Did you know that asthma is one of the leading causes of absenteeism in American schools? That’s why the Bakersfield School District in California is starting a new program to keep parents and children well educated on asthma, so kids can stay out of the hospitals and in the classrooms.
It begs the question: what did asthmatics do before inhalers and nebulizers were invented? To find out, let’s go back in time and examine some antiquated asthma cures. Spoiler alert – some of the treatments of the past are pretty cringeworthy.
This week we were fortunate enough to get to interview popular asthma blogger Becky Giles, who just recently made Healthline’s list of Best Asthma Blogs. For anyone who’s not yet read her blog, you can find it at http://theanticsofabrittleasthmatic.blogspot.com. Becky lives with brittle asthma or persistent severe asthma as it’s known in the US.
In some cases snoring is a sign of a serious medical problem. In other cases, it’s not. Either way it can be a serious relationship problem—especially if your partner has made an effort to sleep through the snoring (ear plugs, noise machines, whatever) and you’ve done nothing to stop it.
Did you know that hospitalizations due to asthma peak 17 days after labor day – or this year, on September 19th? While most people think of “asthma season” as later in the year, September is an epidemic month for asthma. Many people ask why, and it is a good question. Here are a few reasons asthma peaks in September.
According to the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America (AAFA), more than 36,000 kids miss school every day due to asthma. Asthma is not only the number one health problem for school aged children, but also the number one reason kids go to the emergency room.
Summer is coming to an end, school is back in session, and soon the trees will be sporting some impressive foliage. Unfortunately, apple cider and cozy sweaters aren't the only things in store this fall. Even though spring may reign supreme over allergy symptoms, fall usually comes with the highest levels of ragweed, mold, and bed bugs – three of the biggest allergy and asthma triggers around.
A nebulizer is a breathing machine used to treat pulmonary conditions such as asthma, cystic fibrosis, and other respiratory illnesses. They administer medication in the form of the mist that is inhaled directly into the lungs, via a mask or mouthpiece. Because inhalers cannot be used by infants and can be difficult for children to use effectively, pediatric nebulizers are often the best option when it comes to treating youngsters’ respiratory conditions.
It was once thought that physical activities like sports and exercise were bad for children with asthma. Many kids missed out on the games their peers played and as a result were sometimes looked at as weak or fragile.
If you need a little extra oxygen, don’t worry—there are plenty of ways to get it! From traditional face masks to innovative oxygen eyeglasses, here are the most popular oxygen delivery methods.
Modern nebulizers don’t resemble the clunky machines of old – they’re small, easy-to-use, and offer quick treatment times. Even with these recent innovations, human errors can result in an ineffective treatment, wasting medication, money, and time. By far the biggest culprit is improper cleaning; if you don’t keep your nebulizer in top condition, bacteria can grow in the tubing and console, clogging it up and increasing your risk of infection.
If you or a loved one suffers from asthma, COPD, or any other respiratory or pulmonary issues, maintaining blood oxygen balance is critical. A simple way to monitor O2 saturation, as well as heart rate level, is to use a fingertip pulse oximeter.
