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Dealing with Asthma
noir_blood
Registered User regular
Registered User regular
Like the title says, I'm looking to get some advice on how to best deal with asthma, more specifically, dealing with it without currently having any medication for it.
A couple of things upfront:
Yes, I realize going to the doctor should be my main priority, and it is. Unfortunately, I was on my wife's insurance plan, but she recently lost her job. I recently started a new job, so while I'm going to get some really good insurance, it doesn't kick in until early next year.
To add to that, this new job currently requires 100% availability, meaning that even if I do wan to see a doctor(which I do), I have to try to find one that's open on the weekends or late on Weekdays.
So I'm currently looking for anything else that I can do to help keep the asthma down. I was diagnosed with only on a couple of years back, and it usually only flares up during the winter. This year it's especially bad-with me coughing and wheezing usually every night. Doing some research, I see a lot of it is my fault- I eat too much spicy food, out of shape, etc. I'm hoping to change that, or at least work on it. But is there anything else I an try? Are there such things as over the counter inhalers?
A couple of things upfront:
Yes, I realize going to the doctor should be my main priority, and it is. Unfortunately, I was on my wife's insurance plan, but she recently lost her job. I recently started a new job, so while I'm going to get some really good insurance, it doesn't kick in until early next year.
To add to that, this new job currently requires 100% availability, meaning that even if I do wan to see a doctor(which I do), I have to try to find one that's open on the weekends or late on Weekdays.
So I'm currently looking for anything else that I can do to help keep the asthma down. I was diagnosed with only on a couple of years back, and it usually only flares up during the winter. This year it's especially bad-with me coughing and wheezing usually every night. Doing some research, I see a lot of it is my fault- I eat too much spicy food, out of shape, etc. I'm hoping to change that, or at least work on it. But is there anything else I an try? Are there such things as over the counter inhalers?
noir_blood on
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Exercise and getting in shape may well help long-term, but a lot of people have exercise-induced asthma, so if you do that without medication and provoke an attack, it could be bad news. I would say your short-term goals, without medication or a doctor's supervision, should be
- identify foods/activities which provoke it and avoid them (if you have it bad in winter and the evenings, then a likely culprit is cold air, this is very common. Keep your house warm, wrap up around your throat and mouth when you go outside, and if you live in a dry region then try and introduce some humidity to your environment, even just by taking steamy showers in the evening. This should relax your bronchial passages and help dislodge any phlegm or mucus that's contributing to the problem)
- note that just because something 'may' be a trigger for asthma, doesn't mean it is - I have never heard the spicy foods thing, for example. But if you use any indoor air-fresheners, scented fabric softeners - anything with a strong smell - those are often problematic. Everyone is different, though.
- go to a chemist ASAP and see if you can get a reliever over the counter. Preventers or preventer/reliever mixes are usually prescription only, but it's worth asking about that too - basically if you can have a discussion about options with an experienced trained chemist, then this would be the next best thing besides a doctor.
Well, you probably need a rescue inhaler. You can get asthma medication at Wal-Mart link to list of prices for 4$-10$ for 30-90 day supplies. You could almost certainly get in to a clinic at Wal Mart or Rite-Aid for really cheap. I think a normal visit is 50$ or so, a friend of mine had to go get checked for a UTI and it came out to like 100$ including "lab work" (which I admit is not a complicated test...)
Really there are lots of pharmacy chains that now offer cheap prescriptions and clinics staffed by nurse practitioners or physicians in some cases which are pretty much set up specifically to deal with things like asthma and minor illness. They're walk-in and you just fill out a form. CVS Minute Clinic Pricing. Not much a reason to not get it taken care of.
Also, if your wife recently lost her job, she must be eligible for COBRA coverage.