Using our mobile app? Be sure to check for any new app updates to receive any enhancements.
Logo

Get Healthy!

26 Results for search "Asthma".

Wellness Library Results

Pregnant women don't just eat for two -- they also breathe for two. If you have asthma, remember that your baby is counting on you for oxygen. When you're struggling for air, your baby is feeling your pain very directly. That's why controlling your condition is more important than ever. By keeping your asthma in check, you can give your baby an excellent start. Will my asthma put my baby at risk?...

When a person has asthma, a bout of depression or anxiety can trigger attacks and make the disease much harder to manage, according to recent research. Studies have found that asthmatic children suffering from psychological distress need higher doses of medication and spend more time in the hospital than other children with asthma. "When I see patients who are having severe attacks, I always ask t...

An estimated 20 million Americans currently have asthma, and government health officials report that that number is rising as our air becomes dirtier with pollutants and other irritants. For severe asthma sufferers, having an attack feels like breathing through a straw, yet many people don't think the problem is serious enough to consult a doctor. If you're a chronic asthma sufferer, ask your doct...

What is asthma? Most people associate asthma with sudden fits of coughing and wheezing, but the disease is actually present 24 hours a day. If your teenager has asthma, the tubes that carry air to her lungs are inflamed and may be swollen and clogged with mucus. This state may not impair her breathing, but it does set the stage for asthma attacks. Her inflamed airway is extra sensitive, and somet...

Poor air quality and the depletion of the ozone layer is a constant focus of news -- and not always good. Fortunately, the Environmental Protection Agency says we're making progress in reducing the six key pollutants in our air, including carbon monoxide, lead, and ozone. The bad news is that while the outside air is improving, the air we breathe indoors may be getting worse. Workers have fallen...

What is asthma? Most people associate asthma with sudden fits of coughing and wheezing, but the condition is a round-the-clock disease. If your child has asthma, the tubes that carry air to her lungs are inflamed and may be swollen and clogged with mucus. This state may not impair her breathing, but it does set the stage for asthma attacks. The inflamed airway is extra sensitive, and something a...

More than seven million children in the United States have asthma. They're everywhere. Look at a soccer field, walk in a mall, or take in a Saturday matinee, and you're practically guaranteed to see asthmatic kids. You'd just never know it by looking at them. Children with asthma don't have to spend their days at home, wheezing and out of breath. In fact, the condition doesn't even have to slow ...

If your child has asthma, a simple wheeze can be the worst sound in the world. Naturally, you'd do anything to prevent asthma attacks, but how do you go about it? You don't have to watch him 24 hours a day or even slow down his activities. With the right treatments -- and a few changes around the house -- your child can breathe easily and life can get back to normal. What is an asthma attack? ...

When a young soccer player has a wheezing fit on the field, you can bet there's an extremely worried parent on the sidelines. What can a parent do when a child's favorite sport sets off asthma attacks? The natural reaction may be to pull him off the team and have him do something safer, like play video games. After all, no parent wants to hear a child wheeze and gasp. But before you make your ch...

Using an inhaler seems so simple: You push the button, you breathe in the medicine, you feel better. But are you really getting as much medicine as you need? Many people use their inhalers improperly, making it harder for them to control their asthma. Take this short quiz to see how much you know about these often-misused devices. 1. All metered dose inhalers (the most common type) are essentia...

At first glance, asthma and GERD (gastroesophageal reflux disease) seem like completely unrelated problems. After all, asthma is a chronic lung condition that causes the airways to narrow in response to triggers like allergies, while GERD is a condition in which stomach acid often splashes into the esophagus. One leaves you gasping for air; the other makes you regret eating that last slice of pizz...

Do you wheeze during a workout? Do you cough after a morning jog? If so, don't despair. You could be Olympic material. Many athletes at all levels, including about 20 percent of U.S. Olympic athletes, have asthma. Even though exercise can trigger an attack, people with asthma don't have to stay on the sidelines. With the right treatment, practically anyone with asthma can compete in any sport -- ...

Whether your child is an infant or a teenager, an inhaler can be a vital part of the program for keeping his asthma under control. There are two main types of asthma medications: the first type is used regularly to prevent attacks by delivering anti-inflammatory drugs (it's known as a controller ); the other, called a bronchodilator, is used to open airways when an attack is under way (it's known ...

Metered-dose inhalers: Inhalers sold since January 1, 2009 feature a new design. The medicine in them remains the same, but the propellant that forces the medicine from the inhaler canister into your mouth is different. The new propellant, hydrofluoroalkane, or HFA for short, won't deplete the earth's ozone layer the way the old propellant did. While that's good news for the planet, it means you ...

What is a peak-flow meter? A peak-flow meter is a small, hand-held device that measures the force of air that your breath blows out. If you have asthma, the meter can tell an important story. A strong, hard breath means your asthma is under control. But if a small, weak breath is all you can muster, asthma may be squeezing your airways. How do I use a peak-flow meter? Peak-flow meters are simple ...

What is COPD? COPD -- which stands for "chronic obstructive pulmonary disease" -- is a catch-all term for two common and very serious conditions: chronic bronchitis and emphysema. As the full name suggests, COPD blocks the flow of air into and out of the lungs. If you have chronic bronchitis, your airways tend to become swollen and clogged with mucus. A diagnosis of emphysema means that the sacs t...

If you've been diagnosed with a major illness -- like heart disease, diabetes, heart failure, cancer, or asthma -- you've probably already done a lot of research on your condition. That's a wise move. Staying informed is an important step toward staying healthy. You can learn a lot about your illness on the Internet or at a hospital library, but no Web site or medical journal in the world can tel...

After the first few puffs, most people with asthma become comfortable with their inhalers. As long as the device works for them, they see no need for change. But for millions of people with asthma, the last decade brought some big changes. About 85 percent to 90 percent of today's inhalers are metered-dose inhalers. Just like aerosol cans, these devices contain pressurized gases that propel the m...

Mold. It grows on bathroom walls, it makes basements smell bad, and it ruins perfectly good loaves of bread. And if you're allergic to it, there's a good chance that mold will add to your misery. The spores from common molds function much like the pollen from ragweed. If you inhale the spores, you could get a case of allergic rhinitis, otherwise known as hay fever -- an unpleasant combination of ...

If it weren't for asthma, some of America's most talented swimmers might never have stood on the awards platform in Sydney, Australia in 2000, collecting a record number of medals. There's a good reason: Many U.S. swim stars, including Misty Hyman, Amy Van Dyken, Dara Torres, Tom Malchow, and Tom Dolan, were diagnosed with asthma and allergies as youngsters and urged to swim by their physicians. ...

Asthma never really goes away -- it just seems as though it does. If you have the condition, your airways are often inflamed and may become swollen and clogged with mucus. Despite all that, you probably breathe easily and feel great most of the time. The trick is to keep things that way. Asthma can't be cured, but it can be controlled. By managing your disease with medications and avoiding the tr...

Allergies are a highly individualized form of misery. Some people turn into an itchy, drippy wreck whenever they're around cats, while others can't get within 100 yards of ragweed in the spring. Still others have allergies to food so severe that a peanut or other substance can send them to the emergency room with a life-threatening reaction. Meanwhile, some people barely notice their allergies and...

Shortly after blood-sucking leeches went out of style, 19th-century doctors embraced an equally bizarre remedy for some ailments: cigarettes and pipes packed with tobacco. Amazingly, doctors often prescribed this "cure" to patients with asthma. According to the strange logic of old-time medicine, patients could breathe easier if they got enough healing smoke in their lungs. Setting the stage for...

When a person has asthma, attacks can seem to come out of nowhere. One minute you're feeling fine, the next you're wheezing and gasping for breath. If you look closely, however, there's always a reason for the attack. If you have asthma, your airways are inflamed, which makes them ultrasensitive. Inflammation can cause airways to swell, hampering your breathing. More often than not, your asthma...

If coughing or gasping for breath were sure signs of asthma, we'd all be carrying inhalers. Everybody has trouble breathing from time to time, a fact that can make it hard to spot the symptoms of asthma. Even those who have been diagnosed with the disease need to pay close attention to their bodies to recognize the warning signs of an attack. With careful monitoring, you can stop such crises befo...

Asthma drugs come in two main varieties: short-acting or quick-relief medications (also called "rescue" drugs) and long-term control drugs. Most asthma medications are taken through an inhalers. Inhalers aren't just for short-acting drugs; many long-term control drugs are also delivered that way. To treat an occasional asthma attack, you'll use a short-acting drug. If you only have symptoms ever...