Articles

I was just told I have a condition called bronchiectasis. According to The American Lung Association, bronchiectasis is a chronic lung condition where the walls of your airways (bronchi) widen...

When I was growing up, my grandmother was abruptly diagnosed with advanced lung cancer, which rapidly declined in a matter of weeks. The term hospice was reserved for the end of...

Like many in our community, I couldn't imagine life without my trusty rescue inhaler. Over the 35 years I've been dealing with asthma, this little device has become a reliable...

I have never been on a maintenance dose of antibiotics myself, but I know many who have. I have heard many praise that they have felt better on this maintenance...

It begins when others see that you're not as energetic or that you move more slowly. My mother's complaint was that she didn't want to make our weekly treks to...

In the past, I have written an article about air travel with COPD but today I'd like to talk about train travel. We don't hear a lot about train travel...

It’s not the young, healthy, strong, freckled-faced girl I used to see years ago. At times, I see a few wrinkles, age spots, a few frown lines, a few straggling...

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is more common among women than men. This is partially due to the different rates and effects of cigarette smoking. But COPD still affects many...

I am very blessed and have quite a few reasons why. My main caregiver is my husband, Dave. He has told me from the beginning of my diagnosis that I...

When my mom met Karen at the last job she had in early 2000, she found in Karen a funny, supportive, younger version of herself. She began to consider Karen...

It wasn't long ago when the bitter cold of winter was the major discussion again and again. Think about it: weather is something we all have in common. It's something...

Staying hydrated is important for anyone, but if you have a chronic disease like COPD, it’s even more important, and there are many reasons for this. Water helps you regulate...

We often refer to anyone with breathing issues as "lungers." This includes people with diseases like asthma (which I have) and COPD (which you may have). While lungers try to...

Ah, mornings. I can imagine the many faces of me waking up. The "I didn't get enough sleep grump" face. The "I was up all-night coughing" face. Okay, yes, there...

It was not until my mother started using regular inhalers for her COPD symptoms, that I found out what oral thrush was. As the caregiver, I first noticed an abrupt change...

Pulse oximeters serve as essential tools for monitoring oxygen levels. Yet, like any device, they can encounter occasional issues, leading to inaccurate readings. This post aims to simplify the understanding...

It is common for COPD patients to transition at some point to oxygen use. We may associate surgery, ER visits, or hospital stays with nasal cannulas. We are usually focused on...

Living with COPD is not easy. Dealing with the day-to-day aggravations of being short of breath and the anxiety it causes is hard. But on top of that, a lot...

I started the day overwhelmed, coughing, down, tired, and broke. From there I sat down to take my meds and to relax a bit in front of the TV. I...

This year, three large drug companies have agreed to limit the cost of some of their inhalers. The inhalers are used by people with asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease...