My two children were both diagnosed with asthma this week--wanted: your helpful tip!

[Marylou]

My twin girls have been coughing for weeks. Long story short-they both have asthma. They will be 9 y.o. in 2 weeks.

 

One of them had an attack and was transported by ambulance to the hospital where she stayed two days to get better.

 

I have been reading everything on the subject, and have learned so much. I am anxious to find out what allergic triggers they both have.

 

My question to you who have children with asthma: what one tip can you give me about something you changed/improved in your home/family to help your child's breathing and to lessen the likelihood of an asthma episode?

 

I saw a mention on this forum today about not using fabric softeners, and I have already implemented that one.

 

Thank you for your help.

Edited June 15, 2009 by dmmosher

[Rosie_0801]

Have you had them evaluated by a chiropractor? It's expensive, but if that is the problem, or part of the problem, it's better than filling them with drugs.

 

Good luck,

Rosie

[Sara in WA]

My dd 5yo has moderate/severe asthma and has been hospitalized a few times. Her trigger is a cold or any sickness. This last week has been a challenge as she got sick and her asthma symptoms crop up and she goes downhill very quickly. All other times she is a happy, busy little girl.

 

It is most helpful to work with your doctor or (better yet) a pediatric pulmonary specialist to get an asthma action plan. We have dd's asthma action plan posted on our fridge so in the middle of the night we can refer to it and not have to think about symptoms. We can quickly tell if she needs medicines or else if we need to rush to the ER.

 

Honestly, asthma is a lot of it is trial and error. Some children react to dust mites others not. You can do x, y and z in your house, go crazy removing this and that, and then find out your children's triggers are something completely different.

 

My advise is to be on guard for symptoms, keep good notes and don't hesitate to see your doctor.

 

Funny enough, our doctor told us it is mostly kids who live in clean suburbia that suffer from asthma. The kids who live on dusty farms are usually asthma free.

[iwka]

1. use hypoallergenic bed covers, sheets, pillows

2. freeze all stuffed animals once a month for 24h in plastic bags

3. get rid of draperies

4. watch them in extreme weather, heat or cold, windy, humid or dry (my two got so much better once we lived in the Middle East; one was triggered by cold frosty dry wind in winter)

5. watch allergens prognosis somewhere (what is blooming nearby and when; also one of mine would react during the fall when playing in dry leaves)

6. make sure you have no mold in your house (one of mine was triggered by that)

7. any infection, even little cold could be a trigger (for one of mine, I would start using nebulizer the second or third day of any infection; it worked)

8. swimming should help (extends lung's capacity)

9. no pets until you are sure that they are ok with it

10. frequent moping

11. only cotton or other natural clothing

[King Alfred Academy]

Have you had them evaluated by a chiropractor? It's expensive, but if that is the problem, or part of the problem, it's better than filling them with drugs.

 

Good luck,

Rosie

 

That was my question.

 

My ds6 was diagnosed with severe asthma at a very early age. He was on 6 different medications a day. I didn't like pumping all of that into his little body. A girlfriend begged me to see her chiropractor swearing up and down that he could help. I was WAY skeptical, but told her I would try it. I am a believer!!!!! Ds started seeing him in Jan. of 2007 and was down off his meds by the end of March 2007! We continued seeing the chiropractor (all of us did and none of us were sick the entire time we did!) until we moved in Aug.2008. During that time, Ds NEVER had an attack! I did keep his inhaler with me at all times "just in case".

 

Anyhow, I would highly recommend chiropractic adjustments.

 

I am sorry you are having to deal with such a scary disease. :grouphug:

[cillakat]

follow the link for a full listing of all available cites regarding vitamin D deficiency (currently a pandemic) and asthma. Three of four in our family are asthmatic - I am, as well as both of the kids. We've been taking D since 2003. Finally last year, we had an emergency room free winter.....and it just kept going. Lila hasn't had to use rescue or maintenance meds now in two years. Alana, I'm not sure as her use was rare anyway (exercise induced....only 3 or 4 episodes....one episode with illness).

 

I've been on and off meds for years. This year, after a particularly bad bout of pneumonia, I ended up on maintenance meds (azmacort). Even though I take 2,000 IU D per day, my D test came back at 30. ARGHHHHH. So now I'm taking 6,000 IU per day and have been for a few months. About 6 or so weeks ago, I stopped my maintenance meds (with the support and supervision of my doc) and am doing great.

 

Trying to get blood levels of 25(OH)D up to 55-80 ng/mL. It takes most people 1000 IU per 25 lbs body weight to get there.

 

http://www.vitamindcouncil.org/science/research/vitamin-d-and-asthma.shtml

 

Childhood asthma may be a consequence of vitamin D deficiency.

Curr Opin Allergy Clin Immunol. 2009 Jun;9(3):202–7.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19365260'>http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19365260'>http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19365260'>http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19365260

RECENT FINDINGS: Both animal models and studies in human fetal tissues show that vitamin D plays a role in fetal lung growth and maturation. Epidemiologic studies have also suggested that higher prenatal vitamin D intakes have a protective role against wheezing illnesses in young children. Vitamin D may protect against wheezing illnesses through its role in upregulating antimicrobial proteins or through its multiple immune effects. In addition, vitamin D may play a therapeutic role in steroid resistant asthmatics, and lower vitamin D levels have recently been associated with higher risks for asthma exacerbations. SUMMARY: Improving vitamin D status holds promise in primary prevention of asthma, in decreasing exacerbations of disease, and in treating steroid resistance. However, the appropriate level of circulating vitamin D for optimal immune functioning remains unclear. Because vitamin D deficiency is prevalent even in sun-replete areas, clinical trials are needed to definitively answer questions about the role of vitamin D in asthma.

 

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19383926

Am J Respir Crit Care Med. 2009 May 1;179(9):765-71.

 

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19179486

RATIONALE: Maternal vitamin D intake during pregnancy has been inversely associated with asthma symptoms in early childhood. However, no study has examined the relationship between measured vitamin D levels and markers of asthma severity in childhood. OBJECTIVES: To determine the relationship between measured vitamin D levels and both markers of asthma severity and allergy in childhood. Methods: We examined the relation between 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels (the major circulating form of vitamin D) and markers of allergy and asthma severity in a cross-sectional study of 616 Costa Rican children between the ages of 6 and 14 years. Linear, logistic, and negative binomial regressions were used for the univariate and multivariate analyses. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Of the 616 children with asthma, 175 (28%) had insufficient levels of vitamin D (<30 ng/ml). In multivariate linear regression models, vitamin D levels were significantly and inversely associated with total IgE and eosinophil count. In multivariate logistic regression models, a log(10) unit increase in vitamin D levels was associated with reduced odds of any hospitalization in the previous year (odds ratio [OR], 0.05; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.004-0.71; P = 0.03), any use of antiinflammatory medications in the previous year (OR, 0.18; 95% CI, 0.05-0.67; P = 0.01), and increased airway responsiveness (a < or =8.58-mumol provocative dose of methacholine producing a 20% fall in baseline FEV(1) [OR, 0.15; 95% CI, 0.024-0.97; P = 0.05]). CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest that vitamin D insufficiency is relatively frequent in an equatorial population of children with asthma. In these children, lower vitamin D levels are associated with increased markers of allergy and asthma severity.

 

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19365260

RECENT FINDINGS: Both animal models and studies in human fetal tissues show that vitamin D plays a role in fetal lung growth and maturation. Epidemiologic studies have also suggested that higher prenatal vitamin D intakes have a protective role against wheezing illnesses in young children. Vitamin D may protect against wheezing illnesses through its role in upregulating antimicrobial proteins or through its multiple immune effects. In addition, vitamin D may play a therapeutic role in steroid resistant asthmatics, and lower vitamin D levels have recently been associated with higher risks for asthma exacerbations. SUMMARY: Improving vitamin D status holds promise in primary prevention of asthma, in decreasing exacerbations of disease, and in treating steroid resistance. However, the appropriate level of circulating vitamin D for optimal immune functioning remains unclear. Because vitamin D deficiency is prevalent even in sun-replete areas, clinical trials are needed to definitively answer questions about the role of vitamin D in asthma.

[Laura Corin]

When we lived in Hong Kong and Calvin had 'cough asthma' we started using an air cleaner in his room at night. This helped a great deal.

 

Best wishes

 

Laura

[MelanieM]

I would stay away from anything with fragrance or perfume. That includes fabric softener (a huge issue for many people, whether they know it or not), scented laundry detergent, air freshener, Febreeze (this kills me - I can smell it on people on the street), scented candles, perfume, cologne, scented beauty products, household cleaners (we use vinegar and baking soda mostly, with some natural store-bought products occasionally)... When I removed these things from my home my health improved greatly. (Extended coughing fits and headaches are the biggest side effects for me.)

 

I have also heard that wood stoves can be an issue for asthma sufferers, so you might look into that if it's something you have in your home.

 

Best of luck to you and your girls!

[at the beach]

My daughter had significant asthma symptoms when she was younger. We did allergy testing, discovered a cat allergy among other things, ended up giving our Siamese to friends, and her asthma symptoms practically disappeared within three months. Some cats still trigger wheezing in my child when she is around them for more than a short time.

[Pip]

My oldest dd suffered from a barking cough that was aggravated by allergies, crying too hard, laughing too hard, smoke, anything in the air that could be an irritant. We did take he to the dr. and she prescribed codeine, which didn't work, albuterol, which hyped her up and made her impossible to live wiht, and breathing treatments. A Chiropractor didn't help. About 3 Christmases ago we had a breakout of wildfires and there was smoke everywhere. She never really recovered.

 

Someone on another board suggested treating it as a fungal problem. I got a very good olive leaf extract (oregano is stronger) and a good probiotic (Dr. Ohiros) and gave it too her. She cleared up within 3 days and has been basically symptom free since. I did give her too much and she went through a die off period and was sick for about 12 hours. I felt horrible and was afraid I was making her worse. And then suddenly, she was better.

 

I have since had our new dr. tell us that she was actually suffering from reactive airways, which some consider to be a form of asthma and others don't.

 

We like Gaia herbs. We like Dr. Ohiros probiotics because they do not have to be refrigerated. Although most probiotics have to be refrigerated, you can't be sure if they were treated properly during shipping. If you do go with a refrigerated one, I would recommend Healthy Trinity. Also, if you can find a good Nature's Sunshine rep, they carry all this stuff and their products are quite good.

[Hoggirl]

My oldest dd suffered from a barking cough that was aggravated by allergies, crying too hard, laughing too hard, smoke, anything in the air that could be an irritant. We did take he to the dr. and she prescribed codeine, which didn't work, albuterol, which hyped her up and made her impossible to live wiht, and breathing treatments. A Chiropractor didn't help. About 3 Christmases ago we had a breakout of wildfires and there was smoke everywhere. She never really recovered.

 

Someone on another board suggested treating it as a fungal problem. I got a very good olive leaf extract (oregano is stronger) and a good probiotic (Dr. Ohiros) and gave it too her. She cleared up within 3 days and has been basically symptom free since. I did give her too much and she went through a die off period and was sick for about 12 hours. I felt horrible and was afraid I was making her worse. And then suddenly, she was better.

 

I have since had our new dr. tell us that she was actually suffering from reactive airways, which some consider to be a form of asthma and others don't.

 

We like Gaia herbs. We like Dr. Ohiros probiotics because they do not have to be refrigerated. Although most probiotics have to be refrigerated, you can't be sure if they were treated properly during shipping. If you do go with a refrigerated one, I would recommend Healthy Trinity. Also, if you can find a good Nature's Sunshine rep, they carry all this stuff and their products are quite good.

 

What are "reactive airways"? I have not heard this term and would really like to know? Do you mean something like a local cord dysfunction? Or something else?

 

Thanks a bunch!

[Old Dominion Heather]

The thing that helps me the most is using the hypoallergenic pillows and keeping them washed regularly. Stay far away from those foam pillows and down. I can even tell when someone has them in the room with me.

 

Another thing is get rid of ANYTHING sprayed in an aerosol. This is 10 times worse if there is fragrance in the substance.

 

They can learn their triggers. One of mine is stress. I have realized though that through controlled breathing, I can sometimes head off and attack if it s stress related.

[Pip]

What are "reactive airways"? I have not heard this term and would really like to know? Do you mean something like a local cord dysfunction? Or something else?

 

Thanks a bunch!

 

It basically means her airways react violently to irritants. As I said, some doctors consider it a form of asthma, others don't.

 

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/reactive-airway-disease/AN01420

 

http://www.healthscout.com/ency/68/441/main.html

Edited June 15, 2009 by Pip

[Dobela]

My son was diagnosed with asthma as a toddler. We were renting an older home. When we moved in we discovered that it had at some point been completely infested with roaches. While we hired exterminators and had the house treated repeatedly (and cleaned repeatedly), there was still a lot of roach "debris" in places we couldn't get to in order to clean. Our pediatrician showed us a study linking asthma to roaches and suggested we move. Sure enough, once we moved to a roach free place, my son's asthma went away and he has not had a problem since.

[Marylou]

Thanks so much for all your tips. I appreciate your help so much.

 

Rosie, do you have a website that talks about chiropractor/asthma stuff? I guess I can just Google it.

[mrsrevmeg]

One thing that helped my son was getting a device (can't remember the name, we call it a breath meter) that he blows into and it measures how much breath he has. When it is at certain levels we know that he can do pretty much whatever he wants. When it is lower he can be sure to take a puff of his emergency inhaler BEFORE doing anything strenuous. If the if the meter reads in the "red zone" we know to be on high alert and that he might have to go to the doctor. It is amazing how just knowing what to expect has helped.

Blessings,

[KristenS]

My son was diagnosed with asthma pretty young, after several bouts of croup and ER visits, and at least one hospital stay. My daughter had RSV as a small child, but mildly, and I was told she would have Reactive Airway Disorder and likely asthma. She's been fine except for the usual number of sniffles and colds.

 

My son's triggers tend to be cold viruses from other people, though we think allergies may factor in. (I live in north AL, and everyone here suffers seasonal allergies ... the pollen is a killer, among other things.) However, at 7.5, his doctor is now weaning him off meds because he's been doing so much better. He was on daily Singulair, and we had a nebulizer for bad times (used mostly when he'd get a virus and couldn't stop coughing), and an inhaler for emergencies (never used). We're still keeping everything on hand, but so far so good (only been a few weeks though).

 

I'd say the BIGGEST factor is a doctor who listens to what YOU say, and gives you good information. My niece saw another doctor in the same practice (only ones around) and she has severe asthma. Unfortunately, no one recognized it as severe asthma. She would be in the hospital multiple times a year. One time the idiot interns were ready to report my sister for child neglect, saying it wasn't possible that this child could be getting this sick if she were following all the medication directions properly. It was a pretty awful time.

 

They later moved, and with that came a new doctor ... who immediately realized how severe my niece's asthma issues really are, and changed her meds all around. I think it's been over a year since she's had a hospital stay now, though there've been a few emergency doctor visits. She's very active in stuff like soccer (has been for years) and they manage her health very well. Preventive inhaler use before sports is one thing I know they do.

 

So ... trusting your mommy instinct when you think your child might be getting sick, and having a doc who will listen ... those are critical.

[ChrisN in NY]

Not all kids with asthma can be helped by chiropractic (mine aren't), so don't be discouraged if that doesn't work out.

 

My 11yo and 18yohave asthma, but my now 9yo was the first to be diagnosed, before he was 2. He is now on 1/8 the amount of inhaled steriods that he was on 6 yrs ago, because he was so out of control. Medicating him so that his lungs could fully heal has made SUCH a difference. Find a good doctor... we saw started with a pediatric pulmonary doc, then began with a allergy/asthma specialist about 4 months later. It took BOTH docs for my ds to fully improve.

 

What helped me the most at the time was a book by Dr. Tom Plaut on asthma in children. That book is out of print, but there's a much better, updated title, Dr. Tom Plaut's Asthma Guide for People of All Ages. I highly recommend it.

[BMW]

You've had such great responses... I'll second the response about when the child becomes sick... Mine can go into respiratory distress when he gets a cold!! In my son's case, he can be on his meds and all the triggers maintained, but catches a virus and it attacks his lungs. We use the nebulizer every 4 hours when that happens and watch for signs of distress. Those signs that you need to look for to get medical help right away are: retraction at the base of the neck and nose flares. When a child is having to try so hard to get oxygen, the bottom of their neck (around the collar bones) "sucks in". I watch for that when he is sick or triggered. I also have him pull his shirt up and watch his ribs... if the skin around his ribs is sucking in, he is having to try too hard to breathe. And, once again, when he is trying too hard his nostrils will flare out. Hopefully you wont have to deal with these warning signs, but you should know them.

[Rose in BC]

My child's asthma is linked to dust and dog allergies. The doctor told us to get rid of our dogs. My kids were beside themselves, crying every night. So we decided to try and reduce the dander by removing carpeting and installing air purifiers. This allowed us to keep our dogs.

 

She was young when she was diagnosed. Then we went a couple of years where she didn't even need her inhalers but just this past few months her asthma's become reactive again so we're using flovent twice a day and flonaise (nasal spray) every day. We think she's allergic to a new trigger but haven't isolated it.

[Rosie_0801]

Thanks so much for all your tips. I appreciate your help so much.

 

Rosie, do you have a website that talks about chiropractor/asthma stuff? I guess I can just Google it.

 

Not offhand. See what Google has to say, and if you want to try it out, ask around for a good chiro. When you make the appointment, explain that you want to talk about asthma before you go ahead and have your kiddie adjusted. They will probably want x-rays taken first. If you don't like the first one you see, try another because there are differences. Like a normal doctor, the one your friend swears by might not suit you. Chiropractics may not be the answer for you, but it's not far fetched to think that a kid might put his back out just a little playing rough and tumble games. If it is going to clear up some or all of the problem, you should notice the difference quickly.

 

Cheers,

Rosie

[AuntieM]

One thing that helped my son was getting a device (can't remember the name, we call it a breath meter) that he blows into and it measures how much breath he has. When it is at certain levels we know that he can do pretty much whatever he wants. When it is lower he can be sure to take a puff of his emergency inhaler BEFORE doing anything strenuous. If the if the meter reads in the "red zone" we know to be on high alert and that he might have to go to the doctor. It is amazing how just knowing what to expect has helped.

Blessings,

 

This device is called a peak flow meter. It is helpful to establish a baseline lung capacity and to know when to give meds or whether to get to a doc right away. It is helpful, but only as part of a regular program.

 

My son had reactive airways triggered by allergies. It was essential to know what he was allergic to, so he had allergy testing done. It was *very* helpful, and absolutely necessary for prescribing a course of immunotherapy. Now, 8 years after being diagnosed, and after 4 years of immunotherapy from age 6 to 10, he is nearly symptom-free. He will have a flare up about once a year, almost always triggered by spending too much time rolling in the tall grass, or by a virus, which can attack th lungs, a an earlier poster has mentioned.

 

You have gotten a lot of good advice here already, I would just second that you may want to go on to a pulmonologist or allergy/asthma specialist rather than just working through your regular ped.

[Marylou]

You have gotten a lot of good advice here already, I would just second that you may want to go on to a pulmonologist or allergy/asthma specialist rather than just working through your regular ped.

 

Great. We have an appt. tomorrow morning with the asthma/allergy specialist who saw her in the hospital.

[cillakat]

What are "reactive airways"? I have not heard this term and would really like to know? Do you mean something like a local cord dysfunction? Or something else?

 

Thanks a bunch!

 

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/reactive-airway-disease/AN01420

 

K