What do you do for possible asthma

I think my sons have asthma. They coughed all last winter and they are doing it now. Max coughs at night and at naps (for over a month). the nurse pract. thinks it's just a long acting cold, but he has no other symptons. I suction his nose at night, and have a vicks vaporizer running (hot mist). I need suggestions. I am going to buy a much better humidifier, but don't know if I should do cold or hot. Too me, I think cold will make his room freezing. Any other suggestions? Does a purifier help with possible asthma?? we have albutrol liquid medicine from a bad cold - should I use that (he is not wheezing at this point)

 

I think my sons have asthma. They coughed all last winter and they are doing it now. Max coughs at night and at naps (for over a month). the nurse pract. thinks it's just a long acting cold, but he has no other symptons. I suction his nose at night, and have a vicks vaporizer running (hot mist). I need suggestions. I am going to buy a much better humidifier, but don't know if I should do cold or hot. Too me, I think cold will make his room freezing. Any other suggestions? Does a purifier help with possible asthma?? we have albutrol liquid medicine from a bad cold - should I use that (he is not wheezing at this point)

 

I don't know anything about asthma in children, but DH has asthma. Two big triggers for him are pet hair and cold air. He has to be very careful about exercising in cold air. His lungs need a long, slow warm up in cold air, and they need a longer warm up than non-asthmatics even in warmer temperatures. He says if the danger of burns could be contained, he would rather have a warm-air humidifier.

 

My son had a trach issue and we took him to a pulmonologist to rule out any asthma, lung issues, etc. You may want to talk to your pediatrician if they are affiliated with any...Good luck!

 

I was always told to use a cool mist humidifier, but we are in FL, not sure about a colder climate. I would not use the Albuterol unless the ped prescribes it for this particular cough. Is it a dry, hacking, cough? I would ask for a referral to get a 2nd opinion.

 

I would talk to your pediatrician. I have 6 nieces and nephews that have asthma. They have varying degrees of it, but you really can't treat it properly without the diagnoses. Some of them have nebulizers, some have inhalers and these are things that you get prescribed by their pedi.

 

My pediatrian won't talk about asthma at this age and it's really frustrating. They know my kids get respiratory problems (and had reflux). I will call again today. thanks

 

QUOTE(MerMommy @ Nov 2 2007, 08:37 AM) [snapback]477766[/snapback]
My pediatrian won't talk about asthma at this age and it's really frustrating. They know my kids get respiratory problems (and had reflux). I will call again today. thanks



I am sorry that your Dr. wont talk about asthma....I would find a new Peditrician! that could cause damage to thier broncial tubes and their lungs if it is left untreated....My older sons and I all have asthma....and as PP mentioned it is treated different per child...and type! I am so sorry you are dealing with this...my oldest son was about 16 months old when he was diagnosed and put on a nebulizer. The other was born at 29 weeks and was diagnosed much earlier.

Keep us posted on what you find out.

Missy

 

My oldest DD was diagnosed with mild persistent asthma at 22 months after this visits to the ped. for a bad cough in 3 months. I finally asked the third visit if I should be concerned that she is getting albuterol when my sister takes it for her asthma, and that is when he diagnosed her. Then at our 2 year old visit we developed an asthma plan for her. She started with an inhaler and a mask to use with it. She did great. Even now, at 7, when she gets a cough it goes right to her chest and we start her inhaler.

What kind of cough is it, dry hacking, or wet, loose and in the chest? If it is always in the chest, then that is what my DD had and I would say they may have a type of asthma, I'm no Dr. though, but that is what she has.

It's interesting that your ped won't discuss asthma at their age, when that was the age we were discussing it for my DD. But I guess all drs. are different. I do have albuterol here for Emilie and Trevor and I do start it, without ped approval, if they have a deep cough for several days, not if it's a dry cough though.

If you really feel it is asthma I would push the issue with it, after all these are your children and you want them to get the best care possible. BTW, I have always been told to use a cool mist humidifier too.

 

We had the same issue with our ped (at least the one in the group that we were using). I had to really push to get a referral to a pulmonologist, and I mean push HARD. Jonah has asthma/allergies and is on meds and steriods as needed. Morgan just got put on asthma/allergy meds from the same pulmonologist a couple of weeks ago. According to their pulmonologist, coughing is as much a sign of asthma as wheezing. Morgan does not wheeze. He just has a cough all the time. Per the pulm doc, he has asthma too. IMO, most peds are misinformed about asthma/wheezing/coughing.

Shannon

 

Asthma is a disease of the airways, not so much of the enviromnent, though external factors can help alot! My suggestion is to consult with another doc also check out the American Lung Association. You can hit the web site and find a wealth of info! ALA was great to me as a child!

 

My pedi also won't officially diagnose asthma in a child under 2, but they will certainly identify what they call "asthma-like symptoms" that they will treat appropriately. natalie has been diagnosed with asthma at this point, but hers is more a problem with wheezing, not a cough, so I don't really know what they are looking for with coughs. I know there was a recent thread about children with cough-related asthma issues, I think it was called something like "Does anyone use a Flovent inhaler?" so you could try searching for that post.

I would not take the liquid albuterol w/o discussing with the pediatrician first.

 

it took me a long time to come to terms with the fact that one of my sons has asthma. now, through winter he is on daily preventer puffer and a ventolin and liquid steroid for when he has an attack. As well as this i am trying to work out how to prevent asthma, so im on the failsafe diet. ALot of kids with asthma have done this diet and i can already see results. It is very very boring and has taken me a long time to adjust to the diet, but if it prevents him from getting sthma, then it's worth it.

 

My DH works with lots of doctors and I had him ask what type of humidifer was best when we bought one last year. They said it does not matter too much if you get a warm or cold mist humidifier because once the mist hits the air it becomes cool with both types of humidifers.