Thursday, July 14, 2005

A GOOD WEEK

I'm breathing easier, and the trend is upward. A major part of the improvement is due to better charting of the meds doses, and more conscientious (man, I love dictionary.com) daily use. I'm down to an occasional (less than 1 dose/day) use of my reliever. That's a GREAT improvement.

The weather hasn't helped. It's still muggy and stifling. The temperature went down last night, though, enough so I could cool off the house by opening windows. Before that, I was using air conditioning almost exclusively. I hate to think of the electric bill this month.

Sunday, July 10, 2005

HUFFING & PUFFING

I just sat down, after spending a few vigorous minutes outside, ruthlessly trimming back the rampaging green that is threatening to take back, not just the yard, but the very house itself.

Yes, I know it's July in Cleveland, and, compared to many already-sweltering cities, cool and pleasant.

I'm still sticky and breathing with effort.


Actually, my peak flow is good - I've been improving since my last Prednisone burst. My environment has contributed to that. I've been cleaning, organizing, and removing dust-collecters. With my husband out of town for 2 weeks, I expect my son and I to make major progress. It's always so much easier to throw out someone else's stuff than your own.

Tuesday, July 05, 2005

UPDATES ON MEDS CHANGE

It's been un-Godly hot in Cleveland, lately, but my breathing is very much improved. I've reduced the use of the Albuterol by over half, and am no longer waking in the early hours of the morning, feeling as though I won't survive if I don't get to the nebulizer ASAP.

I've been able to be more active, in general. My new job involves being on my feet much of the day, and that has been a good thing. It's occasionally tiring on the muscles, but not to the point where I can't get out of bed - I'm just pleasantly tired, and refreshed by a good night's rest.


Yesterday, at work, I talked to two of my co-workers who, like myself, were diagnosed with asthma as adults. This is becoming more common over time.

Why are so many adults being told they have asthma? Isn't that something children get?

Well, no.

Although many people think of asthma as a childhood condition, the fact is that many people are diagnosed for the first time as adults. This is becoming so common that the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology has posted (see link) on the topic. According to information found on that site,
Asthma and other respiratory diseases are particularly common in adults over the age of 65 as lung functioning begins to decrease steadily over the age of 40.

Right now in Cleveland, the ozone content in our air has been relatively high. As a result, asthma management has become more challenging. What is ozone?
Ozone is a secondary pollutant, which is formed by the interaction of oxides of nitrogen, volatile organic compounds with ultraviolet light. The main sources of these oxides are automobiles and petroleum-driven engines.

I've been feeling the effect of the increased ozone levels. Without realizing it, my pulmonary function had decreased significantly - in fact, I was worse than last winter, when my respiratory distress sent me to the hospital for 5 days.

It's amazingly easy to slip into trouble without realizing it. I use my peak flow meter consistently, but that's not entirely perfect. Another indication is the use of the "rescue" inhaler. I had drifted into using it every day. The peak flow measured fine, but only with use of the inhaler.

I'm still monitoring my meds with Asthma Assistant. If you are experiencing difficulty keeping track of all the meds and your peak flow over time, it may be the solution for you. It's an easy to use application, and, best of all, it's FREE!

This page is powered by Blogger. Isn't yours?