Living

Trying to exercise as an asthma patient is challenging. Sometimes, in addition to a balancing act, it feels like I need to perform a bit of magic just to climb...

It’s not my most common asthma symptom but it’s certainly my most disliked: chest tightness. As an asthmatic since birth, I have experienced my fair share of chest tightness over...

I learned about IDM and FMLA today, and how the combination of these may benefit us asthmatics if we were to miss a lot of time at work due to...

To answer the question, it's wonderful dating and living with my partner! He is kind, funny, and one of those most interesting people I have ever met. He also happens...

Asthma attacks can be triggered by so many things: trees, grass, mold, smoke, animal dander—and that big trigger—stress. Because so many environmental factors can bring on asthma attacks, it can...

A friend asked how I come up with blog post ideas. I said that there are all sorts of strategies I use. I said sometimes I just tell stories from...

I recently watched a series on television about the rise of the basketball team the Chicago Bulls and the journey of worldwide superstar Michael Jordan. It was fascinating to watch...

Like many other people with asthma, my asthma comes partnered with allergies. They co-mingle together and are an infamous duo in my life. This dynamic duo has a very clear...

As the COVID-19 pandemic continues and the number of cases has been fluctuating, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends people wear face masks when in public and...

People often ask me how I think of stuff to write about, and a typical answer by me is, “I don’t know. Ideas simply pop into my head.” Or I...

I was recently going through my patient journey journals. I try to keep pretty meticulous notes, ranging from medical information to symptom tracking, goals, and reviews of experiences and all the feelings...

In 2020, records are being set during this hurricane season. Tropical storms and hurricanes are named from “A-Z”, with the most recent tropical storm being named “Gonzalo”. Hurricane season starts...

Have you ever felt a vibration in your chest? Maybe you’ve even heard it, like a biological bassoon, making your once silent asthma, audible. Wheezing is a symptom of asthma...

Editor's Note: Insights for this article were from a discussion with Dr. O'Boyle, Family Medicine M.D., and were combined with the thoughts and opinions of the author. In a world...

As I checked into the pulmonary function testing lab today. The clerk called over her shoulder “Justin, this lady is here for spirometry.” As I stepped onto the scale I...

Back in the 1980s, when I was a child with asthma, there weren’t many different options for asthma control. I remember my first albuterol/rescue inhaler was a “Rotahaler” where you...

Something about submerging in warm water is pure magic. It is such a simple concept, but soaking in a bath, hot tub, hot spring, or even going in a sauna...

There is a frequent debate/discussion in the asthma/allergy community around service dogs. There is often no “good” solution here around ensuring people with disabilities who use service dogs have the...

The time finally came for me to confront my asthma symptoms and the potential link to ovarian hormones and my menstrual cycle. Although I had a conversation with my pulmonologist...

I have been asked many times if asthma is a visible or invisible disease. The answer is technically both. In most aspects, asthma is considered an invisible disease. An invisible...