May is Asthma Awareness Month. Throughout the month there will be increased activity in the area of Asthma Education and the risks of second hand smoke. There are also asthma screening centers sponsored by Astra Zeneca set up throughout the country. The asthma screening is in it’s 12th year and provides free screening questionnaires and breathing tests to adults and children.

If you have chronic illness it’s good to find a support group. You can interact with people who understand what you’re going through and how you feel. You can also share ideas with each other. If you are unable to get out of the house or if there’s no group in your area you can find many message boards and forums online.

I’m going to continue a little more about Asthma before getting into the other lung diseases like COPD (Emphysema and Chronic Bronchitis), Bronchitis, Pneumonia, Sinusitis and Flu.

If you have asthma you probably have allergies. Allergies trigger the release of histamines in the body which are what make you break out in hives, sneeze, cough and develop a stuffy or runny nose. They can also cause your airways to swell making it difficult to breath.

If you’ve been diagnosed with asthma there’s a good chance you’ve done a Peak Flow either in your doctor’s office or in the hospital. A peak flow measurement is an indication of how fast you can exhale in a very short amount of time. It’s the asthmatics equivalent of a glucometer used by diabetics to check their blood sugar.

If you have moderate to severe asthma your doctor may have prescribed one for you to use at home. Some hospitals use a disposable peak flow meter and you may be able to take those home with you. No matter how you got it you should use it. You don’t need to measure your peak flow every day but it’s a good tool to use if you start feeling tight or having other indications that your asthma is starting to act up.

When you are prescribed a new medication you are told how to use it. This is easy if it’s a pill or liquid. If you can count and measure you’ll be ok. Problem with inhalers is the instructions leave a lot to your interpretation. 2 puffs 4 times a day. 2 breaths daily. What does that really mean? You’ve been told HOW OFTEN to use the medication but you weren’t instructed on HOW to use it.

About 15 years ago a 14 year old neighbor of mine died from an asthma attack. When I told people that Harry died I got responses like “I didn’t know you could die from asthma.” “How did he die from asthma?” I thought everybody knew asthma was a serious condition. It was then that I realized that even people with asthma didn’t realize it was serious or could be life threatening.