Health Expert Kathi MacNaughton 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/962/index http://www.healthcentral.com/profiles/c/962/rss self application/xml en-us 15 120 19 http://www.healthcentral.com/images/hc_logo_sm.gif http://www.healthcentral.com/profiles/c/962/index http://www.healthcentral.com/asthma/c/962/152900/metacholine-test Sat, 12 May 2012 18:27:00 -0400 Kathi MacNaughton Asthma can be difficult to diagnose for sure, because there is no one test that will prove that you have asthma. However, a test that is used frequently to help with asthma diagnosis is the metacholine challenge test.   This test checks to see if your airways are "hyperresponsive." That means that your airways overreact to certain stimuli, such as allergens like pollen or pet dander. If the test is negative, then a doctor can be relatively... http://www.healthcentral.com/asthma/c/962/152900/metacholine-test http://www.healthcentral.com/copd/c/962/152137/stages-copd Mon, 16 Apr 2012 15:08:00 -0400 Kathi MacNaughton Quite often on this site, I've gotten questions from people wanting to understand the stages of COPD. Perhaps they want to know how much time they, or their loved one, have left. Or maybe they want to know what to expect, how they're going to feel as things progress.   Although this information is covered in other posts, I thought it might be helpful to have a post dedicated only to that topic, so that it's easier to find when our readers... http://www.healthcentral.com/copd/c/962/152137/stages-copd http://www.healthcentral.com/asthma/c/962/152040/essential-treatment Thu, 12 Apr 2012 20:13:00 -0400 Kathi MacNaughton Can essential oils be an effective treatment for asthma?   Getting the right asthma treatment is essential to living a quality life despite having this chronic illness. In fact, if asthma is NOT treated, there can be serious complications down the line. But many of us really don't enjoy being tied to a daily or twice daily inhaler, not to mention having to use a supplementary rescue inhaler if we exert too much or come into contact with one... http://www.healthcentral.com/asthma/c/962/152040/essential-treatment http://www.healthcentral.com/allergy/c/962/152036/medicine-treatment Thu, 12 Apr 2012 18:26:00 -0400 Kathi MacNaughton Having trouble finding an allergy medicine that works well for you? If so, I have some good news. A brand new nasal steroid spray has just been rolled out in the United States this month (April 2012) and is available by physician prescription.   Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. announced at the end of March that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA for short) had approved their application to introduce a medication called QNASL... http://www.healthcentral.com/allergy/c/962/152036/medicine-treatment http://www.healthcentral.com/allergy/c/962/151182/spring-allergies Tue, 13 Mar 2012 14:22:20 -0400 Kathi MacNaughton Most areas in the United States had fairly mild winters this year, with lots of warm temperatures and less precipitation than is usual. It was definitely that way here in Boise, I know! In fact, many areas, even in places like the Great Lakes states, New England and the mountain west are already experiencing 50 and 60 degree daytime temps!   While that may seem wonderful to those of us tired of dreary winter skies and ready for fun... http://www.healthcentral.com/allergy/c/962/151182/spring-allergies http://www.healthcentral.com/copd/c/962/151161/diagnosed-copd-disease Mon, 12 Mar 2012 18:00:00 -0400 Kathi MacNaughton Has your doctor recently dropped the bombshell on you that you have COPD? If so, you might have a lot of questions about what that really means, how you will be affected as time marches on, how well treatment will work and so on.   Asking such questions is good, because seeking out the answers can arm you with the knowledge you need to live the best quality of life possible within the limits of your disease.   Yes, COPD is a chronic... http://www.healthcentral.com/copd/c/962/151161/diagnosed-copd-disease http://www.healthcentral.com/copd/c/962/151156/caregiver-perspectives Mon, 12 Mar 2012 16:13:00 -0400 Kathi MacNaughton If you follow my shareposts here on HealthCentral, then you may be aware that I lost my mother nearly 4 months ago. I have openly shared with you many of my struggles with caregiving over the years. I want to tell more of my personal story now in the hopes that other caregivers out there might feel less alone or perhaps even learn something from my experiences.   In many ways, it still feels like yesterday to me that my mom passed away.... http://www.healthcentral.com/copd/c/962/151156/caregiver-perspectives http://www.healthcentral.com/copd/c/962/150268/home-spirometer-future Sun, 12 Feb 2012 20:55:42 -0500 Kathi MacNaughton One of the ways a doctor can decide if you have COPD is to perform lung function testing. One of the devices used for this is something you breathe into called a spirometer.   Spirometers measure airflow and how well lungs are working. When you breathe into this device, it measures the amount of air you are breathing in and out, as well as how fast you are able to inhale and exhale.   They are more accurate and provide more... http://www.healthcentral.com/copd/c/962/150268/home-spirometer-future http://www.healthcentral.com/allergy/c/962/150267/alternative-nasal Sun, 12 Feb 2012 20:12:39 -0500 Kathi MacNaughton Have you ever heard of using something called capsaicin to treat your nasal symptoms, such as congestion, sinus pressure and post-nasal drip? Do you even know what capsaicin is?   I have just recently learned of a study that suggests there could be real promise in using this alternative, more natural approach to treating the nonallergic type of rhinitis. (Nasal allergies are the allergic type of rhinitis.)   Capsaicin is a natural... http://www.healthcentral.com/allergy/c/962/150267/alternative-nasal http://www.healthcentral.com/asthma/c/962/150212/asthma-flu Fri, 10 Feb 2012 18:51:31 -0500 Kathi MacNaughton If you follow my shareposts at all, then you are probably aware that I strongly encourage my readers who have asthma to get immunized against the flu every single year. It's recommended by asthma experts and flu vaccination is safe, easy and fairly inexpensive... and certainly well worth it.   But I know that not every person with asthma will opt to have a flu shot each year. It could be you don't believe you'll really catch the flu, that... http://www.healthcentral.com/asthma/c/962/150212/asthma-flu