups and treatments: See a doctor regularly, follow the doctor’s treatment plan, use medications on time, and undergo necessary checks and adjustments.

Conclusion

At present, the prevalence of asthma in my country is on the rise. Asthma has become a common disease in daily life. Severe asthma can even be life-threatening. Therefore, developing good living habits and mastering scientific coping methods can effectively control the disease and reduce the possibility of acute asthma attacks. The above popular science knowledge about asthma is hoped to help everyone prevent it scientifically and live a healthy life. Author: c (Shanghai Tongren Hospital) References:

[1] Asthma Group, Chinese Society of Respiratory Diseases. Guidelines for the prevention and treatment of bronchial asthma (2020 edition)[J]. Chinese Journal of Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases, 2020, 43(12): 1023-1048.

[2] Chinese expert consensus on the diagnosis and treatment of mild bronchial asthma (2023 edition)[J]. Chinese Journal of Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases, 2023, 46(9): 44-60.

[3] Levy ML, Bacharier LB, Bateman E, et al. Key recommendations for primary care from the 2022 Global Initiative for Asthma (GINA) update. NPJ Prim Care Respir Med. 2023;33(1):7. Published 2023 Feb 8. doi:10.1038/s41533-023-00330-1

About the first author

Le Meini, a master's student and head nurse, has been engaged in perioperative critical care nursing for more than ten years and is the head nurse of the intensive care unit of Shanghai Tongren Hospital. In 2021, she won the Kowloon Nursing Award of Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine; the Changning District Science Popularization Explanation Competition Award; and the 2022 China Association for Science and Technology and Chinese Medical Association "Popular Science in China's Medical Health" Outstanding Works and other honors.