My Life as an Asthma Mom

  I was scrolling online and read a comment from someone who had just started using asthma inhalers, and she was complaining about having back pain. I had never heard of an inhaler causing back pain, but I'm not a doctor or pharmacist, so I could have missed it. The inserts that come with inhalers are very long - and I don't read the whole thing.   When I researched back pain with asthma, I found a couple of causes.   Causes of back pain when you have asthma   Since I always share reader friendly websites (instead of scientific articles), the first website,  GoodRX  , is what I use to look up various medicines, side effects - and find coupons!  GoodRX did list back pain as a possible side effect of one inhaler. Of course, there are many possible side effects for every medicine, and manufacturers have to list each one - just in case someone experiences a side effect.   Another user friendly website I share with patients is Healt...

  My youngest child just aged off our health insurance, and she can't find coverage she can afford. Is anyone else having the same problem? Especially since subsidies for the affordable care act ended? Can you keep insurance through your work?  My daughter wanted to use COBRA and stay on our insurance. What is COBRA? It: "....gives workers and their families who lose their health benefits the right to choose to continue group health benefits provided by their group health plan for limited periods of time under certain circumstances such as voluntary or involuntary job loss, reduction in the hours worked, transition between jobs, death, divorce, and other life events. Qualified individuals may be required to pay the entire premium for coverage up to 102% of the cost to the plan." In simple words, you can keep your health insurance from your job - but will need to pay the entire cost (your work usually pays the majority of your premium).  My daughter would need to pa...

    Are you planning on watching the Opening Ceremony of the Milan Olympics on Friday night? I love watching them and already have Olympic decorations up. Now I just need to decide on a menu.  I have been watching some of the qualifying events, and those athletes are crazy. Did you know downhill skiers can reach speeds of 75 - 95 miles per hour?   Olympic Athletes with Asthma    Did you also know that asthma is the most common chronic condition among elite Olympic athletes? A study published in PubMed says:  "A recent study on more than 1,300 European athletes from the summer Olympics found that asthma prevalence was estimated to 16.5% across all types of sport and most often were found among endurance athletes (55.7%)"    For average Americans,  7.7% have asthma .  All sports are different, but endurance sports seem to have the highest number of athletes with asthma  (think cross country skiers and biathlon - an...