Hi and welcome to the Asthma site at BellaOnline! Please take your time to browse the site and explore with us the latest knowledge and suggestions in managing asthma. Our free subscription newsletter is sent out weekly to let you know about newly posted articles and other helpful tidbits of information to supplement the information on the site. Enter your email address in the box next to or beneath this article, and the next edition of “Catching My Breath” will be on its way to you soon!

The prevalence of asthma is astounding and rather frightening! It is estimated that asthma affects over 22 million Americans per year and includes about ten percent of all children. It varies in severity and can occur at any age, although it is more common in younger people. The Center for Disease Control states that there are more than 6.5 million children in the United States with asthma and that the number of asthmatic children has doubled since 1980. The BellaOnline Asthma site and its newsletter will cover topics pertinent to both asthmatic adults and children including identifying asthma triggers, coping with asthma attacks, the latest treatments and medications, and how to control asthma without letting it control you and your life. I’m especially interested in preventative and lifestyle medicine, so this will be my focus. We’ll talk about how to set up a day to day asthma management program and when to call your doctor. Information that is important to give your child’s school or caregiver will also be given. Alternative and non-medication treatments will also be discussed. I’ll let you know if I find books or web links that might be useful for you and your family. This is a community site, so please share your wisdom with us as well. I appreciate your insights, knowledge, and experiences! Let me know if you have any questions, comments or suggestions. I can be reached by using the contact me form on the site. I can also be reached through the forum link on the right side of this page.