Hi Hayley... Oh dear, I feel for you. It's hard enough being a parent and dealing with illness in your child, without being given conflicting, confusing advice by healthcare professionals. I am a nurse and as a nurse, I'm appalled that your school nurse gave you such advice. First off, as nurses, we do not have the right or the expertise to diagnose. So she should never have told you that your daughter doesn't have asthma. That's not for her to say. Second, it was irresponsible of her to contradict what the doctor said, without discussing it with him first.

My advice is to consult with a pediatric asthma expert as soon as possible to get things cleared up. This is a specialist, usually an allergist is what you want to ask for. When you go, be sure to bring the peak flow log and any other observations you've been making about your daughter's condition, as well as the prescribed medications.

One thing to help calm your fears right now... asthma is not always easy to diagnose in kids, as it's hard to do the kinds of tests that confirm an asthma diagnosis in adults. So diagnosis is based mostly on a medical history and an examination of the child, plus perhaps peak flow readings.

While most people with asthma do find that symptoms get worse at night, it can also depend on exposure to asthma triggers. It could be that whatever triggers your daughter's asthma symptoms is something she's encountering more in the morning than at bedtime, such as a family pet.

I would take what the nurse told you with a grain of salt at this point in time; she may not be an expert on childhood asthma at all. Get the facts from an asthma expert and do be sure to ask about an Asthma Action Plan for your daughter. That should help clear things up for you.

Good luck & hang in there,

Kathi

Kathi MacNaughton

3/31/10 11:24pm

Oops, I see I read your original question a bit hastily and it was the "asthma nurse" not the school nurse who you dealt with. Regardless, I suggest you get the final answer from an asthma specialty doctor who is qualified to diagnose and treat asthma in kids.

Hayley

4/ 1/10 5:46am

Hi Kathi,

Thank you so much for taking the time to reply to me. Yes, I really feel that the information the nurse gave me was incorrect, I have made an appointment with my doctor for next week, and will be asking for her to be referred to an allergist. I am convinced her problems are food related actually, even though my doctor says that foods do not often causes flares in asthma or eczema. As a mum, I can see that it does affect her. The oral steroids cleared her skin better than I have ever know it, she has also been gluten/dairy free for about 6 weeks, then I allowed her to go to a birthday party and eat the same foods as everyone else, next day we are back to awful eczema again, bed sheets covered in blood and sleepless nights, her peak flow has dropped too. I think an allergist is definatly the way to go, however i just need to convince my doctor to refer her as the last time I asked, she said there was no point. Thank you again for your good advice and understanding, sometimes with asthma/eczema/allergies you can  feel very alone.

Hayley

Kathi MacNaughton

4/ 1/10 11:22am

Hi Hayley, I'm glad to help, and you need never feel alone here at HealthCentral. It is your right and your responsibility as a mother to advocate for your daughter, and everyone has the right to a second opinion, so try not to take no for an answer when you next talk to her doctor.

 

Experts recommend that all people with asthma and allergies consult with a specialist (allergist) at least once, as they are the  ones most expert in the area. For your doctor to say there is no point sounds to me like she feels threatened. If her resistance continues, you may want to consider getting your daughter a new doctor, if possible.

 

And be sure to tell the new doctor all of your observations about possible cause and effect. After all, who knows your child better than you?

 

Hang in there and good luck!

Kathi