Is Your Child’s Backpack a Health Risk?

Is Your Child’s Backpack a Health Risk?

Did you know that 55 percent of students are wearing backpacks that are too heavy for their body? Take the load off your kids and make sure they are wearing the right backpack properly. Improper backpack use has led to more reports of back pain in children. It is important to teach our children to pack it light and wear it tight. Read More

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Five Things to Quit Right Now

Five Things to Quit Right Now

Let me be transparent here — I’m not obsessed with social media. I’d much prefer my social interactions to be face to face. Having said that, I do write a blog and I like Facebook to keep in touch with family and friends, near and far. Read More

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Teaching My Family About Healthy Living

Teaching My Family About Healthy Living

Half marathons. Triathlons. Road races. Fitness classes. Personal training. No sugar challenges. I think you can see a pattern here. For a majority of my life, I have valued exercise because I liked the discipline. I liked achieving goals. I liked the stress relief. Read More

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Negative Self Talk: Is It Hurting You More Than You Know?

Negative Self Talk: Is It Hurting You More Than You Know?

What is negative self-talk?

Self-talk is the internal dialogue that narrates our daily experience. I often think of it as a digital voice recorder in our brain that is constantly recording and playing our thoughts. Read More

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Psychosis: Uncovering a Condition Found in 1 in 15 College Students

Psychosis: Uncovering a Condition Found in 1 in 15 College Students

Have you ever heard someone greet you by name and when you turned to respond there was no one there? Have you ever walked into a room and remember seeing someone or something, and when you got closer, you realized what you thought you saw was not there? Most likely everyone can remember a time when they heard or saw something that others could not hear or see. When this situation happens over and over and interferes with our daily life, we need to take action. Read More

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5 Tips for Managing Stress & Staying Healthy

5 Tips for Managing Stress & Staying Healthy

Some days it can seem impossible to juggle work and life while trying to stay healthy at the same time. Between working, caring for your children, assisting aging parents, making time for exercise and eating healthy, there just doesn’t seem to be enough hours in the day. Read More

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I Feel Fine, But Could I Be at Risk for Heart Disease?

I Feel Fine, But Could I Be at Risk for Heart Disease?

Blood pressure, diabetes and family history are a few well-known risk factors for heart disease, but some little-known risk factors can also threaten your heart. The scary part is you may not even be aware of them. Read More

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Mommy Me Time

Mommy Me Time

We all have our mommy to-do lists. After dropping off the kids, working a full day with deadlines that never end, picking up the kids, making dinner, doing homework, giving baths, reading stories before bed and doing housework, I am too tired to do anything for me. I just put on my pjs and go to sleep. I know that tomorrow will be the same as today. That’s why I realized that taking time for myself is necessary. Read More

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Could an Ongoing Cough or Chest Cold Be Asthma?

Could an Ongoing Cough or Chest Cold Be Asthma?

I often see patients in my office who are dealing with a cough or chest cold that won’t go away or returns repeatedly. With these symptoms, I consider if my patient might have asthma.

People are often surprised when I mention my concerns for asthma because they haven’t thought of this. Their symptoms make them think of other illnesses, but not asthma. It is true that asthma symptoms can often be similar to other illnesses.

Symptoms of Asthma

  • Persistent cough or chest congestion
  • A cold that simply will not go away or that lasts many weeks
  • Symptoms that seem to reoccur every now and then on an ongoing basis, or may be related to the season such as cold weather, an infection or activities such as exercising
  • Wheezing
  • Shortness of breath or chest tightness

Medical History: The First Step to Uncovering Asthma

When I see patients with these symptoms, we perform a careful medical history. We determine if other diagnoses—such as lung disease, cardiac disease, chronic sinus disease and acid reflux—can be excluded because symptoms of these diseases may mimic asthma.

We discuss:

  • Their cough
  • Other symptoms they may experience, such as shortness of breath or chest tightness
  • Whether or not they wheeze
  • Symptoms of chest colds where people develop upper respiratory infections, which seem to always go straight to their chest and may last several weeks or even months

Often, these patients have been treated in the past for these symptoms with multiple cycles of antibiotics. These symptoms continue to occur over a number of years or may fail to improve, and patients become tired of dealing with this and are referred to me by their provider because of the persistent nature of their symptoms.

How to Test for Asthma

There are several tests that can help determine if a patient has asthma. These include:

  • Pulmonary Function Testing or Spirometry: This is a test where you forcibly exhale into a device that measures airflow over time. The values of the test (or ratios) are then used to determine whether or not you have an airflow obstruction, which is a characteristic of asthma. If mild airflow obstruction is found, patients are given a medication or bronchodilator to see if this will reverse the symptoms. If the symptoms can be reversed, this would indicate asthma
  • Challenge Test or Methacholine Challenge Test: This is a test to see if this reverses symptoms
  • Lab Tests: These tests look for eosinophils or IgE level, which play a role in inflammatory asthma
  • Chest X-Rays: These are helpful to rule out other illnesses, such as lung disease, fluid around the lung, congestive heart failure, infections and other diseases
  • Allergy Testing

While one test cannot completely diagnose asthma, an evaluation of your history combined with tests can lead to an asthma diagnosis.

If a patient is diagnosed with asthma, education is important. Patients need to understand that asthma is a condition that does not just go away. Although this can be discouraging for patients, as a doctor, it is rewarding to let patients know we can offer treatment to really minimize their symptoms.

How to Treat Asthma

Options include:

  • Inhaler therapy, especially with the use of an inhaled corticosteroid, which reduces inflammation and minimize asthma symptoms
  • Medication (either alone or combined with an inhaler)
  • New therapies are available for patients with moderate to severe asthma, which can significantly improve asthma symptoms and quality of life

Next Steps For Those with Asthma Symptoms

If you have a persistent cough, wheezing or repeated chest colds, you may want to consider if this could be asthma and talk to your doctor. At Bryan Health, we have a new Asthma Clinic that can:

  • Evaluate symptoms
  • Provide needed testing
  • Recommend effective treatment options and education, if needed
John Trapp, MD

John Trapp, MD

Health Expert

John Trapp, MD, is a pulmonologist with Nebraska Pulmonary Specialties.

Explore Your Options at Bryan Health

To learn more about the Bryan Asthma Clinic and schedule an evaluation, call 402-481-8901 or visit the link below.

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Stay Ho Ho Hopeful: Managing the Stress of This Holiday Season

Stay Ho Ho Hopeful: Managing the Stress of This Holiday Season

The holidays often are portrayed as a time of year that’s supposed to be filled with joy, family, friends, generosity and kindness. But for many parents, this is a time of year rife with emotional challenges and increased stress. Read More

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Preventing & Managing Diabetes

Preventing & Managing Diabetes

Diabetes is a silent disease affecting the lives of millions each year. Chances are you know someone with diabetes—a friend, family member or maybe even you. I am one of the millions living with diabetes. As a certified diabetes educator, I work to educate myself and others about how to prevent diabetes from impacting your life and how you can take care of yourself to improve your health if you have diabetes. Read More

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