People in their 40s and 50s often get the wrong diagnosis for asthma because they think it only affects kids. But the American Lung Association says
Association, experts now think that about 10% of asthma sufferers are over the age of 65.
Some adults who have asthma have had it for their whole lives. Others may have had asthma as a child and then had it come back after a long time without symptoms.
years. But if you've started having trouble breathing as an adult, you're not alone. More and more people are getting late-onset asthma, which is often caused by a
serious infection in the lungs.
Women are more likely to get it than men, which might be because their airways are smaller. Researchers also think that hormones may play a role. They discovered that
Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) makes women 50% more likely to get asthma than women who don't get HRT.
Even though asthma is a serious disease that could kill you, you can protect yourself by staying away from things that make an attack happen. Cold air, cigarette smoke,
Dust and mould are two examples of things that can make asthma worse. And research shows that eating foods high in certain nutrients may help reduce asthma symptoms.
Blockbuster foods that help fight asthma
Vitamin C. Researchers think antioxidant vitamins could be a big part of preventing asthma or making its symptoms easier to deal with. Vitamin C is just right.
example. Studies have shown that vitamin C not only makes asthma symptoms better, but it also helps keep you from getting asthma in the first place. For the best asthma protection, you should mix
Oranges, pineapple, strawberries, kiwifruit, and papaya can be used to make a fruit salad. Then fill your dinner plate with high-C vegetables like broccoli, red and
Peas, cabbage, brussels sprouts, and green peppers.
Vitamin E. Vitamin E is another powerful antioxidant that may make you less likely to get asthma. A study done in Saudi Arabia found that children who had the least
They were three times more likely to get asthma if they ate a lot of vitamin E. Research also shows that vitamin E can help keep you from getting this disease.
an adult. Add some vitamin E-rich wheat germ, almonds, peanuts, or sunflower seeds to a salad or baked good for extra lung protection.
Vitamin A. This vitamin completes the trio of antioxidants that help fight asthma. Researchers have found that people who eat foods high in vitamin A tend to have cleaner air.
airways, which makes it easier to breathe. Vitamin A is found in meat and dairy products, especially livers from beef and chicken, cottage cheese, ricotta cheese,
and egg yolks.
Lycopene. If you want to avoid asthma symptoms, think pink or red. Lycopene, the carotenoid that gives pink or red foods their colour, may help protect against
according to a small study done recently. Researchers gave 30 milligrammes of lycopene to people with exercise-induced asthma every day for a week. At last,
by the end of the week, more than half of the people had fewer asthma symptoms than they did at the beginning of the week.
Getting your nutrients from food is always best, and in this case, it could protect you in two ways. There are a lot of foods with lycopene, like tomatoes,
Also high in vitamin C are pink grapefruit and watermelon.
Magnesium and selenium. These minerals may work together to help people with asthma. Magnesium helps open up the airways, which is what a bronchodilator does.
your airways, making breathing easier. Selenium may be able to help with asthma because it is an antioxidant. Researchers have found that people with low levels of
people who get a lot of selenium are more likely to have asthma. Selenium is found in meats, shellfish, and vegetables and grains grown in soil that is rich in selenium. Food
Avocados, oysters, and beans all have magnesium in them. Both of these minerals can be found in broccoli.
Water. If you have asthma, a tall glass of water could be your friend. Researchers at the University at Buffalo (UB) found that people's symptoms were related to their mental health.
People who didn't drink enough water got worse before and during exercise if they had asthma that was made worse by exercise.
Frank Cerny, Ph.D., says that drinking water is important, especially for people with asthma."
The message is still, "Drink fluids when you get thirsty."
opportunity, "The head of UB's Department of Physical Therapy, Exercise, and Nutrition Sciences, Cerny, says this. "If you have asthma, being thirsty could make it worse.
worse, especially when they work out."
Don't wait until you're thirsty to drink water. Your body needs water long before you feel thirsty. Make sure to drink at least six full glasses of
Every day, and more when you work out.
Caffeine. If you start your day with a cup of coffee that smells good, it may help your asthma. Caffeine is chemically similar to a drug called theophylline.
deal with asthma. When you have an asthma attack, your airways swell and the muscles around them tighten, making it hard to breathe. Caffeine
helps your bronchial tubes relax, which keeps your airways open. According to research, caffeine can help with symptoms for up to four hours.
