Living

I am a respiratory therapist. I became acclimated to this profession after meeting many respiratory therapists as an asthmatic child during the 1980s. My perception was they were caring people...

Peak expiratory flow rate (or PEFR) measures how fast a person can exhale (blow out). Peak flows can be one of the most valuable tools an asthmatic has to monitor...

Asthma doesn’t have to stop you from competing in sports at an elite level. While statistics are variable within sports, and competition years (and seasons!), in 2004, 4.6% of athletes...

Around 5% of people with asthma have what is called severe asthma. A person with this type of asthma has trouble breathing almost all of the time, as well as...

Community Question: Are there any tips on remembering when to take asthma medication? We asked our advocate team of respiratory therapists and asthma educators, and this is what they said:...

Diagnosing asthma is a process that involves several steps. First, your healthcare provider will ask you to describe all of your symptoms. This includes how often the symptoms occur, when...

Sometime people with asthma need treatment in the hospital. This can happen if you have an asthma attack that has very severe symptoms, and you need emergency care to treat...

As a person with asthma who also has ADHD, I am probably the best/worst person to give advice about how to take your medication (after all, I’m writing this after...

Peak flow measurements are one of those things that long-time lungers mostly-hate. So, while a lot of literature floats around the Web about checking your peak flows, your doctor may...

Everyone living with asthma should have a complete, up-to-date Asthma Action Plan. It is a written document that lays out your detailed plan for controlling your asthma. They key parts...

Lung function tests are important tools that healthcare providers use during the process of diagnosing a person with asthma. Lung function tests are also called “pulmonary function tests.” These tests...