From: sjk@strl.labs.tek.com (Steven King)
Newsgroups: misc.kids
Subject: Re: Arizona Ashma Attacks "4 yr old"
Date: 28 Jan 93 17:03:18 GMT
Reply-To: sjk@strl.labs.tek.com (Steven King)
Followup-To: misc.kids
Distribution: na
Organization: Software Technology Research Lab, Tektronix, Inc.

In article <1993Jan27.200722.462957@locus.com>, judy@locus.com (Judy Tryer) writes:
|> In article <1993Jan22.123845.4659@asbt01.gedlab.allied.com> b97289@asbt01.gedlab.allied.com writes:
|> >
|> >	My 4 year old boy has had ashma for about 2 years now and i was just
|> >wondering if he is going to get better as the grows up or will he grow out of
|> >it or will he always need his resperator ? We live in phoenix and with all the
|> >rain we have currently had since november the news people say that this year 
|> >the probability of people having worst ashma attacks, is what we can look 
|> >forword to. With the water, more rag-weed will grow and the trees will blooom
|> >that much faster, then summer and that much more will die in the summer causing
|> >more severe ashma attacks.
|> 
|> There are two things that can help the asthma get better.  One is learning
|> to manage it and the other is outgrowing it.  Either way, it does not have
|> to be a debilitating disease.
|> 
|> I recommend that you learn all you can about asthma and the ways to prevent
|> attacks.  Teach your son to recognize the very first tightening in his
|> airways because often an attack can be prevented if steps are taken right 
|> away.  And get a good allergy regimen going.  Get rid of all that wall to 
|> wall carpet that hides dust mites, mildew, etc.  Make sure your son is
|> outside when you vacuum and dust or get a vacuum with a good air filter.  

I would add to this a furnace (do you have them in AZ?) air filter or a
good room air filter.  These have helped me and our 2yo boy tremendously.

|> I know doctors are reticent to put children on antihistamines, but if you
|> know ragweed upsets your son and you are facing a ragweed season, see about
|> something he can take every day just to keep the problems minimized during
|> that season.

You might explore the use of nasal inhalants.  Products such as Nasalcrom
do not contain cortisteriods.  Doctors typically prescribe this enhalor
for childhood allergies.

Find a good M.D. or D.O. who knows about allergies and asthma.  If you can,
get a referral to an allergist to help with the allergy component.
 
|> Good luck.  I have asthma.  Most of the time I don't even know it.  Until
|> I got pneumonia I had been off all asthma medication for over 6 years.  I'm
|> looking forward to getting off of it again.  

I don't mean to be a wet blanket but I've experienced the opposite over time.
My asthma started out as exercise-induced bronchitis (EIB), which was easily
controlled with the use of an inhalor before exercise.  Over the last five
years my allergies have become worse.  At this point, every time I get a
sinus infection going the asthma kicks in.  I have to use three different
inhalors every day for about one month to get things calmed down.  Judy is
correct in her point about staying on top of it.  If you do, it won't be
debilitating.


Steven (sjk@strl.labs.tek.com)

"Sometimes if you have a cappuccino and then try again it will work OK."
(Dr. Brian Reid)  "Sometimes one cappuccino isn't enough." (Marcus Ranum)
"A double vanilla latte always works."  (Me)
Newsgroups: misc.kids