Stay Well With Asthma This Winter

To "Stay Well With Asthma This Winter" the Asthma Society of Ireland urges people with asthma to take the following precautions:

• Keep taking regular medication as prescribed.
• If cold air triggers your asthma take two puffs of your reliever inhaler before going out.
• Wrap up well and wear a scarf over nose and mouth.
• Take extra care when exercising in cold weather. Warm up for 10-15 minutes. Take two puffs of your reliever inhaler before you start (please refer to our Reach Your Peak with asthma exercise information pack).

The general objective of the Winter Initiative is to ensure that you maintain optimal control of your asthma.

People with asthma often find that:

• Chest infections,
• Sudden changes in temperature,
• Cold and windy conditions,

can trigger their symptoms and these can cause problems during the winter months.

Personal Asthma Action Plan
It is important to have a written personal asthma action plan. This is a plan which should be completed by your Doctor or Asthma Nurse in discussion with you and contains the information you need to control your asthma.

This should include information about your:

• Asthma medications
• Signs of deterioration in your asthma and what you should do about it.
• Emergency information and what to do if you have asthma attack.

It is important to make sure you have your asthma reviewed at least once a year or sooner if your symptoms are getting worse.

Click here to download an Asthma Society Asthma Management Plan.

Flu Vaccine
Flu is caused by the influenza virus which spreads from an infected person to the nose and throat of others.  It can cause:

• Fever
• Cough
• Sore throat
• Extreme fatigue
• Muscle aches and pains

It can also lead to pneumonia which can be particularly dangerous to people who have other underlying respiratory conditions.

Having the flu is a major concern.  People with asthma are at greater risk from flu than others. Asthma symptoms are often triggered by colds, flu and respiratory infections. It is impossible to avoid catching the common cold but having the flu vaccination can help to prevent the virus taking hold.

Autumn is the best time to have vaccinations. As the influenza virus changes rapidly an annual vaccine is required.  The flu vaccine has been widely used for many years and is both safe and effective with very few side effects.

In respect to children:
Children with mild to moderate asthma do not routinely require influenza vaccinations and there is little evidence to support its use.  There maybe some benefit for those children who have more severe disease, but again there is little or no evidence.

Pneumococcal Vaccine
Pneumococcal disease can lead to serious infections of the:

• lungs - pneumonia
• blood - septicemia  
• brain - meningitis

People with underlying respiratory disease such as asthma are more at risk of developing complications from the pneumococcal disease. This vaccine is usually given as one injection followed by a final (once only) injection five years later.

Proper hand washing and good dental hygiene are two of the best ways to prevent the spread of germs.

Obtaining the Vaccines
Both the influenza and pneumococcal vaccines are available from your GP. The vaccine itself is free; this year anyone over the age of 50 can get the flu and pneumococcal vaccine. At the discretion of the general practitioner, anyone with a chronic heart, lung or kidney condition can also get the vaccines;

Medical card patients should not have to pay for their vaccinations; private patients may have to pay a charge, which in most practices should be a nominal one.

For more information about the Flu vaccine you can contact the HSE Information Line 1850 24 1850 or on the website www.hse.ie  or you can contact the Asthma Society of Ireland's helpline on 1850 44 54 64.

Nutritional Information
In the management of asthma, nutrition plays an important role. Good nutrition can:

• help you to feel better
• help to keep the immune system strong
• help ward off colds and the flu, which are common asthma triggers

If you are overweight it can increase the work load of the lungs making breathing more difficult due to the decreased space in the chest cavity which inhibits the full expansion of the lungs.

An ideal body weight for your height can be maintained by:

• Regular exercise.
• Limiting your intake of fats and foods containing sugar content

However, being underweight can also affect your health as a decrease in lung function can leave you tired, weak and at a higher risk of developing infections.

The type of food you should be eating as part of a well balanced nutritional diet includes:

• high protein foods example meat/chicken, fish, eggs and cheese.
• plenty of fruit and vegetables.
• copious amounts of fluids, as dehydration can sometimes be linked to asthma attacks

Smoking Cessation
Stopping smoking has many health benefits for the individual and those around them.
Smoking cessation is one of the most important things you can do to improve your health. There are great health benefits in giving up no matter how long you have been smoking.

For further information/help:
The Asthma Society of Ireland 1850 44 54 64
National Smokers' Quitline 1850 201 203

Your GP can also provide advice on smoking cessation.

Exercise/Warmth
Regular exercise (daily if possible) is recommended for improving everyone’s health especially people with asthma. 

• It improves their lung capacity
• It strengthens the breathing muscles
• It keeps the airways elastic

Everyone, but especially children and teenagers, gain great benefits from sport because it makes them stronger physically and increases confidence.  It is vital to keep asthma well controlled with daily use of preventer medication and warming up exercises prior to activity.  This allows the airways to adjust gradually to airflow (for further information see our Reach Your Peak with Asthma exercise information pack).

Click here to watch Asthma & Swimming Exercise Video

Asthma Attack Underestimated.
Please do not underestimate your asthma this winter and make sure you are carrying an Asthma Attack Card.

Click Here for What to do in Asthma Attack

Respiratory viruses cause 60% of asthma attacks in adults and 80% in children.

The Asthma Attack Card provides the following information:

• How to recognize an Asthma Attack and what steps to take.
• You can indicate on the card what your most common signs of an attack are.
• Your important contact details.
• Your contact details.

To order an Asthma Attack Card contact the Asthma Society of Ireland on 01 8788511 or email office@asthmasociety.ie