Lorene Alba, AE-C

Sometimes, I feel very unreliable. I often do not commit to plans because I am afraid I will have to cancel at the last minute due to an asthma attack...

I feel like my brain and body are always playing tug-of-war. My brain says things like, “Keep going, you can do it!” and “Just push through!” or “You’ll feel better...

I have been living with asthma for over 30 years. During this time, I have learned most of what I need to know to manage it effectively. I have identified...

Usually, when we are diagnosed with a chronic condition, the focus is on what we need to take out of our diet. This can include sugar, gluten, or wheat. Restricting...

When you are living with a chronic disease, it seems that everyone else is always trying to monitor your activities. If you have diabetes, people might not let you eat...

A few months ago, I was prescribed a new medication to help manage a recently diagnosed chronic condition (like many of you, asthma is not my only challenge). Normally, I...

Before my mom passed away a few years ago, I asked her to give me one piece of life advice that she really wanted me to follow. I was ready...

I was exposed to the same asthma trigger in two different settings. Below is the story of how differently the situations were handled. One organization handled it much better than...

Going to the doctor’s office is always stressful for me. Here are five things I want my asthma doctors to understand about our visits and the things I would like...

Like many people during the pandemic, I turned to Zoom for connecting with family, enjoying virtual knitting meetups, and starting a new meditation practice. My cousin, a yoga and mindfulness...

Since being diagnosed with asthma in 1993, I have been asking for reasonable accommodations at work. Like so many others with asthma, most of my requests were turned down. Especially...

Identifying and reducing your asthma triggers are important steps to managing your asthma. Along with the right medication, trigger reduction can go a long way in managing your symptoms. Our...

For two years, I was seeing an asthma and allergy specialist. He came highly recommended after I had a serious asthma attack that required an emergency room visit. I liked...

When I was living in Washington, DC about 10 years ago, my asthma was not just poorly controlled, it was out of control. I was taking two daily controller medicines:...

One of the keys to managing asthma is reducing or avoiding contact with our triggers. Identifying the triggers that make our asthma worse is the first step in reducing them...

I’m often asked what caused my asthma. Was I born with it? Was it from catching bronchitis? Did I smoke cigarettes? (No.) One uninformed person insisted that drinking alcohol while...

I recently drove across the country when I moved from California to the Washington DC area. The move was stressful; I donated, sold, or gave away everything I owned. All...

Everyone with asthma should have a rescue or quick-relief inhaler (or access to a nebulizer) at all times. We never know when we are going to come in contact with...

It’s summer! Many people look forward to warmer weather, longer days, and sunshine. I, however, do not enjoy summer; the heat and humidity can trigger my asthma and bug bites...

Summer is officially here, even though it is still pretty cool here in northern California. I’m enjoying one of my favorite places, my small deck off of my bedroom on...