There was a reason why one of my former partners and mentors referred to October as "Horrible October". Something about the 10th month of the year, in our part of the country, brings out the worst in our asthma patients. My partner, Dr. Schwartz would say, "If you don't get sick in October I wonder if you truly have asthma". I wouldn't say I fully... Read more
Many articles have identified the disproportionate level of severe and fatal asthma in subgroups of people in this country (such as African Americans and Hispanics of Puerto Rican descent). Were you aware that adult women have higher severity levels and risks of death from asthma compared to adult males?
Women have unique vulnerabilities... Read more
Here are 7 Reasons that may explain why:
1) The holiday season usually brings more than good cheer when the outdoor temperature starts dropping and furnaces start blasting out hot, dry air. The drying effect of warm air on the lungs lower the threshold for causing asthma attacks. Furthermore, going from a warm, dry,... Read more
For many of us, it's hard to believe the summer is over. Actually, those of us in the Midwest and Northeast regions of the United States aren't certain when summer 2009 began. October is typically my busiest month for managing patients with asthma. The return of children to school, the arrival of cold and flu season, the use of forced air heating... Read more
This is a common question in my office and invariably leads to several minutes of discussion with asthma patients and parents. There is no cure for asthma and, contrary to widely held belief, people do not "outgrow" asthma. It took a long time for me to convince my asthmatic wife that asthma is life-long but, with good treatment, it may go into... Read more
