Experiencing difficulty in breathing with triggered coughing and shortness of breathing could be asthmatic condition! If you experience shortness of breathing with tightness or pain in chest and feel uncomfortable while sleeping you are suffering from Asthma. Along with the mentioned symptoms, asthmatic patients also experience whistling or wheezing sound while exhaling.
Severe conditions of asthma or asthma attack could be life-threatening. The patients need emergency treatment before the symptoms and signs of asthma worsen.
Asthma restricts the patient from performing several physical exercises that trigger the risk factors of asthma. Treating asthma at the right time will help to prevent lung damage for a long-term.
The Importance of Lifestyle Changes and Food in Asthma
Almost all asthmatic patients use rescue inhalers and nebulizers along with the prescribed medicines to ensure proper breathing functions. The doctors also prescribe an anti-inflammatory medicine for targeting the inflammation that causes difficulty in breathing in asthma. Prescribed medication eases the signs and symptoms of asthma. Overusing the asthma medicines without consulting the doctor can cause various side-effects and worsen asthma.
Apart from considering the essential medication factors, asthmatic patients need to change their lifestyle too. Asthma patients need to avoid activities, surroundings, and foods that trigger their asthmatic condition. Food allergies or certain foods can trigger asthma causing life-threatening situations. The asthma patient must have adequate information about the foods which they need to take and to avoid! Making changes in your eating habits is highly beneficial for asthma patients.
What Foods Should Asthmatic Patients Take?
Asthmatics should take foods with higher Flavonoids, Vitamin C and E, Magnesium, Beta-Carotene, and Selenium as these will help to control the symptoms of asthmatic attacks.
Asthma patients should eat plenty of vegetables and fruits as they are nutritious and effective for asthma patients. Increasing the intake of a wide variety of fresh fruits and vegetables is important for asthmatics.
Asthmatic should also include foods with Omega-3 Fatty Acids in their diet to get the best health benefits. Fishes like Tuna, Salmon, and Sardines have rich contents of Omega-3 Fatty Acids. Plants like Flaxseed also have rich Omega-3 Fatty Acid contents.
What Foods Should Asthmatic Patients Avoid?
Eggs, cow’s milk, peanuts, wheat, soy, fish, tree nuts, shrimps and shellfish are few of the foods associated with developing allergic symptoms and which asthmatics should avoid like plague. The asthmatic patients need to avoid consuming the allergic foods to bring their condition under control and to prevent the asthma symptoms from getting triggered.
The food preservatives also may trigger an asthma attack. Sodium bisulfite, Sodium Metabisulfite, potassium bisulfite, potassium metabisulfite, and Sodium Sulfite are the commonly used additives used for processing food. These food additives trigger the asthmatic condition.
Asthmatic patients must stay away from dried vegetables and fruits, potatoes, wine and beer, lemon juice, fresh/frozen shrimp and pickled foods.
Asthmatic patients need to avoid food with contents of omega-6 fatty acids and Trans-fats. These contents trigger asthma symptoms and worsen asthma condition and may also develop serious health condition like heart disease. Processed foods and some margarine also contain the triggering elements of asthma.
Conclusion:
Consuming healthy and balanced diet with essential nutrients is beneficial, not only for asthmatics, but for everyone. But, the asthmatics need to follow certain rules and avoid consuming the foods triggering asthma. There is no concrete evidence as such that consuming the above stated foods reduce the risks of asthmatic attack, however, consuming the above mentioned foods will help to control the asthma symptoms. You can consult your doctor so that you get the list of foods to take and avoid when suffering from asthma. Bringing a few changes in your diet will help you to control the signs and symptoms of asthma.
Also Read:
- Asthma: Causes, Signs, Symptoms, Diagnosis, Treatment, Home Remedies, Prevention
- Exercise-Induced Asthma: Trigger, Facts, Symptoms, Treatment, Prevention
- Childhood Asthma: Causes, Symptoms, Treatment, Asthma Action Plan
- Can You Grow Out of Asthma?
- Ways to Treat Asthma Naturally
- Cardiac Asthma: Causes, Symptoms, Treatment, Risk Factors
- Which Medicines Make Asthma Worse?
