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Features Related to Asthma

My WebMD: Coping with Asthma at College

I think my mother was more worried about my going to college two years ago than I was. I have had asthma since I was very young. It was worse when I was younger. I used to have to use an inhaler before I ran the mile in PE class. And one time I had a big role in a play, and I developed pneumonia. My
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Asthma: The Rescue Inhaler -- Now a Cornerstone of Asthma Treatment

When asthma symptoms are in high gear and the wheezing and coughing sets in, it's the inhaler to the rescue -- the rescue inhaler, to be exact. If you have asthma, your rescue inhaler should be among the first things you reach for when you leave the house, along with your wallet and car keys. How do
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Outgrowing Asthma: Is Remission Possible?

At 14, Alyssa Flanagan’s asthma symptoms all but disappeared. Since the age of 4, she had been hospitalized a few times each year -- once in the intensive care unit - when her colds turned into coughing, wheezy pneumonias. Asthma loomed large in her life. “The simplest explanation is that I’ve outgr
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Asthma and Depression

Asthma, a chronic disease of the airways, affects more than 22 million people in the U.S. Most people with asthma have symptoms such as cough and wheezing. But did you know that people with asthma have twice the risk of developing mood and anxiety disorders, including depression? Depression, with it
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Asthma in Women

When it comes to women and asthma, the ability to breathe can be affected by pregnancy, the menstrual cycle, and menopause. Women who also have allergies and other asthma triggers may struggle to get a breath of fresh air. “Unequivocally, women with asthma face an extra challenge simply because the
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Asthma and Cities: Which Cities Rank Best?

For the past six years, the nonprofit Asthma and Allergy Foundation (AAFA) has released a list of the "Asthma Capitals" -- the worst cities for asthma. The top offenders for 2009: St. Louis, Milwaukee, and Birmingham, Ala. But if those are the worst cities for asthma sufferers, does that mean other
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Everyday Pain Relief: Asthma

If you have asthma, you most likely work hard to avoid triggers. You shut the windows when the air is thick with pollen. You steer clear of homes with pets. You banish smokers to your front porch. But did you know that a potentially serious asthma trigger might be sitting in your medicine cabinet ri
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Is Asthma Changing Your Appetite or Weight?

When it comes to asthma and appetite, doctors and dietitians worry most about patients who eat too much, shun exercise for fear of becoming breathless, and end up being overweight. But in a small minority of patients, poorly controlled asthma can leave them too breathless and fatigued to eat properl
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Asthma, Stress, and Anxiety: A Risky Cycle

You’ve been battered by a recent layoff, and high-stakes job interviews are taxing your nerves. As your financial worries mount, so do your attacks of shortness of breath, coughing, and wheezing. Is there a relationship between asthma and stress? Yes, says Peter Gergen, MD, MPH, a senior medical o
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Could Your Migraines Signal Uncontrolled Asthma?

In the doctor’s office, it’s a familiar combination: a patient with both asthma and migraine. Each disease tends to run in families, but are the two conditions also linked? If so, once a person gains better control of asthma symptoms, might the excruciating headaches ease, too? Headache specialist R
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