My Life as an Asthma Mom

  As a mom to three adult kids with asthma, the one piece of advice I would give other moms is to trust your gut.  If you think something is wrong with your child, something probably is.  I know my child better than any doctor does. They are brilliant when it comes to their medical knowledge about asthma, but my child may not fit a text book explanation.  Two kids in the hospital at the same time  There were numerous times I would take one of my kids to the pediatrician because they were sick and their cough sounded TERRIBLE! If you have kids with asthma, you know what I'm talking about.  One time, Middle Son was very sick. He was taking his daily, controller (anti-inflammatory) inhaler twice a day, was taking oral steroids, and he was still getting worse.  I had taken him to the pediatrician to listen to my son's lungs. Pediatrician said it was "just a virus" and we had to let it take it's course.  I knew something else was going on. I had a hunc...

  Have you heard of "Asthma Peak Week"?  Asthma Peak Week happens the 3rd week of September every year.   What is Asthma Peak Week? There are more asthma flares, ER visits, and children hospitalized with asthma during the 3rd week of September than any other time of year.  Weird, right?  You might think the worst time of year for asthma flares and asthma hospital visits is  in the winter, during flu season. But - its right after school starts.    Doctors and hospitals noticed this trend happening the 3rd week of every year, and it's so common that researchers have studied it and it's well documented.    They dubbed it Asthma Peak Week.    So Why is the 3rd Week of September Asthma Peak Week? Many kids go back to school in September (or August in some states).  There are many things that seem to converge at the same time kids go back to school.  Environmental triggers such as: weather changes  fall pollen (ra...

  I got up one morning, and a window had been left open. The moment I sat near the window, I started a sneeze fest. I couldn't stop sneezing. They just came rapid fire like the videos you see online of a cat or dog sneezing  I almost fell off the chair I was sneezing so hard. My family started laughing and then I realized.......ragweed. Yep, it's ragweed season.  Allergies follow a seasonal pattern Spring allergies caused by tree pollen  (yes, trees have pollen).  Summer allergies are caused by grass pollen. (Tree pollen and grass pollen can overlap). Fall allergies are caused by ragweed pollen , but you can also have allergies to molds.  You may not see any ragweed plants around, but did you know that ragweed can travel hundreds of miles? It's been found 400 miles out in the ocean - and also 2 miles up in space! Not kidding.  Just because there aren't ragweed plants nearby doesn't mean you're safe.  How to manage ragweed season  You can u...

  Here we go again - my friends are posting pics of their kids first day back of school.   My kids are grown up now, but I remember buying back to school clothes, shoes, and school supplies.  But when you have kids with a chronic medical disease, the there is a lot more to do to prepare for school. I needed to make sure my kids with asthma were safe.   1. Meet my kid's teachers  When my kids were little, I was always the first parent in the classroom to talk to their teacher during back to school night. It was vital that my kid's teachers know their medical background (having severe asthma and multiple hospitalizations.)   I volunteered with the PTA, and with three kids with asthma, the teachers knew us, knew about severe asthma, ER trips, hospital admissions, being discharged on oxygen, and missing school.   I would give each teacher my cell number and tell them to call me if my child was having an asthma attack. I alwa...

Did you know that you can have an asthma attack from burned food? Someone (who is not me...) cooked dinner and burned the food. Happens to us all, right?  I was in another room and could smell the burned food, and then I saw my air purifier kick to high gear and the red light came on.  Then my cough started, and I was coughing so hard I started gagging.  My family quickly assembled my nebulizer and brought it to me so I could have a breathing treatment.  I coughed so hard, I lost my voice.  My husband said it was the best part of the night! 🙄😆 He thinks he's funny... Who wouldn't want to listen to me babbling all night long?!  Asthma triggers - irritants  If you have allergies and asthma, you may have an asthma attack from things you are allergic to - pollen, dogs or cats, dust, etc.  But did you know that irritants can also cause an asthma attack? Crazy, right?  Some irritants are: Air pollution  Tobacco/vape smoke Strong scented cle...

My asthma has been out of control for a while.   I set an appointment with my doctor because I knew I needed my asthma meds adjusted.  This spring, we had high pollen levels.The tree pollen and grass pollen were at high levels at the same time, so I was miserable.  Despite using daily controller inhalers twice a day (and using a spacer so I would make sure inhaled all of the medicine), I was still coughing every day.   How to know if your asthma is out of control  There's an easy way to tell if your asthma is uncontrolled. It's called "The Rules of Two®" . If: You need your reliever/rescue/albuterol inhaler more than 2 x a week You wake up during the night with asthma symptoms more than 2 x a month  You need to refill your albuterol inhaler more than 2 x per year  As a certified asthma educator (AE-C), I knew the Rules of Two® because I have taught people about it for years. And - I knew my asthma was out of control because I needed my inhale...