Stress as a trigger

Stress as a trigger

I was going to put another tip in here today about how we changed our home. But, we had a little family emergency last night.

We are particularly worried about one elderly family member who is in the hospital caring for their spouse. The reason for our concern is that the care giver has asthma, and stress can actually trigger an asthma attack. I wasn't even thinking about that last night as we were discussing the situation with our kids. But Son #1 brought it up.

We were worried about the care giver's coping skills, you never know how people will react in an emergency. Son #1 said, "I hope she's okay and doesn't get so stressed out that she has an asthma attack". Oh yeah, that.

Belly breathing is a great exercise if that happens. I know it's the last thing you want to think about. But you can put one hand on your stomach and one on your chest, then you breathe slowly in through your nose, and out through your mouth. I usually do it 5 times in a row.

You need to take care of yourself. Otherwise, you won't be any good to any one around you if they have to deal with two patients instead of one.

Asthma is so strange, because there are so many triggers and it affects everyone so differently. There is no one size fits all set of triggers and treatment plans.

So, if you happen to find yourself in an emergency, remember belly breathing. Take deep breaths and make sure you have your inhaler with you just in case. The last thing you need in an emergency is an unexpected asthma attack.

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