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How does a fall affect asthma?

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    How could a fall possibly affect asthma? You might be surprised.  I had a bad fall last week and was injured enough that I needed to go to Urgent Care.   I was in a lot of pain and noticed that I was breathing hard and fast. From teaching asthma education for the last 15 years, I know that an asthma trigger can be strong emotions (such as anger, laughing, crying, surprise, fear, anxiety, etc) I was fearful that I had broken my arm and would need a cast. I knew that if I didn’t get my breathing under control, I would have an asthma attack. So I focused on belly breathing (which is similar to yoga breaths) to calm down my breathing and relax a little bit. Years ago, I taught Open Airways classes at local elementary schools. The six week workshops are short lessons designed to help kids learn about their asthma and how to control it. During one of the modules, I would teach kids how to belly breathe if they were having a hard time with their asthma.  I taught the worksho
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  Have you heard of pulmonary rehab? It's a supervised exercise and education program created to help people with long term lung diseases.  Most programs are held at hospitals or outpatient clinics. The sessions are held 2- 3 days for several weeks. Sometimes they will offer in home help. Who will be helping you? A long list of professionals such as: respiratory therapists, nurses, occupational therapists, physical therapists, psychologists or social workers, dieticians, spiritual advisors and of course  - doctors.  Since everyone with asthma (or other lung diseases) are different, your program will be different from other patients and designed just for you.  The goals are to help you improve your quality of life, help you with your shortness of breath, and help you improve how you do daily activities (like laundry, going to the grocery store and carrying the groceries in, etc)  How does it work? The different staff members will help you in a variety of areas.  They will start by s
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What a Certified Asthma Educator (AE-C)?

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  Do you want to learn more about asthma?  And want to learn from the best people in the profession? You're in luck! There is a national certification for asthma education in the U.S. It's a tough exam (in my opinion). It took me 3 hours, cost $350, and has a low pass rate. I studied hard and passed the exam in 2016. It's also a voluntary certification.   So those who take and pass the exam do so because they are passionate about asthma education and evidence based care.  What is the certification?  The Asthma Educator Specialist (AE-C) is managed by the National Board for Respiratory Care. (Previously, it was managed by NAECB - National Asthma Educator Certification Board.) To pass this national certification exam, candidates must have:  ".....comprehensive, current knowledge of asthma pathophysiology and management including developmental theories, cultural dimensions, the impact of chronic illness, and principles of teaching-learning. " Passing this exam sh
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Chronic cough - is it asthma or lung cancer?

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There are many things that can mimic asthma.  Last month, I wrote about how Vocal Chord Dysfunction (VCD) can mimic asthma. When you have a chronic cough, most people assume that you have asthma. But what if it's not asthma?  What if it's something more serious?  Have you heard of radon?  What is Radon? Radon is a colorless, odorless gas that can seep into buildings (homes, schools, businesses, churches, etc.) People hear the phrase "colorless, odorless gas" and think of carbon monoxide. That is another dangerous gas - and it can kill you quickly.  Radon is radioactive. And our bodies do NOT like radiation. In fact, radon is linked with lung cancer - and it can kill you slowly. Radon is the #2 cause of lung cancer in the U.S.  That means you can get lung cancer...... even if you have never smoked.   Where does radon come from? The Environmental Protection Agency says,  'Radon comes from the natural (radioactive) breakdown of uranium in soil, rock and water and g
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How can you tell if it's vocal chord dysfunction or asthma?

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    There are many things that can mimic asthma, and Vocal Cord Dysfunction (VCD) is one of them. What is VCD? VCD is when your vocal cords close (when they should be open).  It can cause symptoms that are the same as asthma, and that's why it can be hard to tell if it's VCD or asthma Symptoms include: Coughing Wheezing Hard time breathing   Sounds like asthma, right?! Other symptoms are: Hoarse voice Throat feeling tight  Voice changes My daughter Kitty had a rough year. Her asthma was off the charts, and nothing seemed to help. Albuterol didn't help, prednisone didn't help, none of her controller inhalers were helping.  Even though I'm a Certified Asthma Educator, I was stumped - as was Asthma Doc. Asthma Doc ordered a spirometry test (also called a pulmonary lung function test - or PFT).  It showed Kitty's lungs were 150% of normal.  Hmmm So what could explain her asthma-like symptoms?  Asthma Doc asked if Kitty had ever been tested for VCD.  She had - back
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Coupons for inhalers?

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  I hate going to the pharmacy and having them say, "Your total is going to be $350 - is that okay?"  NO, it's not okay! This happened to me last week. I know that means they haven't entered the coupon code for my inhalers.  When Asthma Doc sends this year's prescriptions to the pharmacy, she will enter a coupon code. However, she told me that my chain pharmacy has been instructed to NOT enter coupon codes.  Not sure why they refuse to process the coupon code, but I will be switching to a local pharmacy now.  Coupons for inhalers Many people don't know that the companies that make inhalers will often have coupons for their inhaler.   If people don't know they are overpaying, they might just swipe their card, grab their prescription, and then leave for their next errand.  I refuse to do so, because there's no reason to pay full price when the pharmacy won't enter the coupon.  Before I go to the pharmacy, I will search the name of my inhaler + coupon
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New Airsupra inhaler!

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 Many people have been waiting for years for this new Albuterol inhaler!  What makes this inhaler such a big deal? This new inhaler has TWO medicines in it: 1. Albuterol - this medicine helps relax the smooth muscle bands that wrap around the outside of the small airways in the lungs 2. Budesonide - this medicine is a corticosteroid (works like an anti-inflammatory) to reduce the swelling in the lungs The reason this is important is that most people rely on an Albuterol inhaler when they have an asthma attack, but it's only a Bandaid approach (because it doesn't help the swelling in the lungs) If you are still confused Here's a low cost visual aid I use for patients Normal Airways The left side of the photo is a paper towel tube, wrapped in pink craft paper. It shows what it is like to breathe when our airways are open - there is a LOT of room to breathe through that tube!  Notice the rubber bands around the outside? Those show what the smooth muscles look like. When our
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