My Life as an Asthma Mom

  ** Cross posting from My Life as an Asthma Mom Facebook, Instagram and Twitter accounts **   This is the LAST graphic for Asthma and Allergy Awareness Month!      I shared a lot of facts with you - which was your favorite?!      Or most surprising?   Surprising asthma stats for me    When my kids were little and would get sick, I was terrified to go to sleep at night because I was afraid they would stop breathing.  Literally.  Who can blame me? Two of my kids have severe asthma and were hospitalized 12 separate times for asthma (made worse by pneumonia, RSV, or wild fire smoke.)  2 of those hospitalizations for my son were ICU admissions. When they came home from the hospital, I would pace the floors all night, keeping an eye on them and checking on their oxygen levels.  Now it's my turn to worry.  Because older adult females have the highest rates of asthma deaths.  Gah!  CDC's latest data for ...

   ** Cross posting from My Life as an Asthma Mom Facebook, Instagram and Twitter pages **   Asthma treatment has changed over the decades. My kids and I were diagnosed 25 years ago, and things are very different now.    Doctors and researchers know that there are different kinds of asthma. Instead of prescribing the same inhaler for each patient, they can now tailor treatment.  Your doctor can help you find the right inhaler for your body - and your type of asthma.   Who knew, right?!   For some of us with severe asthma, we need more than inhalers to keep our cranky lungs happy.   My son is an adult now, but when he was young, he was in and out of the hospital for asthma (usually made worse by pneumonia, RSV or wildfire smoke.)  Our asthma doctor tried everything - even discussing my son's case with other clinicians at a national asthma conference (with my permission of course.)   That was back before specialists were using bi...

 ** Cross posting from My Life as an Asthma Mom Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter ** Many people with asthma also have allergies - either to things in the environment, food, or latex Have you heard of latex allergies? It's not a common allergy, but 4.3% of Americans have a latex allergy    You may think of latex gloves as the only culprit. But these are a few examples of other items latex can be found in:    Pacifiers (binkies) R ubber bands Condoms and diaphragms Catheter Balloons Erasers Rubber balls Bandaids Foam pillow or foam mattress   Do you or a loved one have a latex allergy?   You can learn more about latex allergies from Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America (AAFA).  

                                                                                       ** Reposting graphics from My Life as An Asthma Mom Facebook, Instagram and Twitter pages **          Wowza! Asthma costs Americans $106 billion a year????   Our family of 5 (4 with asthma) have spent money on:     P rimary care doctors (if it takes too long to get into the specialist) Asthma specialist Asthma inhalers Vials of albuterol for the compressor (some call it a nebulizer) Nebulizer kits Spacers (for controller inhaler and reliever inhaler) As...

  **Cross posting graphics from My Life as an Asthma Mom Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter accounts ** Did you know that most asthma deaths occur in adults?    NOT children?!   The latest CDC data shows:   T here were a total of 3,517 asthma deaths in 2021   145 children UNDER the age of 18 died 3,372 adults OVER 18 died It's surprising for most people to learn that the majority of deaths happen in adults!    When my kids were little, they were sick ALOT. And since they all have asthma, a simple cold would morph into pneumonia - and another hospitalization.   My kids were hospitalized a combined total of 12 times - and 2 of those were ICU admissions. My goal was to get all of my children to adulthood.    But it doesn't mean they are out of danger when it comes to asthma or asthma deaths. No matter how old my kids are, I will always worry about them when I get sick.    And I still have to occasionally drive one of them...

  ** Cross posting from My Life as an Asthma Mom Facebook, Instagram and Twitter pages **                                               Did you know asthma can be deadly?   There are 3,157 Americans who die from asthma each year   That's an average of 10 people per day   University of Maryland Children's Hospital lists when to take a child to the ER for asthma:   Albuterol doesn't seem to be working Chest tightness or wheezing is severe or getting worse Fingernails are turning bluish or grayish Can't walk or talk because of struggling to breathe Skin is sucking in along the neck or ribs as they breathe Flaring nostrils when breathing   My kids were in the hospital numerous times when they were little - and two of those hospital admissions ...