Eat moderately,
slowly, never after 7 :00 P.M. If possible, the major meal should come at
midday rather than in the evening. A 30-minute rest' period after dinner and
supper is advisable. Overtaxing the digestion with excessive food encourages
asthma.
The patient with
bronchial asthma should never smoke. Drink. Cocktails before dinner may provide
relaxation and enjoyment. But drinking after dinner, late in the evening, may
interfere with digestion, lead to abdominal distention, wakefulness, and
asthma.
It is important for the asthmatic to avoid this, by drinking
no less than six glasses of water daily and eating a fair share of fruits and
vegetables.
Asthmatic attacks may
be triggered or aggravated by such fumes as those from fresh varnishes and
paints, moth balls, and dry-cleaning fluids.
Excessive -fatigue,
mental or physical, from work or play, should be avoided. Patients who are
subject to frequent bronchial infections should ask their doctor about taking
antibiotics on a prophylactic basis during the months when they tend to get
such infections. If there is obvious sinus infection, it should be treated.
When asthma is severe enough to make the doctor worry about possible
development of emphysema, the patient should learn exercises which have helped
many asthmatics improve exchange of air. The exercises given below take
patience. It may be necessary for the patient to receive instruction in them
from a specialist in asthma.
