asthma treatment children

asthma treatment children questions and answers

All the information you need about asthma treatment children Check out AllergiesAsthmaHelp.com For all your Allergies and Asthma Questions and Answers

Q: treatments for children with asthma?
For parents who have children with asthma what treatments did you use that worked? My son is 11 months and he keeps having problems. I've already taken to doctors just curious what worked for other people.

A: I don't have children, but I do have asthma, as well as neonatal/pediatric Respiratory Therapy training. In patients who are less than twelve years old, there is a significantly smaller number of medications available to treat asthma. This is because many drugs used to treat adult (over 12 years old) asthmatics have not been tested as safe for babies. Another problem is that babies can't co-ordinate their breathing in the specific ways to use some of the drug delivery devices. Bronchodilators, the drugs that are used to treat an asthma attack and sometimes to prevent further asthma attacks, are drugs that relax the muscles of the airways. Typically, Albuterol or Salbutamol (same drug, different name depending on where you live) is given via a nebulizer with a portable air compressor running it. Albuterol lasts for 4 to 6 hours and you may have to give it every 6 hours all day, every day to keep his asthma under control. If your baby has asthma that's alright mostly, Albuterol can be prescribed for as needed use. If Albuterol isn't strong enough or your son has side effects from it (shakiness, increased heart rate), then Xopenex might work better. Xopenex is much stronger than Albuterol, although it costs about 5 times more. It has fewer and less severe side effects. Xopenex can last from 6 to 8 hours, so fewer treatments in a day, if it is needed to cover him constantly. Pulmicort is an inhaled steroid that is given via a nebulizer and portable air compressor. It is used when someone needs more than two treatments of Albuterol a week to have control of their asthma. Pulmicort would be taken once or twice daily at similar times each day. It works by reducing inflammation in the lungs and helps bronchodilators work more effectively. If your son were on Pulmicort and Albuterol or Xopenex at the same time, it would be best to give the bronchodilator first. This makes it so the inhaled steroid goes into lungs that are opened-up nicely, making it more effective. In addition, Atrovent might be prescribed to help further bronchodilate his lungs. It is weaker and works in a different way, as compared to Albuterol or Xopenex, but can be very helpful. It would usually be given with the Albuterol or Xopenex. This can lead to long treatments, so it's important to be patient. Singulair, a drug available in granule form for patients under 4 years old, can help block the release of inflammatory substances in your son's body before they get the chance to cause an asthma attack. It is not a steroid and you would just mix the granules into his food to administer it to him. Singulair would be given once daily. Drug doses for people under 12 years of age should be determined by a doctor and administered in accordance to those guidelines. Infant doses are often significantly smaller than adult doses of the same drug, although they might be the same, depending on the patient. That's what I can think of to treat a baby with asthma. There may be more options, but they would not be commonly used. The big problem with pediatric asthma is how often medications have to be given. If you are using a home portable air compressor, a nebulizer treatment might take a half hour each. If you are doing Albuterol, Atrovent, and Pulmicort, it could take a very long time. Then, you would have a few treatment in the day of just bronchodilators, which would likely take a half hour each. In the end, your baby would likely have a nebulizer on for an hour or two a day. Sometimes doctors prescribe metered dose inhalers (MDIs) - the ubiquitous asthma inhaler, for use on pediatric patients. If used with a spacer, a device that holds the aerosol and for a baby, a face mask which your baby would breathe through for the treatment, treatments could be much faster, although may be less effective. Nebulizers are less convenient, but more likely to give your son an effective amount of medication even if you throw it on him while is his sleeping. I hope that helped. If your son is on Xopenex, Atrovent, Pulmicort, and Singulair, then he is pretty much maxed-out for a baby. Then, your son's doctor might consider undesirable treatments like Prednisone pills (bad, bad, bad!).

Q: Treatments for children with asthma?


A: Singulair chewables. Good luck, Sarah

Q: what do usually Doctors prescribe for the treatment of rhinitis in children?
My 6 year old has asthma and also rhinitis, the GP gave me a steroid nasal spray but it has no effect, water is still running down her nostrils. do you have children with same problem? what do your GP prescribed you?. Thank you for answer

A: Corticosteroid nasal sprays are the 1st thing to try. When they are not successful I prescribe either an antihistamine nasal spray or an oral antihistamine. You might try over the counter loratadine which is an antihistamine. The 'recommended' dose for an adult is 10 mg although the effective dose for an adult is actually 20 mg. Thus 10 mg for someone weighing 60 pounds would be about right. You should dose by weight and not by age. Loratadine is available as Claritin and Alavert and it is available as an oral disintegrating tablet which dissolves in the mouth and does not need to be swallowed. If your 6 year old has not received influenza vaccine I would recommend it.

Q: Children and asthma?
Can a one year old child have asthma and getting breathing treatments and still have on and off wheezing. Like it never seems to go away, and when it does it creeps back on days or weeks later/

A: Yes. My 6-year-old boy has had asthma since he was born. It'll be recurring... just have the albuterol therapy handy whenever he starts wheezing. I've had asthma since I was born, too. Just keep an eye on you child and take him to the doctor if it gets TOO frequent - more than 5 times a week. :o)

Q: I once had asthma then after some treatments doctors said I had no signs of it.Can it return,or my children.?
Can a person be cured of asthma forever and it does not come back to him or to his children?

A: The tendency to have touchy airways often diminishes during the teenage years and returns again later in life. Asthma does tend to run in families but that doesn't necessarily mean that we will pass it on. Even a change of climate can relieve or enhance the development of symptoms. So while asthma can seem to disappear during certain periods of your life, it often will reoccur under similar circumstances as when it developed ie; severe respiratory infection, during exercise or when exposed to smoke or chemical irritants.

Q: How often does your child have asthma?
I'm just curious what other moms go through...My son is almost 2 and was officially diagnosed with asthma at when he was about 19 months. He gets really sick 3-4 a year and his treatments are albuterol and steroids. Usually he ends up in the hospital because he'll get croup and the meds dont work. So my question is how often does your child get asthma and what are his treatments?? And do you think my son has a mild case of it??

A: My daughter used to get really sick (heading to ER for oxygen when the albuterol didn't help) every single time she caught a cold (which tended to be once a month or so). It seemed like she was constantly being put on oral steroids, once she was hospitalized for several days, and twice she got pneumonia. She got put on daily medications (singulair, flovent; still takes albuterol for the rare flare-up) and now she has an asthma attack only a few times a year, and usually the albuterol clears it right up. The transformation is astonishing. You might want to talk to your doctor about whether it makes sense to review the asthma plan, especially if in addition to being really sick 3-4 times a year he's also somewhat sick from time to time. For some kids, daily medications can make a huge difference (and for others, it's just not worth it, so you really have to figure out with your doctor what's right for your son).

Q: this is a question for mother s of small children ( age 5-6) with asthma?
My son has asthma, and takes treatments when he flairs up. He never really has been out in cold weather. He started kindergarten this year, and I'm scared of his reaction to the cold (below 40 degrees). Has anyone experienced this. I know I'm way overprotective.

A: I'm asthmatic, and any large temp change can set me off. Once I've been in the environment for a while it's ok, but the initial blasts orf either hot or cold can be problematic. I am assuming that he is on a maintenance type med like Advair or something, so he should be ok. Good luck. And remember, the nurse will call you. Try to go with the no news is good news theory. Letting any child be away from you at first is hard, but it does get easier each day. Just try to treat his asthma as just another fact of his life, instead of a big deal, and I am sure he will get through this and get used to it just fine.

Q: My child has asthma and the poor kid is suffering, any home remedies to help him?
My 5 year old boy has asthma, and I have been giving him breathing treatments with albuterol and pulmicourt, but nothing seems to be helping him. The breathing treatment will help him for a little bit but it seems like just a few minutes later he is still wheezing and coughing and just struggling to breathe. The doctor's won't give me a supply of the prednisol for more than a few days, so I am always out of it because whenever I go to the doctor I give him all the medicine over the few days' worth of duration because he needs it. Is there anything else I can do like a home remedy to help him? Vick's doesn't seem to help him much and it just seems like maybe he is getting immuned to the breathing treatments or they just don't help him enough anymore.

A: A specialist should have started your son an something like flovent or pulmacort as a preventive measure...they do not stop wheezing once it's started. My daughter takes flovent and singulair daily to keep a flare up from occurring. She also takes Albuterol to stop an asthma attack or wheezing. Xoponex is a stronger version of Albuterol that when used in a nebulizer goes directly to the lungs. For severe wheezing, he must be on Xoponex for at least two straight days before the coughing and/or wheezing improves. If you can't get rid of your carpet Arm & Hammer makes a great allergen powder to use on carpeting. Dust as often as possible and understand if it's allergy triggered asthma...is he allergic to feathers, dust and dust mites, milk, mold, weeds, crab grass, pollen, etc? Once you know the underlying cause, you can control it better. Do NOT rely on home remedies, you need sound medical advice. Invest in an air purifier. I prefer it to a hummidifier because hummidifiers contribute to the growth of mold in your home. Mold is another leading asthma aggravator. Good luck.

Q: Why has asthma increased in children less than 18 years old from 37/1000 to 68/1000 from 1980 to 1996?
Then why was the definition of prevalence of asthma changed from having the disease to "asthma attacks"? How can we as a nation be aware of an epidemic if the definition of prevalence changes to a drug-associated treatment definition? CDC estimates of asthma prevalence in children can be found here: http://www.cdc.gov/MMWR/preview/mmwrhtml/mm4940a2.htm Thanks for your insights! What if all those thumb down fairies would offer a constructive explanation? Joel and Matters, by using a rate - like 37 per every 1,000 kids or 68 per every 1,000 kids you standardize your estimates. So.. it doesn't matter if the population increases it's per every 1,000 kids. G33K pollution seems to be an irritant for sure, thanks for the websites. It'sa little like the cleanliness conundrum,tho. Air quality is getting better and asthma more prevalent. I'm as skeptical as you about most surveys, Crypto. This one is a big national survey that has good validity and reliability according to studies I've seen. Maybe I'm wrong, but what seems flakey is changing the definition of the outcome measure from actual prevalence to attacks. You can see an improvement in attacks if you dispense enough medicine, but you can't see an increase in prevalence from that measure. :) Greyeagle, I'm the liberal nut pointing this out. It's the R'sadministration who have not appointed a permanent Surgeon General to oversee CDC and other agencies. If something in the food supply or air is causing this, then the right wingnuts calling these shots are making money off the suffering of our children.

A: I totally agree with you.I believe the definition from disease to attacks has had some Liberal nuts involved! If this is to continue as is,we as a nation will never be able, to be made aware of an epidemic. And by the look of it,we may well be on our way! God For-Bid!

Q: At what age can a child use an inhaler instead of a nebulizer for asthma?
My son will be six years old in November, and is in kindergarten. He has nebulizer treatments when his asthma is acting up (surrounding changes in weather, which are starting up for the autumn), and I was wondering at what age kids start using inhalers instead of nebulizers? I'd much rather him have it in his backpack and be able to use it without cutting into the schoolday than to have him have to go to the nurse's office and do the nebulizer treatment. There is an exception in my state regarding inhalers. They're the only medicine the kids can keep on them and use. Also, I'm aware of the air chamber thing. I'm actually asking about JUST the inhaler.

A: There really is no particular age that defines when a child can use an inhaler. It really depends on how well the child learns and is aware of his/her surroundings. Your son should be able to use the inhaler if you teach him how to use it; going over steps with him, telling him to hold his breath for the count of 10, etc. However, usage of the inhaler also depends on whether or not your son realizes when he has an asthmatic attack; some people do not realize when this is happening until it is too late and they cannot think of what to do properly. (So the nurse should have a backup nebulizer with her even if your son has his inhaler.)

Q: How do I tell my sister-in-law with children about second hand smoke?
Hello. My sisiter-in-law is a heavy smoker and smokes heavily in the house. She has 3 small children. My nieces and nephew are CONSTANTLY getting respiratory problems, (i.e colds, bronchitis, sinus infections) and my nephew has asthma. He has to take breathing treatments and sometimes it gets really bad. When the kids are sick, she continues to smoke in the house and seems to have no regard for them, or even realise that if she didn't do that, they may not get sick as much, not to mention, the smoking indoors isn't helping when they ARE sick! I want to talk to her. I don't want to tell her to quit, as I know she never will. But I do want to suggest she smoke outside instead, ESPECIALLY when they are sick (as they are currently) We live in Florida. It's not that hard to do. The only thing is, I am so afraid she is going to get angry with me or defensive, and I don't want that. But, I care greatly about my nephew and nieces. PLEASE HELP! How do I do this???? This has to stop!

A: It is your sister-in-law's choice to make. You have no right to tell her not to smoke in her own home. You should not interfere.

Q: How old was your child when they got diagnosed with asthma?
What are the symptoms? My son has had bronchitis once and it was cured with antibiotics but he's still wheezing and the doctor says he doesnt have bronchitis anymore but I brought up asthma and he said he didnt want to assume anything but I don't like that he's wheezing. I think he should at least give him a breathing treatment, I have an inhaler and I know it would help him alot. My son is 14 months.

A: My daughter was diagnosed between age 1 and 2. Currently at age 7, she seems to have outgrown most of it. My son was diagnosed at 6 weeks. Everyone thought it was pneumonia until the x-rays came back clean. My daughter was given a nebulizer. I loved that! It made giving her medication easier (noisier, but easier). My son was given one of those masks that you put the inhaler into. It just didn't seem to work as well, not to mention he outgrew it quickly. I would not give your son any of your inhaler. He will not be able to get enough of the medication in and kept in long enough to do any good. (Not to mention, it will be the wrong dose for him.) You should ask your son's doctor about trying out a nebulizer. With my experience (with my kids and kids I was in charge of), the nebulizer gets more medication in and it doesn't overwhelm them as much.

Q: Can asthma be distinguished from acute bronchitis just by listening?
Our 13-month-old just recovered from a case of viral pneumonia or something like that (you never know exactly with small children; influenza was ruled out by a test). She is back in good spirits, fairly active, though still no appetite, and has a raspy lingering cough with a lot of phlegm. At a minimum, she seems to have acute bronchitis as described here: www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/001087.htm We saw a doctor as follow-up, who listened to her chest, heard the obvious wheezing and breathing difficulty, and immediately diagnosed asthma. He prescribed oral and inhaled steroids along with inhaled salbutamol (at a daily dose 2.5 times the maximum indicated on the label). We were surprised and confused, and wondered if asthma diagnosis and treatment is premature at this point. Acute bronchitis would be very common in the circumstance, and we wondered if a doctor could distinguish that from asthma just by listening to a child's breathing. The baby does not cough and has no noticeable breathing problems at other times, when she is not sick or just recovering from a sickness, though she does seem prone to a bit of bronchitis after a cold (happened twice before and went away after a few days). She is currently on a seven-day course of amoxicillin (mild antibiotic). The NIH, in the link above, suggests the normal treatment for acute bronchitis is just fluids, rest, steam, and wait a week. Do all those drugs really make sense?

A: Even if it is just bronchial, It's good to give steroids like they prescribed. It helps to get rid of the wheezing and loosen the phlegm or fluid that might still be in the lungs.especially after having pneumonia a lot of times babies have asthma but are diagnosed as having Bronchial infections instead. If you can hear the wheezing and she is coughing and it is raspy you should continue her on the steroids.

Q: My children have been fighting with sinus infections, coughing, runny nose since birth no-one No's the cause?
already taken singular, breathing treatments, nazonex, saline, cough syrup, benedryl-just about every medicine you could think of. They've been to nose-throat and ear specialist same results. I feel no-one is hearing my cry and my children are suffering PLEASE SOMEONE HELP. I only have medicade insurance. My 1 year old has had 3 ear infections and amonia this month alone. all 3 has been diagnosed with asthma but I'm telling you there is something else wrong I just do not know what.My 1 year old don't even know how to breathe out of her nose because it's been clogged for so long.

A: Honestly I feel our air has changed, I just turned 40 in December and never in my life did I ever experience sinus problems outside of a cold. But ironically after 911 happened, about 2 yrs later me, my husband and now my 72 yr old father all suffer with sinus problems and some sort of allergy. My father was given an inhaler 2 yrs ago because it was so bad that when he would lay down, he couldn't breath- I insisted he tell the doctor to get and ex ray because at one point he had bronchitis and even after that he had a bad dry cough- after having the x-ray they found fluid in his lungs, draining a quart and a half out. Sounds gross I know!! But his doc told him that for some reason more and more people are coming in with allergies and sinus troubles, that something must have changed in the air. I believe this is true given that I was never one to ever have any problems, but now as soon as the summer comes to a close, my sinus start to act up- right through to winter then they get better until Spring, that is when it starts up again. This doesn't help you I am sure, but there isn't a cure for what we are enduring. Only meds to help us through them. You might want to get a humidifier, and maybe even an air purifier for the hallway where the kids sleep. And change the air filter in your heater every 6 months, this will help some too. Did you hear about the mediorite that came down in peru? Sickened hundreds of people who went to the site, upper respitory issues, nausea and congestion... makes you stop and think what is really going on with the world these days- more and more illnesses are popping up, and allergy cases in those who never before had them. Ask the doc about an inhaler if it is safe for the kids to use, if need be find another doc who takes your medicaid and get a second opinion possibly another doctor will have a more effective solution. Good luck- I know how stressed you must feel and at your wits end with this- wish I could be of more help.

Q: Is Asthma a medical emergency? Senator Obama?
Are Emergency rooms a good place to go if you are having a Asthma Attack that is out of control? Senator Obama thought that Asthma is not an Emergency room condition. As an Emergency Admissions Officer I have seen many children and adults admitted to the ER for treatment. It is a medical emergency or not. What if the inhaler is not working?

A: It is a medical emergency, and people go to the emergency room because they do not have the insurance to cover the proper health medications and precautions. That is why people end up in the hospital. If they had their inhaler, if they had their medication, if they had their doctors instructions -- that could help people avoid emergencies. Obama's point was to make sure people HAVE those precautions so that they DON'T end up in the hospital. He NEVER once said he thought Asthma was not a medical emergency.