Posted on 08/29/2007 11:48:52 PM PDT by neverdem
Children ages 5 to 11 with asthma require different treatment than do adults, guidelines issued yesterday by the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute say.
The new guidelines are the first to recognize that this age group has distinct needs and should not be lumped together with adults, as has been done in the past.
Specifically, these children can often control their asthma with inhalers that contain only steroid drugs, whereas adults are more likely to need inhalers that combine steroids and other medicines.
(The steroids used to treat asthma are different from the ones that athletes take to bulk up their muscles.)
The new information is part of a 440-page report (http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/guidelines/asthma/asthgdln.htm) that spells out details for diagnosing and treating the disease. The report emphasizes that every patient should have a treatment plan that considers not only current symptoms, but also the risk of future attacks. Someone with asthma can be feeling perfectly fine and yet still be at high risk of having a severe attack. The risk is based on the history of asthma attacks and related problems like allergies, and it is an important factor in determining the type of medicine needed and how often it should be used.
People with persistent asthma need to take medicine every day to prevent attacks, even when they are feeling well, and the report notes that educating patients and their families is an essential part of controlling the disease. Patients must be persuaded to take medicine even when they do not feel sick, and they need to be taught how to use inhalers properly, or the medicine will not reach their lungs.
(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...
Well we know only too well what asthma meds can do to a child don’t we?
The increase in asthma in kids (and adults) really irks me. I have theories. Un PC ones. I knew 1 (one) kid in my entire school (and I knew everyone in my school) who had asthma attacks after running and that was it.
My youngest daughter was allergic to mold. That always caused asthma-like reaction. Check and see if the school has black mold. Just a thought. Blessings and prayers for your daughter.
It's kind of like the 800% increase in psychotropic meds for children between 1990 and 2000. Where were all the emotionally sick kids in the '60s, '70s and '80s? All of a sudden every kid that looks cross eyed at the teacher needs Ritalin or Prozac. Don't get me started.
“Its strange how so many children now have it.”
Yes. It’s strange. Which is my point. It’s way too late to elaborate tonight. I’m heading to bed. Haven’t seen you in awhile. Hope all is well.
I’m sure glad that Sassy is still doing good.
Recheck that mold issue. I'd call the DHS and have them check the building if she responds badly to being back in school. It's not enough to see. You need to make sure.
“Don’t get me started.”
I won’t. See my last post. I’m bleary-eyed. (but would love to have this conversation some time because I sense you’re a kindred spirit).
I’m off to bed soon too but if medicine today makes your blood boil, especially regarding children, then we’re two peas in a pod. lol
I am very sorry for your loss. I am sure she is an angel now.....You both will be in my prayers. ~Pandora~
When I grew up, I knew one kid with a history of asthma. His ancestry was Italian. My theory is that white devils from the northern parts of Europe self selected themselves to tolerate air pollution from a smoky hearth in their shelters which kept them warm at home.
Thank you, but call DHS. It’s important. Might be more than just your baby who is suffering.
Yes I will . I plan to point it out at the 1st PTO meeting & talk to the school nurse & principal. But I will make that call and get other mothers to call too.
That’s great advice, pandy. Watch her closely the first week or two of school and see if there are changes in her health and what they are. Don’t say anything to her so you don’t influence her thinking about it. But if problems crop up ask her some questions like “when did this start?” “Where were you?” Just a straigtforward “what started this?” can get you an insightful answer that she doesn’t even understand that she has. The biggest clue though will be if there’s an immediate change.
Xactly.
Thank you. I’m very sorry about your daughter. You’ll be in my prayers too. Thank you for bringing your good advice here.
How nice you are. Thank you. I just love how supportive FReepers can be.
Thanks for the advice. I wanted to homeschool & we did all summer. But when we talked to her about it she said please let me go to school... I love going. So we are . My oldest daughter(now 28 yrs old) had a tutor for almost a year when she got sick so I know it can be done. Its strange but since she got off those 2 drugs she has been so much better. She had an allergy med for the beginning of the summer but the dr took her off it when the pollen season was over & we had no problems. I honestly felt her old dr was turning her into a mini drug addict. Both the drs in that office made me feel like I was a bad mother. In fact the woman dr hinted on calling social services on me if I took her off the drugs. She never came out & said it directly but she sure scared me enough into getting a new dr asap. Time for bed for me...Sassy gets up early. It was good to meet you & I hope to see you again ..~Pandora~
Good luck, FRiend. My prayers are with your daughter.
A friend of my daughter is doing her residency. Several welfare patients have tried to get her to say they or their kid has asthma even though they don’t. Why? They can have air-conditioning installed and it becomes a medical expense paid for by us.
She ran these cases past the doctors and they said, “Oh, go ahead and give it to them.”
Great system.
Not saying all asthma patients are faking it, but there are probably a lot of happy, cool scammers out there as the word of this great benefit gets around very quickly.
Your theory may be very close to what I believe to be the correct one. ;) Lack of exposure to various elements in fresh air.
Until fairly recently, children were exposed immediately at birth to fresh air (OMG!), which includes all kinds of things. Beginning in the late seventies, hospitals began to close up their windows. I remember fighting with staff when my son was born. I wanted the window open. They kept closing it. They gave me a humidifier which made the stuffy room worse.
I’m not big on a/c either. I think it causes health problems for children and adults. Homes and businesses are becoming more air-tight and more of them use a/c. More and more people are spending their days inside in more sterile environments - places that are professionally cleaned on a daily basis. No fresh air, no dirt, but plenty of germs from other people.
Since the mid-to-late eighties, kids have been plopped in daycare/preschool where they spend most of their time in an enclosed environment (no open windows). School windows are no longer opened. Mom heads off to her job which is in an enclosed environment (no open windows). Then she picks her kids up and they head home to an enclosed environment. Mom gets pregnant in an enclosed environment and spends the bulk of her pregnancy in an enclosed environment.
No exposure to allergens leads to lack of build up of tolerance to those allergens.
Wanna do one on the obesity problem now?
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