Thanksgiving With Asthma
As an asthma sufferer, you’ve most likely turned your home into a safe place, away from outside allergens that can make any day difficult for you. With Thanksgiving just a few days away, you know that you’ll either have to leave your safe zone, or bring people into it who may not fully understand how asthma affects your day-to-day life.
Because of this, you may not be excited about the hustle and bustle of the holiday season, but there’s no reason to keep yourself away from the fun. Keep reading to learn how you can enjoy your Thanksgiving despite your asthma.
Bring your Medications
Even if you live close by, bringing your asthma medications to whatever Thanksgiving events you are attending is very important. If an asthma attack happens, it could become very serious if you don’t have medications like your inhaler.
Rather than leaving these items our in your car, bring them in and keep them with the coats. Telling at least one other person where your medication is will ensure someone can get them quickly in the case of an emergency.
Discuss Smoking
As you know, cigarette smoke can cause a lot of problems for people with asthma. Rather than suffer from an attack, discuss smoking with those hosting the party, and if it will be permitted.
In most cases, children will attend the party and smoking isn’t generally done indoors. If there will be smoking inside, try to designate it to one area. Most people will understand that you have a health condition that’s affected by smoke.
Disclose Your Allergies
There’s nothing wrong with asking those coming to your home for a party to skip out on perfume. While perfume may bother you at another person’s home, at least you have your own home to retreat back to. However, when you have perfume in your home, it can linger for yours or sometimes even days for those highly sensitive to it.
By asking your guests not to wear perfume, you can avoid this issue from occurring, and better enjoy your holiday. Most people close enough to you to come to your party would be happy to skip on the perfume in exchange for spending some quality time together.
Know your Triggers
While you may have many different triggers, knowing what can cause a quick reaction is key to staying comfortable this holiday season. If you know pets tend to cause a reaction, try to prevent one-on-one contact with people’s pets and stay clear from the area where the pet is being kept during the event. The less you are subjected to your triggers, the better you’ll feel at the end of the day, and the more you’ll be able to enjoy your Thanksgiving.
Traveling
While some people with asthma find traveling difficult, there are a few precautions you can take to make it easier. The American Lung Association has a checklist available detailing these precautions. It ensures you have all the medications and other items you may need to cope if your asthma flares up.