Living

Walking through the vitamin and supplement section of a health food store can be a fascinating and educational experience. Sometimes I surprise myself when I realize there are certain vitamins...

Spring is finally here, and it's been a beautiful day. I decided to take a break from working at home and take a quick stroll around the block. My neighbors...

If you have asthma, your immune system reacts to certain triggers. It causes your airways to narrow and increases inflammation. These reactions then lead to the symptoms of asthma. The...

I love spring. I look forward to it all winter long. Yet spring does not love me back. I live on the northwest shore of Lake Michigan. It rarely gets...

I was having a conversation recently with another asthmatic about the number of patients we know who have changed or are switching biologics. While every patient is different, it seemed...

Being diagnosed with asthma as a child is bad luck - full stop. So, this article is not going to be ranting, "I've had it worse than you." That is...

Six years ago my severe asthma was completely out of control. The 5 daily asthma medications and frequent ER visits and hospitalizations were taking their toll on my body. My...

I was listening to a webinar, and I heard the doctor say something about an “allergic load.” What is he talking about? Most of us with asthma also have allergies...

Asthma is one of those conditions that many people think they understand. They may think of a kid on the playground using their inhaler in the middle of a game...

EDAC is the acronym for excessive dynamic airway collapse. It means the "soft tissue of the posterior wall of the trachea bulges forward and touches the anterior wall during tidal...

In respiratory therapy (RT) school, I learned that asthma is caused by an overactive immune response. It begins with your immune system identifying something as harmful. Then it releases mediators of...

I would say the thing that most has the worst effect on my asthma is grass and tree pollens. If I look back at all my hospital admissions as a...

I recently wrote about my anxiety related to buying our 120-year-old home, and the prospect of ripping up the 20-year-old, high-pile carpet throughout the entire upstairs. I’m back to say...

I was watching the news and saw videos of people getting the COVID vaccine. There was a man and a woman in different clinics, both getting their vaccine, both were...

Have you experienced back pain due to your asthma, perhaps from frequent coughing and chest tightness? What do you do to manage your back pain? There was that soreness that...

Certain things besides your prescribed asthma medication can help you find relief from asthma symptoms, including coffee, tea, cold air, fresh air, humidifiers, and even alcohol. Sometimes there is science...

May is Asthma Awareness Month. It’s that time of year we take extra steps to help get the word out about our disease. Here are six simple things you and...

Many people with asthma have had someone tell them to “stop overreacting” or “just breathe.” For some reason, not everyone takes asthma seriously. However, asthma is a serious condition that can strongly impact the lives of...

A friend and I were talking the other day about asthma and exercise. She was telling me how she had pretty bad asthma when she was younger. Now that she...

I considered hiring it out this year. There is a kid I know who would do it for $20. But after being cooped up inside all winter, it feels nice...