Asthma Expert Rick Frea shares Asthma management news and commentary at MyAsthmaCentral.com. The HealthCentral Network, Inc. (www.HealthCentral.com) is one of the top health destinations on the Web, with more than 35 condition-specific, wellness and general health Web properties. http://www.healthcentral.com/asthma/c/52325 http://www.healthcentral.com/asthma/c/52325/rss self application/xml en-us 15 120 19 http://www.healthcentral.com/images/hc_logo_sm.gif http://www.healthcentral.com/asthma/c/52325 http://www.healthcentral.com/asthma/c/52325/94535/asthma-benefited Thu, 12 Nov 2009 01:15:00 -0500 Rick Frea As a follow up to a previous post I wrote, Seven benefits of having asthma, I thought that -- just for fun, I'd personalize this theme a bit by writing about the seven ways asthma has benefited my life.   Sure there have been rough days.  When I was a kid there were rough years.  Still, I'm one of those people who believe everything happens for a reason.   So, with that in mind, here are seven... http://www.healthcentral.com/asthma/c/52325/94535/asthma-benefited http://www.healthcentral.com/asthma/c/52325/80582/signs-asthma-doctor Wed, 11 Nov 2009 03:00:00 -0500 Rick Frea For those of you new to this asthma disease -- and even some of us longtimer asthmatics -- it's good to have an idea of what to expect from your asthma doctor.   Yes, it is true that most asthma doctors are gallant asthma doctors.  Still, it is your job as a Gallant Asthmatic to make sure you have a top notch asthma doctor who's going to do the best job of managing your asthma.      So, with that in... http://www.healthcentral.com/asthma/c/52325/80582/signs-asthma-doctor http://www.healthcentral.com/asthma/c/52325/93304/bronchodilator Tue, 03 Nov 2009 11:54:00 -0500 Rick Frea So it's 6 a.m. and I'm driving down I-75 South in Georgia in the wee hours of the morning when the anxiety strikes. I couldn't find my rescue inhaler.  My Ventolin had gone missing.   Did I leave it in the hotel?  Did I leave it in the lobby?  Did my wife pack it in the bathroom bag?  I looked behind me and her head was resting on a pillow.  I wasn't about to wake her to ask.  The kids were sleeping... http://www.healthcentral.com/asthma/c/52325/93304/bronchodilator http://www.healthcentral.com/asthma/c/52325/87485/nebulizer-inhaler Tue, 27 Oct 2009 05:55:00 -0400 Rick Frea So you have an asthmatic child at home.  Chances are you also have quick-relief medicine, sometimes called "rescue inhalers" to give to him if he has an asthma attack.  If so, you should also be aware of the latest recommendations for administering this medicine.   Bronchodilator is the medication in quick-relief inhalers. The most common bronchodilators that provide instant relief to a child having trouble breathing are... http://www.healthcentral.com/asthma/c/52325/87485/nebulizer-inhaler http://www.healthcentral.com/asthma/c/52325/84600/asthma-lexicon Wed, 21 Oct 2009 01:24:00 -0400 Rick Frea Part of being a gallant asthmatic -- like you and me -- is keeping up on our asthma wisdom.  That in mind, I've created an asthma lexicon for asthma termonology that often pop up in your questions or whenever you talk to your doctor:   Asthma gene:  It is believed asthma is somehow linked to genetics. When people have asthma, something might have happened to "turn on" the genes that may cause the disease.  Approximately 10%... http://www.healthcentral.com/asthma/c/52325/84600/asthma-lexicon http://www.healthcentral.com/asthma/c/52325/89638/asthmatics-survive Wed, 14 Oct 2009 13:05:00 -0400 Rick Frea You might not think of Halloween as a trigger for asthma, but it can be.  From my own personal experience, I can think of no holiday worse on asthma than Halloween.    In fact, my asthma acted up just about every Halloween that I participated in Trick-or-Treating until I was 11-years-old, at which time I vowed never to do it again.  This, as you may imagine, was not easy to do.     When I was 24, I... http://www.healthcentral.com/asthma/c/52325/89638/asthmatics-survive http://www.healthcentral.com/asthma/c/52325/90143/gallant-hunting Sat, 10 Oct 2009 03:22:00 -0400 Rick Frea I'm sure you remember Joe Goofus.  I introduced you to him as the asthmatic that often neglects his asthma with the intent on not missing out on any of life's fun.  His most recent misadventure was last weekend at the Goofus family hunting camp.   And guess what?  He ended up in the emergency room again.  His asthma was so bad he ended up spending 10 days in a hospital bed.  He was pretty bored, I... http://www.healthcentral.com/asthma/c/52325/90143/gallant-hunting http://www.healthcentral.com/asthma/c/52325/88459/hey-asthmatics Sun, 27 Sep 2009 22:11:00 -0400 Rick Frea It might take another chronic lung-er to understand why I say this, but one of the best days of my life was when I realized I was not the only hard-luck asthmatic in the world.   To this day I still think it's neat to know I am not alone. Just last night at work I was called to the emergency room for a "difficult breather." I rushed down and found one of our regular asthmatics sitting on the edge of the bed gasping for each breath. After... http://www.healthcentral.com/asthma/c/52325/88459/hey-asthmatics http://www.healthcentral.com/asthma/c/52325/83803/asthmatics-run Mon, 21 Sep 2009 04:24:00 -0400 Rick Frea At the beginning of every year we write about how important it is that asthmatics exercise. In the words of a pamphlet I have from my stay at National Jewish Health dated 1982: "Exercise is good for your heart and your lungs. Every asthmatic should exercise regularly, no matter how bad your asthma is." That was wisdom that still holds true to this day. One of the cheapest and best ways for you to gain control of your asthma, and feel better... http://www.healthcentral.com/asthma/c/52325/83803/asthmatics-run http://www.healthcentral.com/asthma/c/52325/85456/asthma-controlled Fri, 04 Sep 2009 02:29:00 -0400 Rick Frea It's easy to think your asthma is controlled when it's not. We asthmatics like to forget we have asthma and go our merry way lives. It often gets to the point when we take our meds by habit, without even thinking about what we're doing. It's normal.   This is a worthy thing to think about from time to time, and to discuss with your physician, especially as newer asthma wisdom is learned, and better and safer medicines are invented that... http://www.healthcentral.com/asthma/c/52325/85456/asthma-controlled