What if you could make your asthma disappear for the New Year? While the truth is that you can't erase this chronic health condition completely, you can certainly resolve to gain increased asthma control by taking some key steps.

5 New Year's Resolutions

As New Year's Eve approaches, this is a good time to give yourself a quick asthma checkup to make sure you're doing all you can to keep yourself feeling your best. By putting these simple asthma control steps into gear, the next year can be your best and healthiest one yet:

1.      Make a plan and stick to it. If you don't have an asthma action plan yet, now is the time. Meet with your doctor and develop one, or to update your existing plan. Be sure to include steps you can take to prevent and manage your symptoms and directions on what to do in case of an emergency.

2.      See how you measure up. Get in the habit of using your peak flow monitor regularly, even when you feel fine. When it shows that your breathing capacity is dropping, be sure to increase your medication to head off an attack.

3.      Get moving. Hitting the gym on a regular basis can have many health benefits including improving your respiratory system and managing related asthma symptoms. Just be sure to talk to your doctor if you have exercise-induced asthma since you may need to use an inhaler before you begin. Low-intensity activities like yoga, walking, and swimming are often good choices for asthmatics.

4.      Watch what you eat. Many studies have suggested a relationship between asthma and obesity. This may be in part because heavier people have more trouble exercising. In addition, obesity can lead to increased inflammation and can also make medications less effective. Therefore, work with your doctor to make this the year you lose weight.

5.      Take your medications as directed. Part of gaining asthma control is relying on the latest medications to help control airway inflammation and spasms. Many find that inhaled corticosteroids can often make a big difference in managing their condition. It's also important to have a quick relief inhaler with you at all times, just in case your symptoms suddenly get out of hand.

Sources:

"Asthma: Learning to Control Your Symptoms." FamilyDoctor.org. American Academy of Family Physicians. Dec. 2009. Web. 28 Nov. 2010.

Stadtmauer, Gary and Wang, Y. Claire. "Resolve to Control Asthma First, Then Focus on Weight Loss." Allergy & Asthma Issues: Winter 2009. American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology, 2010. Web. 25 Nov. 2010.

"Your New Year's Celebration Can Cause More than a Hangover." American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology. AAAAI, 15 Nov. 2009. Web. 25 Nov. 2010.