The Asthma Support Center

Every person is unique, but when you face a challenge like asthma, you are never alone. Countless men, women, and children have faced exactly the same diagnosis and have survived and thrived. The following guide is designed to help you navigate your journey with the best information and resources that helped other survivors when they faced the same challenge.

TSC has scoured the Internet and assembled the links to the very best asthma resources: articles, blogs, forums, and tools that can help you make better decisions and take action to overcome the range of physical, emotional, and other challenges you're facing now.

As you'll see, we always welcome your ideas and suggestions to make this asthma guide even more helpful to survivors like you.

JUST FOUND OUT

Survivors Say: Best Resources for Asthma

Survivors say these are the best resources for those who have just found out -- check them out to find out more about your options:

• Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America This foundation offers a comprehensive resource for questions and concerns you may have about asthma.
• The American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology Check out the AAAAI's "Diseases 101" series for more on adult and childhood asthma.
• The American Lung Association The ALA answers in detail the question "What is asthma?"

The Big Picture

According to the American Lung Association "asthma is an inflammatory condition of the lungs that makes it difficult to breathe. Asthma is chronic, meaning that inflammation is always present, even when there are no noticeable symptoms. When provoked by a trigger, the inflammation worsens and the insides of the airways produce extra mucus, swell even more, and the muscles that wrap around the airways may tighten."

Do You Know the Signs and Symptoms of Asthma?

Your Asthma

Asthma isn't a complicated disease, but you'll need to work with your doctor to fully understand your diagnosis and how severe your asthma is, so you can figure out the best treatment to keep your symptoms under control. Check out this guide from About.com:

Allergies - Asthma - Living with Asthma

Keeping a detailed journal of potential asthma triggers helps you understand your triggers and makes it easier to avoid them:

eHow: How to Keep a Daily Asthma Diary

Your World

Explaining your diagnosis to friends and family can be as easy as giving them a general overview of the disease and sharing how it may affect you. Here's a good guide from Pulmonologychannel.com:

Asthma - Diagnosis

Asthma Myths

• "Everyone's asthma is pretty much the same."
  
• "Moving to a dry climate will cure my asthma."
  
• "No symptoms means no asthma."

Information and Recommended Links for Survivors

Survivors say these are the best guides -- check them out to find out more about your options:

• MedlinePlus: Asthma The National Institutes of Health's Medline site rounds up pretty much everything you can think of about asthma treatment.
  
• Web MD Find solid answers to your questions at WebMD's asthma support resources.
  
• Environmental Protection Agency This federal agency offers a surprising amount of valuable information about asthma, including common triggers and substances that are harmful to the lungs.

Types of Treatment

Medications & Inhalers

There are several types of rescue inhalers and bronchodilators used by those with asthma. Talk to your doctor about the one(s) that's right for you:

• About.com: Asthma - Treatment Options
• MayoClinic.com Asthma - Treatment and Drugs

Possible Treatment Side Effects

Every medication, including those for asthma, has potential side effects. Talk to your doctor to weigh up the risks versus the benefits of any medications you're taking:

• About.com: Asthma Medication Side Effects, Risks & Dangers
  
• AAAAI: Adverse reactions to medications and drug allergy

Health-Care Providers Who Can Help

Wondering who treats asthma? Check out this guide of medical specialists from WebMD:

• Asthma specialists
• Pulmonologist - Asthma Specialist A pulmonologist is someone who specializes in lung/respiratory diseases.
• Ears, Nose and Throat (ENT) An ENT (otolaryngologist) may refer you to an allergist, pulmonologist, or another specialist if you have a more severe case of asthma.

Holistic Treatments

Dr. Andrew Weil, best-selling author of integrative medicine expert, offers this advice for non-drug treatment of asthma:

Natural Treatment of Asthma

Dealing with Asthma: Information and Recommended Links for Co-Survivors

How you can help

• Help your loved one make lifestyle changes that lower their exposure to potential triggers.
• Remember that asthma doesn't mean your loved one is fragile or unable to live a normal life.
  

What to say

• “Let's develop a plan of action in case of an asthma attack.” Developing an Asthma Action Plan
• “You need to make sure you've got your appropriate medication with you at all times.”
• “Is there anything I can do to help prevent an asthma attack?”
  

What not to say

• “We were going to invite you, but thought it might be too difficult for you to join us with your asthma.”
• “You can't do that/play that because of your asthma.”
• “You really shouldn't play sports if you have asthma.” Don't Let Asthma Keep You Out of the Game
  

Things you can do for a survivor every day

• Prepare for the possibility of an asthma attack and know what to do to support your loved one. Asthma - How to Help Someone Having an Attack
• You can help someone with asthma avoid attacks by understanding their triggers and adapting your lifestyle to avoid them. Asthma Triggers - Facts About Asthma Triggers
• Children don't often understand how important it is to take their medication regularly. Reiterate how important it is to stay healthy so they can do all the things they love to do. Advice for Parents of Children with Asthma
  

How to build a support network

• Set up your TSC co-survivor profile.
• Create a support group for your friend or family member.
• Interact and provide updates.
  

How to help a survivor deal with day-to-day challenges

• Work/School – Ensure that the survivor carries their medication with them at all times. Taking Asthma to School by Barbara Mitchell
• Family – When one person in the family suffers from asthma everyone feels the effects. Don't discount what the survivor or you, the co-survivor, may be feeling. Asthma and Families - Living With Asthma

Although asthma may never be cured, with the right treatment in most cases asthma sufferers are able to manage the condition with few symptoms.

Remission / Recovery /Recurrence

Key to preventing a recurrence of an asthma attack is identifying your triggers and avoiding them; taking your medication as directed; and following up with your doctor if you notice a change in the frequency or severity of your symptoms. Keeping an asthma diary can be a big help in tracking changes:

WebMD: Keeping an Asthma Diary

Finding the right asthma treatment may require some experimentation; keep open the lines of communication with your doctor to ensure you're on the right drug(s) at the right dose and to be clear that you're not missing out on a newer and better treatment:

WebMD: Asthma Medications

Need encouragement? Check out words of inspriation from those who have survived the disease and continue to thrive:

I am an Asthma Survivor

Give Back

Set up a personal profile, and share your asthma experiences, trials, tribulations and success stories with others asthma survivors.

Become a survivor mentor for others suffering with asthma

Sometimes there may be triggers that induce an asthma attack that is hard to manage, even if you have your medication on hand and take it as directed. In those cases you should head immediately for the nearest emergency medical facility. Asthma can be a life-threatening disease and the most frightening thing about the disease is how unexpected these attacks can be.

Not All Asthma Is Created Equal

Planning

Beware Winter Warning Asthma Spike

Grief and Loss

Asthma in Adults - Risk Factors for Severe and Fatal Asthma

Resources for Co-survivors

• Dealing with Death
• Asthma - Children and Adolescents