Sharon has 21+ years of experience as a qualified Emergency Care Nurse registered with the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (APHRA) and 12+ years as a First Aid Trainer.
She takes pride in FirstAidPro making first aid training available, comprehensive and affordable to everybody.
According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, In 2020-2021, around 2.7 million (10.7 percent) Australians had asthma. One in every three of these (34.6 percent) had a documented action plan and around the same number (34.9%) took asthma medicine daily. An asthma episode can quickly escalate into a medical emergency requiring immediate asthma first aid. You can lessen the likelihood of an emergency if you know how to respond quickly.
Breathing exercises help in regulating breathing and can be of help for asthmatics. “Yoga assists with healthier breathing by improving posture and opening the chest muscles. It may also teach breathing control and stress reduction, which are significant asthma triggers,” says Lachman Barrett, Yoga instructor with Poses Yoga.
Physical and emotional stress might set off asthma episodes, and with so many resources available in the digital age, distinguishing the facts from the asthma myths can be challenging. Is asthma a “psychological condition”? Are asthma medications addictive? We give you the facts about asthma and how it’s treated.
3 Asthma Myths And Facts
Asthma is manageable through medication, avoiding known triggers, and having an asthma action plan. Using common remedies and working through the asthma handbook can assist asthma sufferers with managing their symptoms on a daily basis. Here are three myths about asthma that you should be aware of.
1. Asthma Is A Psychological Disorder
This is totally false. Some people used to believe that asthma was caused by a psychological issue, but this is not true. Asthma is caused by inflammation in the lungs, often caused by the immune system reacting to triggers.
One of the simplest and fundamental ways to engage your body’s natural relaxation reaction is to take slow, deep breaths. You may have heard of a popular asthma remedy that involves breathing in and out of a brown paper bag. Don’t do this! This method is for panic attacks and hyperventilation, when the body is getting too much oxygen. Whereas an asthma attack means a lack of oxygen – so the bag trick will actually make things worse. Better relaxation methods include deep breathing, progressive muscle relaxation, meditation, or even yoga.
2. Asthma Medication Is Highly Addictive
This is another one of those asthma myths that’s simply not true. Asthma is a chronic long-term condition, so patients with asthma may need to take medication regularly, but this is not due to a drug addiction.
Many asthmatics have an asthma action plan, which may include medications such as an asthma preventer. An asthma action plan specifies when to take medicine, and how much to take. It will also normally list a person’s triggers, with strategies for avoiding them. It explains what to do if you are experiencing specific signs of problems. The goal is to prevent asthma flare-ups, and visits to the emergency room.
Given asthma attacks can potentially be life threatening, sufferers shouldn’t be nervous about using Asthma reliever medication. They’re generally non addictive, have limited side effects, and are highly effective at opening up the airways and making breathing easier.
3. Asthma Attacks Can Be Avoided By Following A Gluten-free And Dairy-free Diet
There’s currently no proof for this. Asthma Australia only recommends avoiding foods that are known to cause allergies for you. Asthma triggers differ from person to person, so you should always keep track of what foods you are sensitive to, and discuss them with an allergist or your doctor.
Asthma can be worse for someone who’s overweight, so eating a well-balanced diet and avoiding known trigger foods can help you feel better and enhance your overall health. Great food choices for asthmatics include foods rich in vitamins C and E, beta-carotene, flavonoids, magnesium, selenium, and omega-3 fatty acids – all of which have lower asthma risks.
Breathe Easier With First Aid Training
Asthma symptoms differ from one person to the next. The condition is not curable, but its symptoms can be managed. Because asthma symptoms can change over time, working with your doctor to track your signs and symptoms and alter your therapy as needed is critical.
If you or someone close to you suffers from asthma, having good first aid knowledge can help you respond quickly in an emergency. Investing a day in professional first aid training is one of the best things to can do to be prepared for a serious asthma incident, and will generally cost you less than a full tank of petrol, nowadays. Equip yourself with life-saving skills and make sure you’re ready for anything!
