How To Control Your Asthma

You know you did everything by the book and here you are having an asthma attack. What I tell people when they tell me that they are doing everything by the book is that their asthma...well, it has never read the book. It doesn't know that it is supposed to behave a certain way. Controlling ones asthma requires following the doctor's orders and some good common sense.

1. What triggers your asthma?
-If every time you go to the store and walk down the perfume aisle, you have an attack, maybe you should avoid going down that aisle.

-If dust is your trigger then make sure that you change your furnace filter every three months and get something that cleans the air.

Other triggers can be a cold or the flu. At the first sign of these coming on, get in contact with your Pulmonologist to see what you should do to keep your asthma under control.
Irritants such as cigarette smoke, stress, and strong smelling cleaning agents are also things that trigger your asthma.

Avoid those triggers as much as is possible. If you for some reason are not able to avoid it, keep a rescue inhaler on your person at all times. Rescue inhalers can include the following: Proventil, Albuterol, Ventolin, Combivent. These are all fast acting inhalers.

2. What are your doctor's orders?

If your doctor has ordered some long lasting bronchiodilators such as Spiriva, Foradil or Serevent, Continue to take those even if you are feeling good. Likewise, if your doctor has ordered maintenance breathing medications like Advair or Asthmanex, keep taking those every day even if your breathing is fantastic.

One of the biggest myths surrounding asthma is that it is not a serious illness to have. People's airways may be more reactive than other people's airways, but whenever we are speaking of an illness that has to do with breathing, it is a serious illness. The American Lung Association says, "When you cannot breathe, nothing else matters...". Anyone who has ever had to fight for their next breath knows that this is very true. Asthma, no matter how "mild", should be taken seriously.

Another myth of Asthma is that any doctor is qualified to manage one's asthma. This is an illness that requires a specialist. A Pulmonolgist is a lung specialist. They should be aware of the treatments that are new and are working better and longer than the old treatments. Your family doctor is wonderful, but when you have Asthma, you should not trust your breathing to just any doctor.

I wish you luck and good breathing.

Pediatric Asthma

My advice to pediatric asthma treatment is that you find an outstanding Pediatric Pulmonologist. It is also important that this Pulmonologist have excellent Respiratory Therapists on staff to do teaching that your child or you can understand. It is important that a Pulmologist be involved because of all of the new treatments and medications that have come about just in the last 20 years.

Things that are involved in treating pediatric asthma involve a Peak Flow Meter. It is important to know the peak flow meter zones and what each of them mean and what actions are necessary to take to help your child's breathing get better as soon as possible.

Which medicines are safe for what age group? A Pediatric Pulmonologist will know the ages or will know to look up to see which drugs should be used. As a parent, it is difficult to see a child who is having difficulty breathing. When do you call a doctor? What signs and symptoms should you look for? Here are a couple of things to look for when assessing the breathing of your child.

1. How fast are they breathing? A baby can breath around 40 times a minute normally, while an adult's normal breathing is around 15. If your baby is breathing over 50 times a minute that is cause for concern.

2. Are they making grunting noises when they breath at the end of each breath?
This is also a sign of breathing difficulties

3. Are their nostrils flaring. Are they going out when they breathe in?

4. Are they using all of their tummy muscles to breathe?

Is the baby not eating like they should? Are they less energetic than they should be?

When you see these signs in a baby, it is time to call the doctor, or just take them to the emergency room.

In an child it is different. They can tell you when they don't feel good or when their breathing is not right. However, here are some signs that their breathing is not normal.

1. Frequent coughing spells.

2. Breathing faster than normal.

3. Less active than normal.

4. Feeling short of breath. Can they say a complete sentence without having to stop and take a breath?

5. Breathing with their tummy muscles, like they have just run around the block.

All of these are signs of Asthma. All of these are reasons to get your child to the doctor as fast as possible or to the Emergency if the symptoms are serious enough.

Again, you will need to seek the advice and help of a Pediatric Pulmonolgist. The things that they will do to treat your child's asthma can include the following:

-Peak Flow monitoring
-Nebulizer Breathing Treatments with Bronchodilators and corticosteroids
-MDI (Metered Dose Inhalers) Therapy which can include the rescue inhaler, long lasting bronchodialators, and corticosteroid MDI's
-Allergy Medication

Please remember that your child's breathing is a serious matter. If they complain of being short of breath or if you notice any signs and symptoms of them having any difficulty breathing, you need to get them help immediately.

The American Lung Association says, "When you can't breathe, nothing else matters..." This is very true. I wish you and your child free and easy breathing.