Dr. Bernard Thébaud still remembers the time when he told a mother that her premature baby was dying from a lung disease and she asked: “Isn’t there anything you can do for my baby now?”
‘Tis the season to be jolly…but if you have a long-term breathing disease like asthma or COPD, ‘tis the season to be on guard, too.
I haven’t written a blog since the summer. I am not sure why – I think it is because I wasn’t sure what else I could say that would be helpful or interesting.
I finished the previous blog two weeks ago, after having radiotherapy to the lesions in my brain, and feeling pretty positive again. And while trying to ignore the swelling in my left leg.
[In Part 1, Terry described her diagnosis and initial treatment.
Forest fires are often a concern in Canada, especially during dry, hot summers. People all over Canada may be affected by the smoke from forest fires. The Canadian Lung Association urges those with lung disease such as asthma and COPD to monitor their breathing and avoid exposure to smoke. If breathing problems develop, refer to your action plan or call your health-care provider.
For someone without lung problems, wood smoke can:
Many of us associate poor air quality days with smog that tends to build up in the summer. Did you know that we also experience poor air quality days in the winter? Smog can occur throughout the year, but the composition of the smog changes with the seasons.
My doctor started me on oxygen therapy a year ago because I had low oxygen saturation levels on exertion. Shortness of breath, coughing, struggling to catch my breath, fatigue and weakness were other symptoms I suffered with. The oxygen supply company came and set me up with the following supplies :
Mould is a trigger for asthma and asthma-related symptoms such as wheezing, coughing, shortness of breath, and chest tightness. When you are exposed to mould, the smooth muscle that wraps around the airways tightens. Mould also causes inflammation and increased production of phlegm, headaches and fatigue, and allergic reactions.
Poor sleep is NOT a consequence of aging. Sleep disorders go untreated because not enough doctors ask about sleep and people figure it’s because they are ‘getting old’. According to a StatsCan 2008 Canadian Survey of Experiences with Primary Health Care among people age 65 and older, 73% live with a chronic disease: 32% of those have one chronic disease, 24% have two and 17% have three or more. Unfortunately, this survey did not include questions about sleep or sleep apnea. If sleep apnea had been included, the number of people with chronic diseases would have been higher, but the numbe
