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(1) Try to make your home more asthma friendly by regularly opening windows to keep it well ventilated. This helps clear indoor pollutants such as damp and fumes from cooking, cleaning or decorating materials. (2) If you have no furry or feathery pets do not get any! If you already own one keep it out of the house or at least out of the bedrooms and lounge. (3) If you suspect you have occupational asthma, it is very important to visit your doctor straight away. If it is identified early enough, there is a good chance your condition will improve or even disappear completely once you are no longer in contact with the cause. (4) Make personal contact with you child's school to let them know your child has asthma. Explain the medications s/he needs and any known triggers. Make sure the school allows access to reliever inhalers at all times. (5) If the school does not already have one, try to encourage them to instigate a school asthma policy. Get them a free copy of the excellent school asthma pack from the National Asthma Campaign UK: web site http://www.asthma.org.uk (6) Always plan holidays in advance. This will ensure you are prepared to deal with any problems associated with your asthma once you are there. (7) When travelling abroad, always ensure you have adequate medical insurance which covers asthma. (8) If you intend doing sports such as scuba-diving on holiday, make sure to check in advance that you will be allowed. Some holiday destinations will not allow you to participate even if your asthma is well controlled. (9) When choosing a sport, pick one which is safe and you enjoy doing. Swimming is usually a good sport for people with asthma as the warm, humid air seems to irritate the airways less than many other sports. (10) Always prepare before you exercise. Warm-up properly and you can also take a couple of puffs of your reliever to help prevent your symptoms coming on.

Topic "Quality Living" Updated 14th August 2003

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