My Life as an Asthma Mom

Every summer I worry about smoke from forest fires, and every summer my worst fear is realized.  Is it just me, or do we seem to have a lot more fires?  Well, a recent story from APNews says that: "Smoke from wildfires was once considered a fleeting nuisance except for the most vulnerable populations. But it’s now seen in some regions as a recurring and increasing public health threat, said James Crooks, a health investigator at National Jewish Health, a Denver medical center that specializes in respiratory ailments. "  “There are so many fires, so many places upwind of you that you’re getting increased particle levels and increased ozone from the fires for weeks and weeks,” Crooks said. Why do I worry so much? Well.....just because Son #2 ended up in ICU from smoke from a forest fire. It was horrible watching him struggle to breathe. They also had a heart monitor closely tracking his heart and the "crash cart" parked outside his room...

Sometimes people ask me what happens to their asthma when they are pregnant. Well, like everything else with asthma - it is different for every person. As you can see from the graphic from Allergy & Asthma Foundation of America (AAFA): 1/3 will  get better 1/3 will stay the same 1/3 will get worse   When I was expecting my three children, I always worried about what would affect the baby. Foods? Medicines? Caffeine? Strenuous exercise? Will my asthma affect my baby? Doctors know that if mom isn't breathing well, that reduces the oxygen to the baby. Since the baby gets oxygen from the mom's blood, she needs to control her asthma so she's getting all the oxygen she needs.   If mom's asthma is not controlled, it might affect baby's growth and survival in utero. Yikes! Controlling asthma while pregnant Avoiding your asthma triggers is important to reduce the chance of having an asthma attack. Like anything else with a...

I recently came back from an annual asthma conference, and it was fabulous! I try to always stay updated on new medications and research, and connect with colleagues from throughout the country. As with any disease, asthma is always changing. In fact, within the last year, there are 4 new medications on the market! Doctors now know that asthma is more of an umbrella term, with different "types" of asthma underneath.  One doctor at our conference said:   "If you have seen one case of asthma.......you have seen one case of asthma." So knowing how YOUR asthma typically acts and responds to medicine is important to you. Allergy & Asthma Network have a series of podcasts and videos about allergies, asthma and eczema. They also have medication posters that show all of the inhalers on the market (and they keep it updated!) Asthma Community Network has webinars, podcasts, discussion forum, resource bank, etc. The national alle...