My Life as an Asthma Mom

 Most know the basics signs and symptoms of asthma:  Coughing  Wheezing  Shortness of breathe Chest tightness But there are many diseases that can have the same symptoms, but "mimic" asthma. I'll list a few of the most common here, so buckle up!   Asthma mimickers  Alpha-1 - the full name   is Alpha-1 Antitrypsin Deficiency and it's a genetic disease that can damage the liver and/or lungs. This happens when your body lacks a protein in the blood alpha-1 antitrypsin (AAT) made by the liver.  This protein protects the lungs from swelling. But it can build up in the liver and cause liver disease. Bronchiectasis   -  this chronic lung disease causes the airways to swell, widened, and sometimes scar. The mucus that normally helps your body get rid of dust germs and other tiny particles you inhale is too thick - which means it's hard to clear out by coughing. That thick mucus can grow bacteria, which leads to more swelling and damage....

  For those of you in the U.S., Thanksgiving is only a few weeks away. That can mean dealing with a large group of extended family members you may not see throughout the year. (And there may be that one certain relative you want to avoid.....) We try to not discuss politics during family dinners.That's sure to start a fight.     But as you are catching up with family members about their life, they may mention medical problems (especially for those of us who are a little *ahem* older) Do allergies & asthma run in your family?  I didn't know there was a family history of asthma on my husband's side until AFTER my son was hospitalized - and THEN diagnosed with asthma.   25 years ago, I remember asking my Pediatrician if it was possible Middle Son had asthma. I had read an article in Parent's magazine about asthma, and all of the signs and symptoms sounded REALLY familiar.  I noticed Middle Son was:  Sicker more often than his older brother a...

    As mom to three kids with asthma (and having asthma myself), their childhood looked very different from their friends. It's incredibly hard to raise kids with a chronic disease. Their friends were out riding bikes and playing soccer, but my kids were at the doctor's office, Urgent Care, ER, or in the hospital.   They were sick ALL OF THE TIME! Not only did I know EVERY doctor in my pediatrician's office, but I also knew most of the After Hours doctors.  Not to mention the doctors and respiratory therapists in the ER....   I would always worry if I was doing the right thing.  Do any of these worries sound familiar?  They are sick again  Should I take them to the Urgent Care? Or go straight to the ER?  What if they get admitted to the hospital? Is it my fault? Did I wait to long to take them to the doctor? Should I have insisted my child needs oral steroids? What about a chest x-ray?   I'm not a doctor, nurse, or respir...

There are a lot of opinions when it comes to which works better - a nebulizer or an inhaler.   As a Certified Asthma Educator (AE-C), I have been to plenty of national asthma conferences to keep up my continuing education credits.    This topic has come up frequently.    What do the studies say?     There are studies that say that inhalers are just as effective for treating asthma as nebulizers. Researchers say if inhalers are used properly (and used with a spacer), they are a better choice for asthma attacks and asthma flares.    They also say nebulizers are big and bulky and hard to transport. (But there are small handheld units now that run on batteries. Mine is about 3 inches tall and fits in my bag.)     What do patients say?    I have had asthma for over 25 years - and I also raised three children with asthma. We have had countless asthma attacks and respiratory illnesses like pneumonia, RSV, and COVID....

  What is the September Asthma epidemic? The 3rd week of September is an "epidemic" when asthma hospitalizations spike. That week is  the highest time of the year for asthma hospitalizations! Crazy, right?  You may have thought the worst time for asthma is the middle of winter - during flu season. But it's the 3rd week of September. Every year.    What causes the September Asthma Epidemic? There are many causes: School starts again  -  so instead of spending time outdoors, kids are back inside     Not well ventilated classrooms - new schools are closed up tight to be energy efficient, which means windows don't open. And classrooms are usually small, but packed with kids. If there isn't enough fresh air coming into the classroom through the ventilation system,  germs can stay in the classroom and spread to other kids    Cat and dog dander - kids with asthma can have asthma attacks when other stud...

      Shootings are all over the news here in the U.S.  And not to get too political, but I don't want another panicked call from my daughter that she is being evacuated due to a shooting. She's been through two (so far......)  The panic I feel when I get a call from her about another shooting she's involved in is indescribable.   We shouldn't have to live like this.   There were two shootings in one day in the U.S. yesterday, and I had to stop looking at social media because of the nonstop coverage and horrible photos. There are many things that can trigger an asthma attack, and one of them is fear.  There was a LOT of fear after yesterday's shootings.  One gunman was caught in one state, but the other state's shooter is still on the loose.   Fear causing an asthma attack    Strong emotions are a known asthma trigger. Any emotion such as laughter, crying, anger, or fear can trigger an asthma attack. And it's har...

  If you have heart problems, your doctor might prescribe a beta-blocker. It can slow your heart if it's beating too fast, and it can help lower blood pressure.  But - if you have asthma, beta blockers can make asthma worse.  That's why it's important that your doctor knows about ALL of your medical conditions.  How do beta-blockers impact asthma?   First, it's important to know that there are two types of beta-blockers.  Nonselective beta-blockers -  these affect the blood vessels in your body (including the lungs)    Selective beta-blockers (cardioselective beta-blockers)  - these affect your blood pressure and heart rate    What does this have to do with asthma?   Nonselective beta-blockers have a side effect of causing a bronchospasm (when the airways suddenly narrow when the muscles contract) which can make it hard to breathe  According to Healthline :   "Doctors don’t recommend nonselective beta-blocke...

Here we go again - Back to School time! Do you dread back to school time because your kids will be sick? All. The. Time.?  It seems like when school starts, my kids were constantly sick.  And when one kid gets sick, it would go through the whole family.    Worse with asthma  My kid's classmates would have snotty noses and be sneezing (never covering their sneezes.....) but that was about it for symptoms.  Meanwhile, since all 3 of my kids have asthma, they would be sneezing, wheezing, and coughing. They would have to whip out their inhaler at school and take a couple of puffs. I would always have them or the school nurse call me if they needed their inhaler at school. I needed to track how often they were using it.  I needed to know if they were getting worse, and if it was time to adjust their inhalers to a higher dose, or add another inhaler while they were sick.  They would usually end up missing school. A LOT of school.  They would e...

  Do you live in the U.S.? Are you in an area blanketed with wildfire smoke?  The western U.S. is in a prolonged drought - and covered in wild fires. And the upper Midwest of the U.S. is getting wildfire smoke from Canada.  Air purifiers can help clean the air in your house or apartment - but they can be pricey 🤑 If an air purifier isn't in your budget, you can make a do-it-yourself version for about $40!  Yes, $40!   You will need: Box fan Square air filter  (with a MERV rating of 13 - just look at the label on the filter)  Michigan Medical has a video that shows how to assemble it:   "Build a Do-It-Yourself Air Purifier for About $40"  Instructions: Tape the air filter to the fan  That's pretty much it.  Look for the arrows on the air filter and make sure the arrows are facing away from the fan so the air blows through the filter into the room. In the video, the doctor tape it with a piece of tape, but some people like ...

  My city is inundated with wildfire smoke right now.  I woke up to see golden light shining through the blinds - and instantly panicked.  I know that a golden tinge in the air means the wildfire smoke from hundreds of miles away has drifted to my city.   Checking air quality  Did you know that you can check the air quality in your area using Purple Air ?  Purple Air uses data from 35,000 air sensors around the world. They are low cost air sensors that people can buy and attach to their house.  Are they as good as EPA's expensive air quality sensors? No.  But, does EPA have enough air quality sensors across the U.S.? Also no.   Health effects of wildfire smoke on asthma  Wildfire smoke is filled with tiny particles, called PM 2.5. (PM stands for particulate matter.) PM 2.5 is so tiny, you can only see it with a microscope. It's 1/30th the size of a human hair.     Those tiny particles can get down deep inside the...