My Life as an Asthma Mom

Last week, I wrote about thrush and asthma medicines. I realized I had thrush and I knew I needed nystatin to treat it (thrush is an infection that you can get from using your maintenance inhaler.)      If you use a daily inhaler or discus for your asthma medicine, it's VERY important that you rinse your mouth out after using the medicine.    Side effects of controller/maintenance inhalers include the possibility of getting a fungal infection in your mouth from using them.    To prevent that, I rinse my mouth out and usually eat something after using my medicine or brush my teeth to make sure my mouth is cleared out. Last week, I had  nasty head cold, so I wasn't thinking clearly. I must not have been as careful as I usually am, because I ended up with thrush.  If you have thrush, your tongue will be white and you may also have sores on your tongue or throat. It's VERY uncomfortable.    And my food tastes ...

            What is thrush? Thrush is a yeast infection that can cause white patches on the tongue. Sometimes it can also cause sores if you try to scrape off the white patches. Babies and older adults are more likely to get it because their immune systems may not be strong. (I was going to try to find a photo of thrush to add to the blog, but all of the pictures on Google Images are pretty gross. You can see a photo on WebMd's site ) They also have some information about the side effects of inhaled corticosteroids If you have asthma, and use inhaled corticosteroids you can get thrush. I'm usually VERY careful when I use my controller inhaler. Corticosteroids are made with a yeast base, so it's important to rinse your mouth out after taking your medicine. I also take mine before breakfast so I can eat something afterwards, then brush my teeth. That will usually eliminate the risk of thrush for me. BUT, I was sick last week. I had a col...

What is with technology?! I saved this photo right side up, but when I put it on the blog it turns sideways??!! Argggghhhh!!!! Anyway, this is the Reader's Digest magazine I was looking for, it is the current issue. Inside is the article I mentioned last week about the link between migraines and allergies.  You may be able to read the article here They have free 30 day trials of Reader's Digest for Apple iPad, Amazon Kindle, B&N Nook and Android devices. In the article, they quote the American Migraine Prevalence and Prevention Study  This is just a one page summary of the study.  I found the original study, but couldn't download it because it required a membership fee.  The Reader's Digest write up about the study says that the lining of the nose is connected to a nerve (the trigeminal nerve ), which is connected to migraine pain.  The researchers think that when allergies flare up they irritate the nerve endings, which trigge...

(http://www.knowyourcount.com/KristinStory.aspx) I just read a story on Know Your Count about Kristin Chenoweth, who is an amazing singer! She shared her story about singing during rehearsal and shows, and having a difficult time breathing. Well, that's not a good thing if you sing for a living!!  She went to her doctor and was diagnosed with asthma. Luckily, she doesn't have persistent asthma, so she doesn't have to take medicine every day. BUT, she does use a rescue inhaler. And for all of you that use rescue inhalers, you know that you never want your inhaler to run out!  She uses an inhaler that has a dose counter on it, so she knows how many doses (or puffs) are left. It gives you a chance to get a refill before you run out.  How do you know if your inhaler is empty?  The Know Your Count website (sponsored by TEVA respiratory and Allergy and Asthma Foundation of America) says that:  ".....just because an inhaler is still sprayin...

I just read a new article in Reader's Digest about allergies causing migraines. Who knew?! I had a horrible migraine last week and missed a day of work. For all of my fellow sufferers, you know how bad migraines can be...... Everyone is a little different, but most of us get severe, unrelenting pain with sensitivity to light, sound and smell. I don't know how it works, but once I throw up it seems to relieve the pain. It also  makes me very tired, so I sleep for a couple of hours and wake up and - presto! The pain is gone. Of course, it makes for a VERY miserable day. The day after my migraine, I happened to read an article in Reader's Digest about allergies causing migraines. The article is in the latest issue, which is somewhere in my house.....I can't seem to find it.  I found another online article that talks about the link between asthma, allergies and migraines.  ACHE (American Headache Society) has a long technical article about the link. The basic...

 I was reading some updates from the American Academy of Allergy Asthma & Immunology's (AAAAI) annual conference. The one that caught my eye is:   "Patients with Allergic Rhinitis May Have Lower Risk for Heart Attacks" Wow! Finally! Something positive can come out of having allergies?! The article also states that: "In addition to heart attacks, the study also found that those with allergic rhinitis were also at lower risks for cerebrovascular disease { stroke} and all-cause mortality" If I am reading that right, if you have hay fever, you have a lower risk for heart attack, stroke and death. (Not sure why)   But when I read further, it said:   "The asthma patients were found to have a higher risk of heart disease, although they had no significantly increased risk of cerebrovascular disease {stroke} or all-cause mortality." So if I have asthma, I have increased risk of heart disease but no increase in risk of str...