Anyone know anything about reactive airway disease??

[TinkBoo&ElliesMum]

Belle was diagnosed with reactive airway disease and possible asthma today. She had RSV twice as a newborn, she's always had lung/breathing issues, any cold she gets goes right to her lungs. This time it's been nearly two months of hacking coughs and now she's wheezing.

We went to Children's (I could handle not seeing that place again for awhile!) for a chest x-ray and we'll know what they shows on Monday. Until then she's on zyrtec and albuterol with the nebulizer. Looks like we're taking the nebulizer with us to WDW - oh joy!

Anyone else deal with this? I'm wondering what her long term health is going to be like, she's an active one but ends up having to stop to cough a lot these days.

 

[dis4me]

all of my kids have RAD/asthma. My doctor uses those terms synomonously. They have only had problems when they have repiratory infections or colds though. Then they get terrible cough and need to use a nebulizer or inhale with albuterol. Luckily it goes away within a few days. My so has gotten it a little worse where he has needed steroids to help open his airway.
They now let asthma children participate in all activites. As long as it is not exercise induced your chid should b abe to do every thing other children do
Hope she is feeling better soon. How old is she?

 

[janette]

I also thought it was the same thing as asthma. My 10yo DD had RSV at about 6mths. She really never fully recovered. We did nebulizer treatments daily until she was about 2 and then she seemed better.

When she was 6 she ended up in the hospital when she got sick and got very bad pretty quickly. Since then we've been on several asthma maintence drugs and she's done really well again.

Treating asthma is very different now, they really do more to treat the disease itself instead of just the symptoms with the rescue inhalers. It really hasn't slowed my DD down at all, she's very active.

We do have to be careful of viruses / colds, she can get sicker than most kids. Like your Ellie she coughs when she isn't moving air very well. I've learned to recognize it and treat at that time. Although you don't hear the wheezing she probably is with the cough. If you can hear the wheeze it's pretty bad.

I hope they are able to find her a treatment plan that works for her.

 

[RNMOM]

I'm sitting here using my Omron Microair nebulizer right now. I would highly recommend a small, portable nebulizer if you are traveling. This one is micro small and the whole case with storage is about the size of a thick pencil case. There is a slightly larger one that is much less expensive.

Here is a site with the unit. I paid $289.00 one year ago. Prices are coming down and it is sooo easy to use and clean.

http://www.portablenebs.com/

 

[Divamomto3]

My middle son has asthma. He is 9 now and has had it since he was a baby. It is not exercise induced and it is only triggered when he has an upper respiratory thing going on like a cold. He has improved tremendously over that last couple of years. He takes a Claritin tablet everyday for allergies and that seems to have helped him a lot. He was on a preventative steroid inhaler when he was 6 or 7, but we don't need that anymore.

He plays on 2 soccer teams and runs like the wind...never had trouble. I try to keep him away from dust (is that possible? LOL). I don't let him usually sleep on the floor for sleepovers, etc., he has a hypoallergenic pillow.

We have to take the neb machine to WDW too. We take it on every trip and in 9 years, I've only needed it one time in New Hampshire...but luckily we had it because we were in the middle of nowhere and the house we rented probably had dust or mold he was allergic to and that triggered it.

My son's only gets his asthma or "reactive airway disease" when he is suffering from allergies or a cold.

Hugs to you and Ellie...this is really common these days for whatever reason.

 

[wuv tigger]

Originally posted by RNMOM
I'm sitting here using my Omron Microair nebulizer right now. I would highly recommend a small, portable nebulizer if you are traveling. This one is micro small and the whole case with storage is about the size of a thick pencil case. There is a slightly larger one that is much less expensive.

Here is a site with the unit. I paid $289.00 one year ago. Prices are coming down and it is sooo easy to use and clean.

http://www.portablenebs.com/

Of the Omran Hand Held Neb. Runs on 2 AA Batteries.

DO take extra batteries from home as the cost WAY too much @ WDW!

Judy

 

[TinkBoo&ElliesMum]

Originally posted by dis4me
all of my kids have RAD/asthma. My doctor uses those terms synomonously. They have only had problems when they have repiratory infections or colds though. Then they get terrible cough and need to use a nebulizer or inhale with albuterol. Luckily it goes away within a few days. My so has gotten it a little worse where he has needed steroids to help open his airway.
They now let asthma children participate in all activites. As long as it is not exercise induced your chid should b abe to do every thing other children do
Hope she is feeling better soon. How old is she?

She's 2, 3 in December.

I guess we'll wait and see, right now when she's playing hard she'll get to coughing so hard she throws up - this has been going on for almost two months!! Of course it gets worse right before we leave! She's handling it well though, thinks the mask is funny and the zyrtec didn't cause the screaming and crying like most meds do.

 

[Doc and Family]

Reactive Airways Disease is a broad category, which includes Ashtma, Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, etc.

It describes a condition whereby the persons "airways" (ie, bronchi, alveoli) react to some irritant or condition.

The airways usually react by spasming (bronchospasm) which is treated by medicines that relax the smooth muscle lining the bronchial tree--bronchodilators like albuterol.

If the cause can be identified (dust mites, pollen, grass, etc), the treatment is to block/avoid the offending agents or block their biochemical pathway that leads to bronchospasm.

Asthma is also an iflammatory condition, meaning some type of anti-inflammatory (inhaled usually, although IV and oral are also used) agent may be required.

A lot of people use the terms interchangeably.

Her long term health should be just fine as long as you stay on top of any attacks and minimize the extent and duration of them as much as possible.

 

[janette]

My DD also does that when she's coughing.

Hopefully the treatments will help ease it before your trip. How many times a day are you doing the albuterol? If it doesn't seem to be helping you might ask if you can do it more often and even off schedule when she seems to be having trouble like coughing. It will help to open the airways, when my DD was younger we sometimes did albuterol several times a day but her Dr will tell you how to work that out.

Are you seeing a specialist? Either a Pulmonary or allergy? Pulmonary might be best because of her age, both these specialists tend to know lots about both areas since they are often related to the same problems. I would expect them to be talking about maintenance drugs, the ones you are using now are an allergy & rescue medications. The allergy will help long term but the albuterol only treats the immediate symptoms.

I've traveled with a nebulizer, not too bad and so much better to have it with you. You might ask if they have a nebulizer at the 1st aid stations at WDW if you need to use it. That way you could just carry the meds & mask with you just in case.

 

[huey duey & luey]

My kids were born 9 weeks premature. 2 suffer from RAD/asthma. The first winter they received synagis shot to prevent RSV,. They did get colds were on inhalation xopenex/allbuterol and had orapred (steriod). Last year they received the flu shot and only got sick from Oct-april, where they needed the steriod and nebulizer. My dr. said that the earlier onset the more likely they will outgrow it (true?). I am not sure my kids will get the flu vaccine this year so I guess time will.
Tara