How to Stop Nighttime Asthma Attacks?
Not able to sleep comfortably at night? Or do you cough at night and not be able to sleep at night?
If yes, you have nighttime asthma, also known as nocturnal asthma.
Several people who have severe asthma often find their symptoms like breathlessness, coughing & wheezing become worse at night.
Nighttime asthma is the most common form of asthma that gets worse during the night.
This affects almost every asthmatic patient who wakes up in the middle of the night, making their nights uncomfortable.
Most deaths due to asthma happen during the night when the patient feels uncomfortable because of nighttime asthma.
Nighttime asthma makes it difficult for you to sleep and also leaves you feeling tired and irritable during the day.
You need to know that nocturnal asthma is serious and requires diagnosis as well as effective treatment on time.
Factors contributing to nighttime asthma attacks
Several factors make you suffer from nighttime asthma attacks:
Allergic triggers
The allergens in your living room or bedroom often cause allergic reactions, increasing asthma conditions at night.
People exposed to allergens during the day or evening often have nighttime asthma because of late responses.
Your body’s internal clock
Some of your hormone levels often fall at night due to your daily rhythm.
Lower hormone levels narrow your airways slightly, further worsening your asthma symptoms.
Increase in mucous or sinusitis
The airways narrow down and build up the mucus during the night’s sleep, making you suffer from wheezing & coughing.
This further also tightens your airways. Your asthma is activated with more drainage from the sinuses.
Gastroesophageal reflux problem
The reflux of stomach acid rises if you suffer from heartburn frequently.
This situation also gets worse when you lie down and increase your nighttime asthma problems.
Make sure to consult your doctor once if you find difficulty in sleeping due to severe asthma.
Don’t forget to share your nighttime asthma symptoms with the doctor because, accordingly, you will be given Antacid medications.
How do you deal with nighttime asthma?
Along with the prescribed asthma medicines, several steps can help you in dealing with nighttime asthma attacks.
Clean your bedroom regularly
It is essential to use a vacuum cleaner with a high-efficiency particulate air filter that traps mites and their waste.
This way, you can quickly get the mites out of your bedroom.
If the vacuum you use does not have a HEPA filter, get the new one.
Eucalyptus oil
One of the best ways of dealing with nighttime asthma is through eucalyptus oil.
Add a few drops of this oil to a hot water bowl and then take steam.
Doing so will help in opening all your nasal blockages to make it easy for you to breathe.
Go for a dust-proof mattress and pillow protector.
The dust-proof mattress and pillow protectors are woven tightly to keep dust mites away from the bedding.
Depending on your bed size and pillow, you can easily find dust-proof mattresses and pillow protectors.
Belly breathing technique
You need to concentrate on your breathing carefully. Through your nose, start breathing slowly.
This belly breathing technique will help maximise the air distribution inside the lungs.
You can lie down or even sit straight.
When inhaling, your abdomen needs to go out instead of your chest.
With your abdomen pushing inward, start exhaling slowly.
Don’t sleep with pets.
If you have pets at home, keep them out of your bedroom to ensure their dander does not collect.
Ensure your pet’s dander does not collect or stick to the bedding and carpeting.
It is always better to keep your bedroom door shut to keep the pet out.
Omega-3 fatty acids
Intake of omega-3 fatty acids is highly beneficial in treating your condition of a nighttime asthma attack.
This fatty acid saves you from asthma and other conditions such as seasonal allergies, heart disease, etc.
Ginger
Ginger is just like an anti-inflammatory medicine and benefits your overall body.
It is a superfood and is extremely beneficial in treating nighttime asthma.
You can add ginger, pomegranate, and honey in equal proportion and consume them twice a day to get benefits.
Keep your head up
If you have a cold or sinus infection, then lying flat can aggravate postnasal drip, activating an asthma attack.
It is always better to keep your head elevated while sleeping if you are an asthma patient.
Therefore, you can treat nighttime asthma effectively with Asthma Inhalers and get the right treatment under the supervision of your doctor.