My Life as an Asthma Mom

Well, it's been over 20 years since my 3 kids and I were diagnosed with asthma, and it still rears it's ugly head at really bad times. Like this morning's commute! There I am, driving down a 5 lane road at 55 miles per hour and something got me. I have no idea what happened. Did I pass someone mowing their lawn? Was pollen drawn into my car with the other fresh air? All I know is that suddenly I felt that little twitch in my throat. Then it got worse. Then the coughing started. Drank water from my water bottle. Nope. Grabbed my inhaler and spacer from my purse (which I ALWAYS keep on the passenger seat next to me when I drive.) ** I do recommend pulling over to use your inhaler if you can. I was locked in on all sides with fast traffic and couldn't safely pull over on the shoulder at that speed without putting myself at risk** One puff. Wait a minute to see if that helps. Sigh. Eyes are watering, cough is getting worse. 2nd puff. Okay, I'm safely in the parking gara...

So ladies, isn't being a female FUN?! It starts out in our teenage years with crazy changes to our bodies (not to mention our emotions!) Then there are years of having babies - for those of us lucky enough to have babies...... And the ups and downs every month of changing hormone levels. Then we go in reverse when we age and lose hormones, and then comes menopause! Did you know that all of those hormonal changes can affect your asthma control? Yep! In fact, Cleveland Clinic says: “Women are hospitalized twice as frequently as men for asthma , and their mortality is twice as high,” says pulmonary medicine expert Joe Zein, MD . Yikes! Do you feel like your asthma is hard to control? If so, talk to your doctor. Changing hormone levels can be one of many reasons why your asthma is hard to control.  Menopause can be extra hard on the body because it already comes with a whole host of "fun times!" Hot flashes, night sweats, sleep problems, mood changes, weight gain, thinning ...