Contributing Factors Remove as many contributing factors as possible, such as dust and dust mites, smoke, and pet hair. This will all help the asthma sufferer breath more easily and give them good quality air therefore preventing frequent attacks and trips to either the doctors or hospital. Although treatment for the elderly is the same for everyone it may well need to be increased because of the fact that the elderly are more susceptive to colds and flu. You don t have to get rid of your pets, even if pet dander posing some breathing problems. Regularly washing fabrics in the home (like bed linens) can help reduce both dust mites and pet dander. Keep your pets clean and well-groomed, and keep the home free of dust and other airborne particles by maintaining a regular cleaning schedule. But does that mean that every day has to be a struggle to breathe? Or is there some way that you can breathe easy even with asthma? Most people who have been diagnosed with asthma find that medication is a good way to combat the symptoms and sufferings associated with this affliction. Your doctor will no doubt prescribe medicine that will help treat your symptoms, and help prevent the onslaught of an asthma attack. You ll also want to regularly wash and clean pet sleeping areas and other fabrics that often used by the pets. The best way to cut down on pet dander is to wash these items in very hot water. Reducing any pet dander in the home will help any asthma sufferer. This is another way that keeping it clean makes living with asthma much more hassle-free. But there are things that you can do, along with taking your regular medication, to lessen even these lingering symptoms. If you re living with asthma, then you should be living smoke-free. Asthma symptoms are often irritated, and sometimes even made much worse, by even second-hand cigarette smoke. Anyone who has been diagnosed with asthma absolutely should not smoke, as any kind of smoking will only make any breathing problem worse. Even though that doggy-in-the-window looks irresistible, its waggly-tail and other emissions can elicit harmful emissions that can lead to a very uncomfortable existence for the asthma sufferer. That goes the same for rabbits and gerbils as well! You don t want to get stuck with a character who has got your heartstrings, but also is tied to your air-sack!