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Respiratory Disorders (Expert Forum)
Asthma in children
Answered by
This forum is for questions and support regarding lung and respiratory issues such as: Allergies, Asthma, Bronchitis, Colds - Flu, Chronic Cough, COPD, Cystic Fibrosis, Emphysema, Fibrosis, Lung Abscess, Nasal Polyps, Pleurisy, Pneumonia, Sarcoidosis, Sinusitis, Tuberculosis
Asthma in children
by gsaucy, Feb 06, 2004 12:00AM
My son was diagnosed with asthma when he was 3 months old, since then he has been having problems with excessive mucus to the point where he vomits in excess. I want to help him but the doctors that he is seeing only seem to sedate him. He is in school now and needs some medications that won't make him so tired. We have tried a number of different types of medicine but most of them give him headaches. Are there any medicines on the market that are good to stop the coughing and vomitting?
Doctor's Answer
by National Jewish, Feb 11, 2004 12:00AM
, Feb 11, 2004 12:00AM
Before your question can be answered it is important to know the nature of your son’s problem. Then the best treatment can be recommended for his condition.
Since your son was diagnosed with asthma when he was 3 months old, he was too young to have asthma testing done. Testing for asthma starts with a simple breathing test called spirometry. This test provides detailed information about how the lungs are working. It will show if there is obstruction in the airways. However, children need to be able to follow directions well in order for spirometry to be useful in determining if their symptoms are due to asthma. Generally children need to be at least school age to do this. To really test for asthma it is best to repeat this test after using a rescue inhaler, an inhaled quick-relief medicine. This measures how much the medicine helps your son’s lungs by reversing the problem. When there is a 20% increase the test is positive for asthma. An allergist or a pulmonologist would be the type of specialist to arrange for this testing and to help you get the best treatment. Until children are old enough to be tested, they are commonly treated with asthma medicines.
A lung problem such as asthma could cause a cough to the point of vomiting. A cough can be the only symptom of asthma. In this situation using a cough syrup, especially with codeine, is not recommended. Since the cough would be suppressed, the asthma could be getting worse and you would not know it. Instead when the cough is due to asthma, generally the cough is helped by an inhaled quick-relief medicine. However it is also possible that there is some other problem causing your son’s cough.
Postnasal drip is drainage from the nose and sinuses dripping down the back of the throat. There could be several reasons for this drainage. One reason is an allergy. A second reason is a non-allergic, non-infectious inflammation in the sinuses that can linger after a cold. A third reason is chronic sinusitis. This may be identified on a sinus x-ray, but sometimes a CT scan of the sinuses is needed. Postnasal drip can cause coughing as a result of irritation of the throat and lungs. Your son may experience the postnasal drip as coughing to the point of vomiting.
The fat content in dairy products can thicken mucus. Generally eating dairy products with less fat content is helpful. Drinking plenty of water will help to thin the mucus so that it moves more easily. As long as your son is not on a fluid restriction he should be drinking 6 to 8 8-ounce glasses of non-caffeine non-alcoholic fluid daily. If your son clears his throat this can irritate his throat and make it sore. When he feels the need to clear his throat, he should sip some water to clear the mucus.
An antihistamine can dry up the postnasal drip. However, it may make the mucus thicker and more difficult to move. A decongestant like Sudafed® (pseudoephedrine) can thin the postnasal drip and decrease the swelling so it drains easier. A combination antihistamine-decongestant will do both. Check with your son’s doctor to see which would help him more. There are non-sedating antihistamines that will help without making him tired.
A nasal wash helps remove mucus and germs from your son’s nose and sinuses. This can temporarily decrease the postnasal drip and lessen coughing. A prescription nasal steroid spray decreases mucus production by decreasing the inflammation of the nose and sinuses. This may prevent the postnasal drip and coughing. To get the most help from a nasal steroid spray use it after doing a nasal wash. A nasal steroid spray does not provide immediate relief of symptoms. It may require several weeks of routine use to become effective. Please read our Nasal Wash MedFact at http://www.nationaljewish.org/medfacts/nasal.html for more information about this technique. Share this information with your son’s doctor to see if he would benefit from this daily treatment.
Since your son was diagnosed with asthma when he was 3 months old, he was too young to have asthma testing done. Testing for asthma starts with a simple breathing test called spirometry. This test provides detailed information about how the lungs are working. It will show if there is obstruction in the airways. However, children need to be able to follow directions well in order for spirometry to be useful in determining if their symptoms are due to asthma. Generally children need to be at least school age to do this. To really test for asthma it is best to repeat this test after using a rescue inhaler, an inhaled quick-relief medicine. This measures how much the medicine helps your son’s lungs by reversing the problem. When there is a 20% increase the test is positive for asthma. An allergist or a pulmonologist would be the type of specialist to arrange for this testing and to help you get the best treatment. Until children are old enough to be tested, they are commonly treated with asthma medicines.
A lung problem such as asthma could cause a cough to the point of vomiting. A cough can be the only symptom of asthma. In this situation using a cough syrup, especially with codeine, is not recommended. Since the cough would be suppressed, the asthma could be getting worse and you would not know it. Instead when the cough is due to asthma, generally the cough is helped by an inhaled quick-relief medicine. However it is also possible that there is some other problem causing your son’s cough.
Postnasal drip is drainage from the nose and sinuses dripping down the back of the throat. There could be several reasons for this drainage. One reason is an allergy. A second reason is a non-allergic, non-infectious inflammation in the sinuses that can linger after a cold. A third reason is chronic sinusitis. This may be identified on a sinus x-ray, but sometimes a CT scan of the sinuses is needed. Postnasal drip can cause coughing as a result of irritation of the throat and lungs. Your son may experience the postnasal drip as coughing to the point of vomiting.
The fat content in dairy products can thicken mucus. Generally eating dairy products with less fat content is helpful. Drinking plenty of water will help to thin the mucus so that it moves more easily. As long as your son is not on a fluid restriction he should be drinking 6 to 8 8-ounce glasses of non-caffeine non-alcoholic fluid daily. If your son clears his throat this can irritate his throat and make it sore. When he feels the need to clear his throat, he should sip some water to clear the mucus.
An antihistamine can dry up the postnasal drip. However, it may make the mucus thicker and more difficult to move. A decongestant like Sudafed® (pseudoephedrine) can thin the postnasal drip and decrease the swelling so it drains easier. A combination antihistamine-decongestant will do both. Check with your son’s doctor to see which would help him more. There are non-sedating antihistamines that will help without making him tired.
A nasal wash helps remove mucus and germs from your son’s nose and sinuses. This can temporarily decrease the postnasal drip and lessen coughing. A prescription nasal steroid spray decreases mucus production by decreasing the inflammation of the nose and sinuses. This may prevent the postnasal drip and coughing. To get the most help from a nasal steroid spray use it after doing a nasal wash. A nasal steroid spray does not provide immediate relief of symptoms. It may require several weeks of routine use to become effective. Please read our Nasal Wash MedFact at http://www.nationaljewish.org/medfacts/nasal.html for more information about this technique. Share this information with your son’s doctor to see if he would benefit from this daily treatment.
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