My 4 year old son is diagnosed as a severe asthmatic. He had been having difficulity breathing since age 1. Although my husband and I suspected asthma, the medical community was hesitant to give us an asthma diagnosis until the age of 2. He now has 4 doctors-pulmonologist, peditrican, ENT, and an ale...
-
Untitled Comment
James Thompson, MD
Tuesday, May 20, 2008 at 06:59 PM
Dear MR,
Parenting a child that has severe asthma can be an incredible challenge. I have two of them. They are now grown but they had severe asthma almost from birth.
You are right. Doctors can be confusing and contradictory at times. Complex medical problems have different approaches that may be selected based on the experience and training of the physician. Your doctors probably had differing opinions in how to reach the same goals. The goals of asthma therapy are to minimize chest symptoms, normalize lung function, prevent attacks, reduce limitations at home, school or at work, and achieve full participation in sports and other activities. You have probably learned that there are many ways to achieve these goals.
It is important to learn as much as you can about asthma and medications used for treatment. Environmental trigger factors are also important to address. This site is a great resource for learning more about asthma. There are weekly postings by experts from a variety of backgrounds. Although you may have an in-depth understanding currently, there is always much more to learn.
Share your information with other family members and close friends. Discuss points of interest with your doctors. Establishing a partnership with your doctors and their nurses is very important.
Please continue to utilize this site. Hopefully the adenoid and tonsil removal will result in better function of your son's nose and lungs. Please give us a follow-up posting about your son.
Best Wishes,
J. Thompson, MD
Dear MR,
Parenting a child that has severe asthma can be an incredible challenge. I have two of them. They are now grown but they had severe asthma almost from birth.
You are right. Doctors can be confusing and contradictory at times. Complex medical problems have different approaches that may be selected based on the experience and training of the physician. Your doctors probably had differing opinions in how to reach the same goals. The goals of asthma therapy are to minimize chest symptoms, normalize lung function, prevent attacks, reduce limitations at home, school or at work, and achieve full participation in sports and other activities. You have probably learned that there are many ways to achieve these goals.
It is important to learn as much as you can about asthma and medications used for treatment. Environmental trigger factors are also important to address. This site is a great resource for learning more about asthma. There are weekly postings by experts from a variety of backgrounds. Although you may have an in-depth understanding currently, there is always much more to learn.
Share your information with other family members and close friends. Discuss points of interest with your doctors. Establishing a partnership with your doctors and their nurses is very important.
Please continue to utilize this site. Hopefully the adenoid and tonsil removal will result in better function of your son's nose and lungs. Please give us a follow-up posting about your son.
Best Wishes,
J. Thompson, MD