Allergic Asthma, A Family's Story...

Our son Will is 9 years old. He was diagnosed with asthma when he was 5 years old. Ear infections, colds, sinus problems, and upper respiratory problems were common. These problems were so common that the pediatrician would prescribe an antibiotic for him without an office visit.

When Will entered kindergarten, he complained about Physical Education class. I assumed this was because he wasn't used to going to school and running around. I thought he would get used to it eventually. About 2 months into the school year, his eyes were swollen and itched. We took him to the doctor, who put him on the nebulizer with albuterol immediately.

Since that time, it has been like finding a needle in a haystack when it came to getting all the information we needed. It seems like the doctors would rather label the problem anything except asthma.

Although Will rarely misses school now because of his asthma problems, he used to be absent frequently. I believe that if we had been given all of the information we needed from the beginning, he would not have been absent so often (and we would have had fewer sleepless nights).  We thought we had it under control, but today Will had his worse asthma attack ever. The weather was cool and dry, and he was playing outside. He came in gasping for breath with his shoulders up, making an attempt to open his lungs. I gave him a breathing treatment of albuterol and cromolyn in the nebulizer. I also gave him a dose of Prelone syrup. I didn't panic like I have in the past, but he sure did.

Sometimes Will asks us, "Why was I born with asthma? And will I have it forever?" This is the hardest part of having a child with asthma that is exercise and allergy induced. All of the things he is allergic to are in the public school system (proven by skin test). We now use the Peak Flow Meter every day to check Will's lung capacity. When his asthma is on the rise, he is irritable and doesn't do well in school.

We are still looking for answers and don’t know where else to turn. 

Dr. Judd’s Comments:

This is an all too common story.  All across the United States families just like Will’s are struggling with life-changing and sometimes life-threatening asthma.  Will’s mother heard the dreaded diagnosis and then couldn’t get the answers that she needed to help her son.  Do you know anyone in a similar situation?  Have they found any help?  So far the only option for most families has been to shell out large sums of money on ineffective treatments designed to cover the symptoms.  Doesn’t  it make more sense to fix a problem at its root cause?  Of course it does!  Now is the time to act.  If you know someone whose family suffers with asthma, give them a copy of this newsletter.  We are holding an informative workshop designed to teach families about new and more effective options for controlling and even eliminating asthma.  Your friends need your help so please invite someone in need to this seminar.  It may change their lives!

Yours in abundant health,

Click here to read "The Top 7 Food Allergies in Children (And Most Adults, Too!)"