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Showing posts from August, 2014

Missing out with asthma

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Summer is winding down and things are getting colder, so camping season is coming to an end. Son #2 has been on a LOT of camp outs this summer. As a mom, I worry - no matter how old your kids are, you never stop worrying. I reminded him to take his inhaler and to be sure and use it if he started coughing or was short of breath.  The problem with camp outs is that you are out in nature, so there are a LOT of trees, bushes, etc that can cause allergies to flare up - which can cause an asthma attack. The other problem is being around camp fires. Who doesn't like to roast marshmallows and make s'mores? (That reminds me of a scene from the movie Sandlot. "You're killin' me Smalls!!") Did you know that the smoke from the camp fire can cause an asthma attack? Son #2 let me know that he was VERY careful around the camp fire this summer. He made sure that he stayed away from the smoke. It seems like the smoke is always drifting - so you may have

Help for kids in school

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Like most parents, I always worried when my kids went back to school. Not just about basic things, like will they make friends? What if they get bullied? Will they actually EAT school lunch?  I also worried about their asthma. Are there any asthma triggers in the classroom? (I think most schools are past the era of having a classroom pet...) Will they know when they are having problems with their asthma? Will they remember how to use their inhaler? Will they actually use it ? Or will I just get a phone call from the school to come get my child? American Lung Association has a program for students, called Open Airways. It's a free 6 week program that teaches elementary kids (ages 8-11) how to manage their asthma. It's not a lecture type class, it has some fun, interactive projects. During one class, we took a paper towel roll and filled it up with marshmallows to show the kids what happens to their bronchial tubes when they have asthma. (We were trying to explain

How often do you use a rescue inhaler?

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  I've talked to two people today who told me they have family members who are REALLY struggling with their asthma. They said their family members are only using their rescue inhalers to treat their asthma symptoms. When that doesn't help, they are going to the emergency room. Hhmmm, Asthma Doc has told me time and time again that "all rescue inhalers do is buy you time." He says they are "just a bandaid approach." He told me if I am using my rescue inhaler too often, I need to be on a daily, maintenance medication. Maintenance medications help keep the swelling down in your lungs - so if you are exposed to one of your asthma triggers, you may not need to use your rescue inhaler as often or you may not end up in the emergency room.   How often is too often to use your rescue inhaler?     Webmd has a page called When Should I Use My Inhaler?  Here's a quote from their page: "A rescue inhaler is supposed to relieve sudden sympt

Exercise and asthma

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So, what if you want your kids to be active, but exercise makes their asthma worse? I saw an article on Allergy & Asthma Network Mothers of Asthmatics website (AANMA) called "Exercise & Asthma: Breathe Strong" In the article, they talk about exercising with asthma. If you (or your child) is having a hard time exercising with asthma, the first step they recommend is to talk to your doctor. For some people, exercise can trigger an asthma attack. It's called exercise-induced bronchospasm Some people also call it exercise-induced asthma. It doesn't mean that you can't exercise, it just means that you may need to use your inhaler (or nebulizer) before you exercise. Your doctor can decide what's best for you. Everyone who has asthma is a little different. The AANMA article also says to check to make sure you are using your inhaler correctly. Most people THINK they are, but they may not be using it right. Here's a Youtube video called "

And it's Back to School time!! yahoo!!

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So, here we go. Summer is winding down and it's back to school time. Finally!  We just went to Back to School Night for daughter Kitty. Oh what fun! A night of wandering around the school, visiting all 8 teachers and picking up disclosure forms. The halls are full of families all doing the same thing.  What's the one thing that Kitty's teachers need to know about her? Asthma.  They need to know that she's having a lot of flare ups with her asthma, and that she made need to leave class to use her inhaler. (Did you know that it's legal in all 50 states for students to carry their inhaler with them - at all times?) And every state (except New York) allows students to carry an Epi Pen with them at all times.  BUT you need to talk to your doctor and the school nurse. As a health care team, you have to agree if your student can "self administer" their inhaler. That means that your child knows when they are having an asthma attack and they

Women Breathe Free Program

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So, how many women take care of themselves? Like most moms, it seems like I am so busy taking care of everyone else, that I don't take care of myself. And that can include not taking care of my asthma. Allergy and Asthma Network Mothers of Asthmatics (AANMA) has a FREE program for women 18 and older aimed at helping us take care of our asthma. (Don't worry.....it's confidential - so you won't have to give them any personal information.) It's called Women Breathe Free  What does the program do? It can help us deal with problems that may cause our asthma to flare up, such as: menstrual cycle  stress  being exposed to things that cause an asthma attack  not taking asthma medicine  You will get to talk to a nurse educator for 4 sessions (when it fits into YOUR schedule). You will also get a workbook to try to track what it causing your asthma to flare up, what to do to keep it under control and how to track your symptoms. Sometimes, it

Stress causing asthma attacks

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Did you know that stress can cause an asthma attack ? Stress is one of the asthma triggers that most people don't know about. Stress can take the form of worry, anger or crying. All those things can cause an asthma attack. Who knew??!! This week was a VERY sad week because Neighbor had to put Neighbor Dog to sleep. Neighbor Dog had a fast moving cancer that made it very obvious to all of us that she was suffering and she wasn't the same dog we knew. It was awful to watch her go downhill so fast.  So, we all had a little time to spend with Neighbor Dog and to be able to say goodbye. I'm the worst cry baby in the world, so naturally I started to cry when I knew it was my last chance to see her alive. I was doing what Oprah would all "the Ugly Cry." I was having a really hard time and could tell that I was starting to have an asthma attack. I had to try to calm down and slow down my breathing and then use my inhaler. Sometimes, it seems like ast

Xolair for severe asthma

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  Sometimes, asthma can be hard to treat. We have had a difficult time with 2 of our 3 teenagers who have asthma. Sometimes, Xolair injections can be an option for those who have allergic asthma and who are taking multiple asthma and allergy medicines and STILL aren't getting better. (And ending up in the hospital 6 times like Son #2 did....) Son #2 had Xolair injections for 6 years and it was the only thing that helped stabilize his asthma and keep him out of the hospital. To qualify for Xolair injections, Asthma Doc orders a blood test to check the immunoglobulin E (IgE) level.    If your IgE level falls into a certain range, you qualify for the treatment, but must still get insurance to approve it.They don't like paying for it because the serum is about $1500 per month. IgE are antibodies found in the skin, lungs and mucus membrane. They are what causes your body to have allergic reactions. Xolair is supposed to stop that allergic reaction from happening (that

Flonase nose spray now over the counter

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This is what our family looks like.....year round. Hubby and I and all three teenagers have allergies. Not just a little sneeze here and there - I'm talking year round sneezing fits. (The neighbors down the street can hear us kind of sneezing.) And allergies always make our asthma worse.  Some people like allergy pills. Some people like allergy nose sprays. For those of you who like nose spray, Flonase is available without a prescription.   (Earlier this year, Nasacort became available without a prescription.)  That can be nice, because you don't need a prescription - you can just buy a new bottle from the drug store or grocery store when you need it. It may save some money too, depending on your insurance. Some insurance companies have a high deductible for prescriptions (where you pay for all of the prescriptions until you meet your $500 deductible). Others only charge $5 for prescriptions. Call your local drug store to see how much they are charging for Flo