Health Expert James Thompson, MD shares health management news and commentary at HealthCentral.com. 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/profiles/c/58313/index http://www.healthcentral.com/profiles/c/58313/rss self application/xml en-us 15 120 19 http://www.healthcentral.com/images/hc_logo_sm.gif http://www.healthcentral.com/profiles/c/58313/index http://www.healthcentral.com/asthma/c/58313/122313/seasonal-control Mon, 18 Oct 2010 10:18:00 -0400 James Thompson, MD 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 agree with this quote but the point my sage partner was making is that asthma very often flares up... http://www.healthcentral.com/asthma/c/58313/122313/seasonal-control http://www.healthcentral.com/asthma/c/58313/110175/asthma-severity Mon, 03 May 2010 11:10:00 -0400 James Thompson, MD 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 to asthma that only become evident after puberty. They suffer more severe episodes and have... http://www.healthcentral.com/asthma/c/58313/110175/asthma-severity http://www.healthcentral.com/asthma/c/58313/98419/asthma-holidays Wed, 16 Dec 2009 15:26:00 -0500 James Thompson, MD 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, indoor environment to the outdoor cold may activate asthma.   2)    Homes often... http://www.healthcentral.com/asthma/c/58313/98419/asthma-holidays http://www.healthcentral.com/asthma/c/58313/89474/asthma-checklist Mon, 05 Oct 2009 11:17:00 -0400 James Thompson, MD 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 systems, the increased indoor activities, the return of quilts and comforters to the bedroom, and... http://www.healthcentral.com/asthma/c/58313/89474/asthma-checklist http://www.healthcentral.com/asthma/c/58313/76509/asthma-medication Mon, 29 Jun 2009 10:24:00 -0400 James Thompson, MD 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 remission (our two adult children have asthma too). The good news is that more than 95% of the time it... http://www.healthcentral.com/asthma/c/58313/76509/asthma-medication http://www.healthcentral.com/asthma/c/58313/72302/sensitivity-thought Tue, 26 May 2009 09:03:00 -0400 James Thompson, MD "Doc, I don't have cockroaches. Why is my skin test to cockroach positive?" A downtown Chicago businessman who owns a home in an upscale Chicago suburb asked this question earlier this year.   I'll start with an update on this topic Recent asthma research has focused on a common allergen often briefly discussed in reports on indoor allergy triggers. Cockroaches are considered the most disgusting creatures that may co-inhabit our... http://www.healthcentral.com/asthma/c/58313/72302/sensitivity-thought http://www.healthcentral.com/asthma/c/58313/66948/tobacco-tobacco Mon, 13 Apr 2009 11:29:00 -0400 James Thompson, MD There are more than 400,000 tobacco-related deaths annually in the U.S. Health statistics estimate about 3,000 teenagers try and then regularly smoke cigarettes on a daily basis. It's been well documented that passive exposure to tobacco smoke increases the risk of asthma attacks, chronic bronchitis, emphysema, lung cancer, upper-respiratory tract and ear infections.   For years, doctors have addressed the different types of smoke... http://www.healthcentral.com/asthma/c/58313/66948/tobacco-tobacco http://www.healthcentral.com/asthma/c/58313/62416/linked-nose-stomach Mon, 09 Mar 2009 11:01:00 -0400 James Thompson, MD Asthma has impacted the lives of millions of people for centuries. Many millions of research dollars have unlocked some of the mysteries of how and why the lungs make you cough, wheeze, short of breath or feel tight. Several medications have been developed to remedy this sometimes life-threatening disorder yet many people still suffer.   Why? I think Dr. Paul Greenberger, an Allergy and Immunology Specialist at Northwestern University,... http://www.healthcentral.com/asthma/c/58313/62416/linked-nose-stomach http://www.healthcentral.com/asthma/c/58313/57941/escalating-asthma Wed, 11 Feb 2009 06:21:00 -0500 James Thompson, MD Okay, the economy is tanking, job security for many people is at an all-time low, cost of health insurance is increasing and medication costs are sky-rocketing. My comments will address healthcare expenses with emphasis on medication costs.   What can you do?   For many asthma sufferers the disappearance of generic albuterol has been a double whammy. The new HFA-based inhalers cost more and yet some people say they don't seem to... http://www.healthcentral.com/asthma/c/58313/57941/escalating-asthma http://www.healthcentral.com/asthma/c/58313/53716/asthma-medications Mon, 12 Jan 2009 10:45:00 -0500 James Thompson, MD A cure for asthma is not likely. That's the bad news. The good news is that asthma deaths have decreased and advances in medications over this decade offer a chance for improvement in prevention and control of this disease that affects more than 20 million people in America.   In this post I will discuss 5 emerging asthma treatments which have contributed (or will contribute) to improved asthma... http://www.healthcentral.com/asthma/c/58313/53716/asthma-medications