- Share This Post
- Pin It
- 0
- 1
-
Sparkle (0)
I saw a teen the other day who had just stepped off the soccer field at school. I was there to watch my niece play. His color was grey and he was sweating profusely. I asked him if he was having trouble breathing and he just nodded. He was struggling to breathe and wheezing. Since I didn't have my stethoscope, I put my ear to his chest and was shocked to hear that very little air was moving and there were crackles and wheezes with the intake of air and when breathing out.
He had forgotten to take his allergy medication for the last few days, which is very common in teenagers. He told me later that he had been using his rescue inhaler 8-10 times/day, but when it stopped working, he stopped using it. He didn't want to tell his parents because he felt that in the past when he said he was having trouble breathing that they told him that it would pass when the pollen counts got lower.
His dad was there and luckily after a quick discussion about his son's condition, they headed off to the ER. Later the dad called me to fill me in on his son's experience. He needed several nebulizing breathing treatments and didn't come home until the middle of the night. The dad was upset with himself, because he hadn't known how bad his son's asthma was and how close he came to not being able to breathe.
My Message to All Parents Who Have Kids With Asthma is This:
- Check in with your kids, and find out how often they're using their inhalers
- Get regular check ups with your pediatrician and/or pulmonologist (lung specialist)
- Use the daily medications as directed, if they're not working, go back to your provider
- Don't try to manage asthma on your own, there are well qualified, licensed health care providers who can guide you, and
- Ask for a preventive plan and what to do if there's a sudden worsening in symptoms.
This time of year when allergies to grass and pollen increase, it can trigger an asthma attack. Be especially alert for the combination of exercise, seasonal allergies and asthma.
Don't forget to follow me on Twitter@NurseBarb.Dehn.
