How do I prevent getting asthma?
Although asthma is for the most part an inherited disease and tends to be genetically determined, there are some factors that make asthma worse and may make asthma show up earlier. Maternal smoking certainly is a major risk factor and if you have a family history of asthma and you are a woman about to have a baby, not only is the smoking going to be dangerous to your lungs, but it's also going to be dangerous to the baby's lungs and I can't urge you enough to stop smoking. Paternal smoking also is a risk factor. Another risk factor is early introduction of highly allergenic foods. You might want to talk to your doctor about which foods you should hold off introducing in the diet. These things can be things such as peanuts and shellfish and tree nuts that for many patients cause an allergic reaction. Patients also who develop RSV - Respiratory Syncytial Virus - during the first year of life are at much higher risk to go on to develop asthma symptoms. So if you think you have an allergic or asthma family history, talk to your doctor. There are certain things you can do that might help prevent or delay the onset of your child's asthma.
