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More Than Albuterol: What's Available for Babies?

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  We are a family of 5, and four of us have asthma. Sigh. My 3 kids are adults now, but when they were younger they were sick - All. The. Time. After a bad experience with our primary care doctor, we switched their asthma care to a specialist.  I then learned the importance of making sure my kids took their daily, controller inhalers every morning and every night. (Many doctors are now referring to the inhalers as "anti inflammatory' inhalers so patients understand how they work.)  You can see the bronchial tube on the right is more swollen than the bronchial tube on the left. When your bronchial tubes swell (because you were exposed to an asthma trigger), they will  make mucus to protect your bronchial tubes.  You can see how hard it would be to breathe through a bronchial tube that was swollen on the inside and full of mucus. And then (as if that wasn't bad enough already), the smooth muscles bands around the outside also shorten and squeeze.  So you have...
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Holiday Asthma Triggers: Christmas trees

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  Thanksgiving is over, and it's time for the holidays.    My friends are posting picture perfect Instagram pics of their family at the Christmas tree lots.  And we are pulling out our carefully packaged Christmas tree from the storeroom. Sigh. No pesky needles to sweep up and no fresh pine trees to cause allergies and an asthma attack.   We are a family of 5, and all 5 of us have allergies – to everything. Trees, grass, flowers, bushes, cats, dogs, horses – basically anything that is alive. And that includes Christmas trees. It’s not that we haven’t tried to treat our allergies. Not only do I buy allergy medicine and allergy nose spray in bulk at the warehouse store, but we have all completed allergy shots.      My youngest is in college and is actually repeated her allergy shots now.   In fact, she set the record for the allergy clinic for the most vials of serum needed for one patient! She gets 6 shots each time (3 in each...
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Invisible Workload of Asthma

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  Most of us know the basics of managing asthma - taking your controller or reliever inhalers morning and night.  And using an albuterol inhaler or a nebulizer for a breathing treatment when you are sick or having an asthma attack.    But what about the invisible workload in managing a disease?    Making appointments  There is a new system at my doctor's office for being able to schedule an online appointment, but the system doesn't actually work. I made an appointment online, but as the time got closer, I didn't get a reminder or link to check in.  So I'm stuck on hold waiting to talk to a receptionist and schedule an appointment. Why is this a lot of work? Because all three of my kids and I had allergy shots twice a week to help desensitize our bodies to everything we are allergic to.  We all had such large and hot welts after injections that we couldn't increase the serum. So we  would be stuck at the same dose for weeks. Which me...
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Is it Asthma or Something Else?

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 Most know the basics signs and symptoms of asthma:  Coughing  Wheezing  Shortness of breathe Chest tightness But there are many diseases that can have the same symptoms, but "mimic" asthma. I'll list a few of the most common here, so buckle up!   Asthma mimickers  Alpha-1 - the full name   is Alpha-1 Antitrypsin Deficiency and it's a genetic disease that can damage the liver and/or lungs. This happens when your body lacks a protein in the blood alpha-1 antitrypsin (AAT) made by the liver.  This protein protects the lungs from swelling. But it can build up in the liver and cause liver disease. Bronchiectasis   -  this chronic lung disease causes the airways to swell, widened, and sometimes scar. The mucus that normally helps your body get rid of dust germs and other tiny particles you inhale is too thick - which means it's hard to clear out by coughing. That thick mucus can grow bacteria, which leads to more swelling and damage....
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Knowing Your Family History of Asthma

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  For those of you in the U.S., Thanksgiving is only a few weeks away. That can mean dealing with a large group of extended family members you may not see throughout the year. (And there may be that one certain relative you want to avoid.....) We try to not discuss politics during family dinners.That's sure to start a fight.     But as you are catching up with family members about their life, they may mention medical problems (especially for those of us who are a little *ahem* older) Do allergies & asthma run in your family?  I didn't know there was a family history of asthma on my husband's side until AFTER my son was hospitalized - and THEN diagnosed with asthma.   25 years ago, I remember asking my Pediatrician if it was possible Middle Son had asthma. I had read an article in Parent's magazine about asthma, and all of the signs and symptoms sounded REALLY familiar.  I noticed Middle Son was:  Sicker more often than his older brother a...
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