Asthma
Asthma is a chronic inflammatory disease of the airways, but what it looks like, what triggers it, and how it's treated varies widely from person to person. This guide will take you from what it all is to living with asthma.
17 episodes · Patients, families & clinicians
Learn about asthma in 5 MODULES
What is Asthma?
Asthma causes the airway lining to swell, the muscles around the airways to tighten, and sometimes excess mucus to form, leading to wheezing, coughing, chest tightness, and shortness of breath. Flare-ups can be triggered by allergens, respiratory infections, exercise, weather changes, or stress.
Asthma is also one of the most common Type 2 inflammatory conditions, linking it to eczema, nasal polyps, and EOE through a shared immune pathway. Understanding that connection can change how it's treated.
Quick look
MODULE 1
Asthma control
Most people with asthma have learned to live around their symptoms, sleeping with an inhaler on the nightstand, or skipping activities that trigger breathlessness. But none of that is normal, and none of it is something you have to accept. These episodes help you understand what well-controlled asthma actually looks like and what to do when it isn't.
Clinical Focus!
Ep. 58
What Is Controlled Asthma? Everything You Need to Know
Learn what controlled asthma actually looks like, including types, severity levels, medications, and the importance of asthma action plans. Uncontrolled asthma has a serious long-term impact on lung health, and this episode explains how to recognize the difference.
Ep. 156
Is Your Asthma Worse Than It Should Be? Signs of Uncontrolled Asthma
Dr. Juanita Mora walks through the Rules of 2, five plain-language questions covering daytime symptoms, nighttime waking, rescue inhaler use, refills, and steroid use, to help patients figure out whether their asthma is actually under control, and what to do if it isn't.
Resources
Asthma Action Plans from Allergy & Asthma Network
Control Your Asthma: Rules of 2 quiz, videos & free asthma coach
Ep. 154
What Providers Need to Know About Uncontrolled Asthma
Dr. Cherie Zachary, president of the ACAAI, argues that an ER visit for asthma constitutes a treatment failure. She walks providers through five standardized control questions, which patient populations are most at risk, and why patients often normalize symptoms that should be flagged.
MODULE 2
Triggers & peak week
Knowing what triggers your asthma is as important as knowing how to treat it. These episodes cover common triggers (allergens, viruses, stress, and weather) and why the third week of September is consistently the most dangerous time of year for asthma patients.
Ep. 81
Why Asthma Attacks Rise in September Peak Week
The third week of September is known as asthma peak week, when allergies, back-to-school germs, and weather shifts combine to raise risk. This episode explains why it happens and what to do before it arrives.
Ep. 124
Asthma Peak Week & Understanding Triggers
A deep dive into common asthma triggers, including allergens, viruses, stress, humidity, and air quality. Learn practical strategies for minimizing exposure before symptoms spiral.
MODULE 3
Asthma treatment: medications & biologics
Most people with asthma start with inhalers, but sometimes this is not enough. Asthma treatments have become much more specific to your type and severity. Avoiding ER visits and overuse of oral steroids is now more possible than ever. Learn the latest in medications, what the latest inhaler research shows, and when to step up to a biologic. These episodes cover the full treatment journey, from everyday medications to advanced therapies.
Inhaler
Ep. 117
As-Needed Albuterol–Budesonide in Mild Asthma: The BATURA Trial
The BATURA trial tested combining a low-dose inhaled corticosteroid (budesonide) with the standard rescue inhaler (albuterol) for mild asthma, potentially reducing the need for oral steroids and cutting exacerbation risk.
Clinical Focus!
Ep. 56
Biologic Therapies for Asthma
Learn how injectable biologics for asthma work differently from traditional inhalers, who they're for, and the patient journey of considering advanced therapies after years of uncontrolled asthma. Asthma biologics discussed: omalizumab (Xolair), mepolizumab (Nucala), benralizumab (Fasenra), dupilumab (Dupixent), tezepelumab (Tezspire), and reslizumab (Cinqair),
Only available in audio form
Ep. 134
How Dupilumab Reduces Mucus Burden in Asthma: The VESTIGE Trial
The VESTIGE trial showed dupilumab (Dupixent) significantly reduces mucus plugging in the airways of asthma patients, an often-overlooked driver of poor lung function, with key findings on mucus score reduction and FEV1 improvement.
Ep. 105
Understanding Oral Corticosteroid Overuse in Asthma
Dr. Sheth explains when oral corticosteroids are useful for asthma flare-ups and why repeated courses cause serious long-term side effects, and what it means when a patient keeps needing them.
Itching to know more about biologics?
Get the full biologics guide, what they are, how they work, and how to navigate starting one.
Biologics & advanced therapies guide →
MODULE 4
Pediatric asthma
Asthma is one of the most common chronic conditions in children and a leading cause of missed school and ER visits. These episodes cover how to measure asthma control in kids, how to prepare for peak week as a family, and how to navigate school accommodations.
Clinical Focus!
Ep. 141
Pediatric Asthma Control: Understanding the Peds-AIRQ Assessment Tool
Dr. Kevin Murphy explains the Peds-AIRQ, an 8-question validated tool for children ages 5 to 11 that measures both symptoms and past asthma attacks, catching high-risk kids that symptom-only tools miss.
Ep. 125
Parents' Guide to Asthma Peak Week
What asthma peak week means for families, how to prepare before school starts, and the steps parents can take to reduce the risk of a flare-up during the most dangerous stretch of the asthma calendar.
Ep. 31
Setting Up a 504 Plan for Food Allergies and Asthma
The step-by-step process of getting a 504 plan in place for a child with food allergies or asthma, from documentation to collaborating with school staff, so the right accommodations are in place before a crisis happens.
MODULE 5
Asthma & the environment
Asthma doesn't happen in a vacuum. The air inside your home, your neighborhood's air quality, and a changing climate all affect how well your asthma is controlled. These episodes cover what's in your environment and what you can do about it.
Ep. 144
How Indoor Air Quality Impacts Allergic Disease (Part 1 of 2)
How indoor air quality affects allergies, asthma, and eczema covering PM2.5, PM10, VOCs, and biological allergens like dust mites and mold, and why the air inside your home may be more of a problem than the air outside.
Ep. 145
How to Improve Indoor Air Quality (Part 2 of 2)
Practical steps for better indoor air — ventilation, humidity control, HEPA vs. carbon filters, dust mite reduction, and common triggers like candles and aerosols that most people don't realize are making their asthma worse.
Ep. 74
Environmental Impact of Climate Change for People with Asthma and Allergies
How climate change affects air quality, allergen exposure, and lung health, especially in vulnerable communities, and what it means for managing asthma and allergies long-term.