Asthma is a very common condition that affects 20 million Americans. 9 million of those are children. Not only is asthma extremely prevalent in developed countries, but it is definitely on the rise. The rate of asthma has increased exponentially in the past 10 years.

Fortunately, there are many precautions you can take to reduce the chance of you or your children developing asthma.

Proper nutrition

• Some studies have shown that malnutrition can contribute to increased risk of asthma.
• Make sure you and your family eats a balanced, healthy diet .
• Avoid fast food and food with lots of preservatives.

Avoid obesity

• Obesity has been shown to contribute to asthma.
• If you are obese, talk to your health practitioner to design a healthy and effective weight loss program.
• Make sure your children get the right nutrition and proper exercise to avoid obesity.

Avoid overuse of antibiotics and antibacterial products

Some studies have suggested that allergic asthma may be caused by a lack of exposure to bacteria and viruses. The theory is that with no real challenges to face, the immune system will attack harmless environmental allergens, like:

• Pet dander
• Dust mites
• Mold

Take antibiotics only when absolutely necessary. Do NOT take antibiotics for a cold. The common cold is caused by a virus, and antibiotics cannot stop viral infections.

Avoid the overuse of antibacterial products. Many studies have shown that regular soap is just as effective at getting rid of germs. Regular soap, for example, washes germs off your hands and down the drain. Antibacterial soap washes germs off AND kills most of them. This leaves a few of the strongest germs to reproduce!

Avoid cigarettes, especially during pregnancy and young childhood

• Thousands of studies have shown the danger of tobacco smoke to babies in utero and young children.
• A study performed by doctors at the University of Manitoba showed that maternal smoking during pregnancy and the first 12 months of life caused an increased risk of the child developing asthma by age 2.

Breastfeed if possible

Some studies have shown that exclusive breastfeeding in infants reduces the risk of children developing allergies.

There are some things that won’t prevent the development of asthma.

There are some commonly held misconceptions about preventing asthma.

• Many people think dust mites will cause their children to develop asthma. In fact, dust mite avoidance has not been shown to decrease the chances of a child developing asthma.
• Another common belief is that cats or dogs in the home can cause asthma. The presence of fur-bearing animals like dogs and cats have not been shown to cause asthma to develop in children. However, in people who already have asthma and are allergic to these animals, an asthma attack may be caused by exposure to these animals.

If you already have asthma, there are some precautions you can take to avoid an attack.

• Follow your health practitioner’s orders. Always take the medications as prescribed.
• Avoid things that seem to cause an attack.
• Lose weight if you are overweight or obese.
• Learn as much as possible about asthma.

Sources

http://allergies.about.com/od/childhoodallergies/a/preventarasthma.htm

http://www.respiratoryreviews.com/jun04/rr_jun04_asthmaprevented.html