Living

A bunch of years ago I bought a mini-trampoline. If I recall correctly, I was out with my friend Donald and we took it home from Wal-Mart on the bus...

I know that all my medications make my life better. Whether it’s inhalers for asthma, or pills for my allergic rhinitis, ADHD, and uterine fibroids, I’m very lucky to have...

Has anyone else ever had a tough time with a different doctor? I hope you have a great doctor who knows your medical history and the treatment plan that's right...

I’m a hugger. I always have been. I love to give hugs and get hugs. There is something about an embrace that makes people feel good, valued and loved. If...

While working on an article recently, I wanted to include a statistic about the proportional representations of intermittent, mild, moderate and severe asthma. Feeling certain I had seen such a...

So, I wrote an article called, “Itchy Lung What’s The Deal?” In that article, I explained asthma itch. Asthma researchers tend to refer to it as “Prodromal Itching.” It’s when...

COPD and asthma are both obstructive lung diseases. Classic symptoms of both are shortness of breath, chest tightness, and coughing. The path to getting to a proper diagnosis of both...

COPD and asthma are similar diseases. Symptoms felt are similar, such as shortness of breath, chest tightness, and coughing. Even the medicines used are similar. But, they are two different...

This has been a week of discoveries. I had been having some new symptoms that I just could not seem to shake. I am currently investigating what may be a...

When you have a chronic condition and may need urgent medical help, it can be a good idea to wear a medical alert bracelet (or necklace). I always worried about...

Occasionally we hear the terms “reactive airway disease" (RAD), and "reactive airway disease syndrome" (RADS). They are often used interchangeably with asthma. But, they are not asthma. So, what are...

Asthma control. Two words that for so many seem like the unattainable. It is something we want so badly as asthmatics and struggle to get.  But it is something that...

Reactive Airways Dysfunction Syndrome (RADS). Another term for it is Irritant-Induced Asthma (IIA). This has been mentioned by members of our community. So, I figured it was worthy of a...

I remember the first time I ever heard the term, "allergic cascade," was in the early 2000s. It came up while I was talking to a doctor I worked with...

Do you experience an itchy chin and neck prior to or during asthma attacks? If so, you may not be alone. In fact, the asthma itch has been studied. Some...

Recently, I’ve been having rather vivid dreams. I wake up and can remember them with clarity but I don’t remember many of them more than 5 minutes or so after...

Sometimes it feels like I have itchy lungs, but this doesn’t happen with all asthma attacks. It’s sort of a “sometimes” symptom. I like to refer to it as an...

As a parent of a child who has asthma, it's important to teach your child about his or her disease. When kids are very young, they may not always understand...

COPD is an umbrella term. Emphysema and chronic bronchitis are the most common diseases to fall under this umbrella. But, sometimes asthma qualifies. So, when does asthma qualify as COPD?...

Many of us with asthma use a spacer with our inhalers, with the assumption that the spacer ensures we get the full dose of medicine. But is this true? Using...