My Life as an Asthma Mom

Have you ever celebrated New Year's Eve without fireworks? Salt Lake City, Utah is about to try it!    Like several areas of the country, Salt Lake City can suffer from inversions . An inversion is when cold air is trapped in the valley with warmer air up above. That causes the air in the valley to become very polluted. Why? All of the exhaust from cars gets trapped in the valley. Unless a storm moves in with wind and snow, the air gets more and more polluted.  Salt Lake City doesn't want to add to the pollution, so they are using a two story disco ball. for their annual New Year's Eve celebration. For some people, air pollution isn't a big deal. But if you have asthma, it is a BIG DEAL!! To learn more about how air pollution affects asthma, visit the Utah Department of Health.  It's nice to know Salt Lake City is trying to help with air pollution. It will be interesting to see what the two story disco ball looks like.I thank you, and my lungs th...

Billionaire Sean Parker is donating $24 million to finance research for allergies and asthma. (What would it be like to have 24 million "extra" dollars floating around to donate.....)  Sean Parker has allergies and asthma. In fact, his allergies are so severe that he has lost track of how many times he's ended up in the emergency room - the last 14 times were with his wife. He now has two kids and is worried about the genetic tendency of allergies and asthma.  Hubby and I worry too. We both have allergies, as do all three kids. Asthma runs on both sides of our family, and all three kids and I have asthma. I really worry about what it will be like if I ever become a grandma. Will my grand kids spend countless nights in the emergency room and hospital, like their parents?  Sean Parker's money will fund the Sean N. Parker Center for Allergy Research at Stanford University. He is partnering with Dr. Kari Nadeau, one of the top specialist in the country f...

    Well, I'm having computer problems today, so this will be a short post. (Poor little laptop.....you have served me well, but I can see that you are ready for retirement.) There was a story on Good Morning America this morning with Dr. Michael Besser. He said that most people are NOT using their Epi Pen or asthma inhaler correctly , and it can be deadly. Sometimes, people may not be trained properly the first time they get an Epi Pen or asthma inhaler. Or, it may have been a long time since they were trained and they suddenly find that they need to use it - but can't remember how!    Uh oh! He said that most people who use their Epi Pens correctly administer it into the thigh (you swing your arm down and jab it into your thigh), but then it hurts- so they pull it out again. BUT - you have to leave it there for 10 seconds or all the medicine won't come out of the tiny needle.    There is a short video here that shows how to use an Epi Pen....

Well, I wish it looked like this where I lived. But, no such luck. We are in a drought! I have accepted the fact that we will NOT have a white Christmas. Sigh. It's that time of year when people are putting up Christmas Trees. So - the age old battle starts.....is it better to have a real or artificial Christmas tree? Everyone is different - so it depends on if you are allergic to trees. (Yes....many of us are allergic to various trees, flowers, bushes, grass, etc. ) I saw an interview with Dr. Michael Borts, from St. Louis, who specializes in asthma, allergies and sinus care. He said some people may have problems with a real Christmas tree because the tree may have pollen and molds on the branches. Once you bring the tree inside your house, it may cause problems for anyone with allergies and asthma.  However, with an artificial tree, if it's stored in the attic or basement, it might be dusty or have mold (if your basement is damp). And if you are allergic ...

      I was a little shocked this week when I read a story online about a school board member who joked that students with food allergies "should be shot." I believe they were discussing food allergies in schools and how to handle them. I COULD NOT BELIEVE WHAT I WAS READING.  Anaphylaxis is no joking matter. I have a seafood allergy, and Son #2 has a tree nut allergy. I have actually witnessed a severe allergic reaction - anaphylaxis   in Son #1. I never want to see that again as long as I live. I have shared this story before, but here goes.... Son #2 was in the hospital (one of 8 hospitalizations), thanks to pneumonia. Hubby came down for his turn at the hospital, so I went home to pick up Son #1 and daughter Kitty. Son #1 needed his weekly allergy shots. Our plan was to get shots, grab a pizza, and head back down to the hospital to have dinner and watch a movie as a family. We ALWAYS wait 20 minutes after allergy shots. You are s...

Sometimes it can be really hard to keep track of all the medicines that I use. Luckily, I go to one pharmacy (and I have blogged before about how EVERYONE in the pharmacy knows me.....which isn't necessarily a GOOD thing! It's kind of like being on a first name basis with my car mechanic.....it means I am there WAY too often!!) Last week, I had to see my regular doctor, who prescribed an antibiotic to clear up an infection. When I went to the pharmacy, the pharmacist told me that there was a drug interaction - that my doctor didn't catch! I couldn't take the antibiotic with another medication that I was on. Scary stuff! It's helpful to get all of your medicines at the same pharmacy. The computer system they use will "flag" when there might be an interaction between two medications. If you are using different pharmacies, they won't have a complete list of all the medicines that you take. I am VERY grateful that the pharmacist cau...

My sister sent a story she read in the Washington Post titled "College student dies after severe allergic reaction to peanut butter." It was so sad, I could hardly finish reading the article. Sometimes things hit a little too close to home. Son #1 experienced a severe allergic reaction (anaphylaxis) several years ago. Son #2  has a tree nut allergy - not to be confused with a peanut allergy. (Peanuts are actually from the legume -or bean family - and they grown in the ground.) Tree nuts grow on....... well....trees! Son #2 is allergic to pecans, walnuts, almonds, etc. I am allergic to seafood. We all carry epi pens - EVERYWHERE!!!! Apparently, the college student, Chandler Swink, had visited an apartment where someone had made peanut butter cookies. Somehow, he came into contact with the cookies or some of the peanut residue. He started to feel symptoms of anaphylaxis and went out to his car to use his Epi Pen.  The National Institutes of Health list thes...

Some of you may use your inhaler by itself. For me, I have found it to be MUCH more effective to use a spacer or a valved holding chamber.     What are they? American Lung Association (ALA) has a helpful web page that tells the difference between a spacer and a valved holding chamber. ALA says: A spacer is a device that is placed on the mouthpiece of your quick relief inhaler. When used, a spacer creates “space” between your mouth and the medicine. This space helps the medicine break into smaller droplets. The smaller droplets can move easier and deeper into your lungs when you breathe in your medicine. ( Photo from ALA http://www.lung.org/lung-disease/asthma/living-with-asthma/making-treatment-decisions/holding-chambers-and-spacers.html) A valved holding chamber is a type of spacer that includes a one-way valve at the mouthpiece. This device does more than provide “space” between your mouth and the medicine. It also traps and holds your medicin...

I just read a surprising article, it was titled "Having Asthma Could Double Your Risk of a Heart Attack." What??!! The article says: One study found that those with asthma who require daily controller medication are 60 percent more likely to have a cardiovascular event like a heart attack during a 10-year period. The other finding may be even more striking. Those with active asthma (meaning current asthma symptoms) or asthma medication use, and those who sought treatment for asthma within the previous year, are twice as likely to have a heart attack than those without active asthma. So what does asthma have to do with your heart? How is that connected?  The article says: The tie between them could be inflammation, or swelling. Both asthma and heart disease are associated with higher levels of inflammation. Inflammation is the immune system’s attempt to heal body tissues after an injury, infection, or other damage. Some inflammation is good, but chro...

When you think asthma, you probably think of someone using their inhaler. BUT there is a pill that has been used for years to control asthma and allergies. Singulair (montelukast sodium) is a once a day pill that is used to treat asthma and allergies.  Singulair is a leukotriene modifier. What does that mean? It was explained to me like this: leukotriene is what is released in the body during an asthma attack. Histamine is what is released in the body during an allergic reaction. So, people take antihistamines to block the histamine from being released into the body (and help control allergies). Think of Singulair like an "antileukotriene." It helps control the release of leukotriene (and can help control asthma.) Still confused? Dr. Martha White wrote an article for Allergy and Asthma Network Mothers of Asthmatics (AANMA.)   Singulair might be an option for some people to treat their asthma. Dr. White says it's available as sprinkles and as a chewabl...

There are things we learned along the way of when our kids hospitalized 14 times for asthma (mostly thanks to pneumonia, sometimes it was the smoke from forest fires) I'll share a few of the things we learned. Keep in mind that every hospital and every nurse are different. So, these may not be helpful to you OR you may find other things that help your kids. 1. A Bubble Humidifer. The picture above is an  "oxygen bubble humidifier." In hospitals, instead of using an oxygen tank, the oxygen comes out of the wall (there is some sort of system behind the wall......I don't know the science of how it works.) But the important thing to remember if your child is on oxygen is to have a bubble! The bubble is filled with water and adds a little moisture to the oxygen so your child's nose doesn't dry out and bleed. We had that happen - A LOT! It's not fun :( 2. Bring things from home . If there are things that help your kids feel better, bring them to...

We live in an area with a lot of mountains, and although it hasn't snowed in the valley yet, the mountain tops have been dusted in snow. When it gets cold enough to snow, it causes problems for my asthma. Cold temperatures are one of my asthma triggers. It's important to know what triggers your asthma, (or causes an asthma attack) because then you can avoid those things.  Asthma triggers can be different for everyone: Animals (cats, dogs, horses, etc) Pollen (flowers, trees, bushes) Dust Mold Certain foods or medicines Stress Irritants (smoke, strong scents) Colds or the flu Exercise Cold temperatures  So, what do you do when you live in an area that is cold for most of the winter? Move to Hawaii of course!! Just kidding....although I would REALLY move to Hawaii if I could! I pretend to be fashionable and wear a scarf. When I go outside, I can drape the scarf over my neck and mouth. That helps warm up the air before I breathe in. I also ...

There are many schools in the U.S. that stock Epi Pens - just in case. There are students who have NEVER had an allergic reaction, but have their first one at school. Anaphylaxis is a medical emergency. Once anaphylaxis starts, death can happen in as little as 30 minutes.  We are lucky because our school district stocks Epi Pens at EVERY school in the district. They can be used on anyone - a student, faculty member, even a visitor to the school. I just read about how schools in England are stocking asthma inhalers - just in case. Most classes have at least 2 students with asthma (this is true in America too.) In England, the article says that:   "Around 20 school children in England and Wales die every year from asthma, and most deaths occur before the child reaches hospital. " That just breaks my heart. It's my worst fear that one of my kids won't recognize the symptoms of an asthma attack and won't use their inhaler in time. :( There is ...

I was at the library listening to a presentation and overheard the woman behind me telling a friend that her daughter had an allergic reaction that day and had been in the emergency room. I turned around and told her I didn't mean to be creepy and listen in on her conversation, but that my son had also experienced anaphylaxis, and it can be really scary as a parent to watch it. She said, "Oh, it wasn't anaphylaxis. Her throat was just closing off, she was just having an allergic reaction." I said, "that IS anaphylaxis!!! You know she can have a re-bound effect, right?" (Even after you are treated for anaphylaxis, you can experience a "re-bound" - the symptoms can come back.) I told the woman that she better check in on her daughter! An hour later, she tapped me on the shoulder and said, my daughter just sent a text and said it feels like her airway is closing off again. I think she saw the look of shock on my face, and I told her s...

I had to go to the hospital last week to meet with a colleague, and as soon as I walked in - there was "that smell." There is a certain scent that I recognize from having my kids hospitalized 14 times. Not a bad scent, just a familiar one!  My kids were usually admitted to the hospital with pneumonia or from problems breathings smoke from forest fires. For me, having a child admitted to the hospital was actually a relief. There comes a point where I have done everything I can as a parent to try to help them breathe easier. To quote a line from Mall Cop "Backup! Backup!!"  I need someone who knows more than I do to take over! I am NOT a respiratory therapist or a nurse, so sometimes I need the professionals to take care of my child. I have all the preventative (or daily controller) medicine at home. When they get sick, I will start giving them Albuterol breathing treatments with the nebulizer. (The nebulizer machine turns the liquid medicine...

This is a LONG blog, but important, so PLEASE read the whole entry!! :) Having problems with your lungs is annoying, you really take it for granted that you can breathe! And when you can't......well, it's no fun! So how do you know what lung disease you have?  When daughter Kitty was little, she just didn't seem to be doing well, even with all of the asthma medications she was taking. She had been hospitalized 4 times for asthma, so Asthma Doc wanted to rule out any other lung disease. He ordered a sweat chloride test to check for Cystic Fibrosis.  I have tell you - that was the LONGEST weekend of my life!!! Waiting for test results was so hard, we couldn't eat or sleep.  Luckily, her test was negative. But some people aren't so lucky.  So what is Cystic Fibrosis? Here's a quote from the Cystic Fibrosis foundation: "In people with CF, a defective gene and its protein product cause the body to produce unusually thick, sticky mu...

American Lung Association has an email list where you can get updates about lung cancer, asthma, COPD, etc. Their latest "top story" (October 7, 2014) is about a link between depression and asthma. They say that if you have any of the lung diseases listed above, it's not unusual to feel anxious, stressed, or even depressed.  They also say that 1/3 of people with chronic diseases may feel depressed. Here's a quote from the website: "Sometimes you might notice you don’t feel like yourself but you are aren’t sure exactly what is bothering you. Undiagnosed depression can make it more difficult to manage your disease and has a large impact on your quality of life." You can click here to find someone in your state that offers depression screenings. Of course talk to your doctor if you feel a "little off" or don't feel like yourself! :) Most states (and also many foreign countries!) teach a 6 week workshop that helps you co...

I'm a little bit of a nerd, because I love research studies. I am always looking for new studies or articles about asthma.  The latest study I read was from WebMD. The story was originally published in Healthday News. A study done in Europe showed that the worry of losing your job could increase your risk for developing asthma. Hmmm. The study interviewed 7,000 people in Germany in 2009-2011 and asked the employees questions "about the respiratory disorder and also on whether they thought they would lose their job within two years." During that time, there were 100 people that were diagnosed with asthma. Here's a quote from the article: The researchers noted that for every 25 percent jump in job-related stress, the risk for asthma also increased by 24 percent. The risk for asthma surged to 60 percent among those who thought it was highly likely they would lose their job. The study did say that worrying about your job doesn't CAUSE...