Member Comments are provided by individuals and reflect their personal opinions only. Under NO circumstances should you act on any advice or opinion posted in this forum. ALWAYS check with your personal physician before taking any action regarding your health! MedHelp International and our partners, sponsors and affiliates have no obligation to monitor any comments posted on this site, or the content and/or accuracy of such exchanges. MedHelp International does not endorse the views of any user.
Respiratory Disorders (Expert Forum)
asthma or infection
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 or infection
by sharock, May 15, 2006 12:00AM
In Jan my 9 yr old son started exhaling noisily on his outward breathe, he does not cough, it's like a wheeze on nearly every breathe, all day every day, have been to see several drs and an asthma nurse, who all, with out hearing this noisey breathe or even listerning to his chest or looking down his throat have said it could be asthma " but we're not 100% sure " since jan he's been given inhalers which made him cough and really irritated his throat i keep trying to tell them i don't think it's asthma,now they've given him a tablet ( for asthma) which he's got to take for 2 months, " it might work, it might not " meanwhile my son is sitting beside me continuously wheezing on his outward breathe and starting to feel really unwell with this,we tried telling the drs that my son says he feels like he's got something stuck in his throat, but they are not interested, I really don't know what to do next.
Doctor's Answer
by National Jewish, May 16, 2006 12:00AM
, May 16, 2006 12:00AM
Making the diagnosis of asthma in a 9 year old who is "wheezing" is a fairly easy thing to do. A simple breathing test followed by inhaling a medication and repeating the breathing test is a standard way to make the diagnosis. If this IS asthma, it is a matter of finding the right medication to control the problem. If this IS NOT asthma, then diagnostic procedures can be performed to find out the cause of the noise. This can come from either the upper or lower airways and may require some radiologic testing or viewing the airways directly through a tube.
I would talk with your son’s doctor about these options.
I would talk with your son’s doctor about these options.
Member Comments (21)
by poolnoni, May 15, 2006 12:00AM
To: Sharock
Is this a pediatrian you took your son to? You need to see a specialist like a pulmonary doctor and have some tests run. There is no reason your son should continue to suffer. And check out the specialist before you take him. It is hard to find a good doctor but don't give up. Good luck and keep me informed.
by sharock, May 15, 2006 12:00AM
To: poolnoni
yes one was a child dr but known were chest specialists, that is my next move and also someone recommended an allergy specialist, trouble is he will have to wait to be referred, which can take a while,so i'm gonna try and get that sorted straight away.drs keep telling me it's trial and error with asthma, but not one of them has confirmed it to be asthma,i've asked for an xray to rule out a lung infection but the dr wont do that, said it's un nesseccery, i feel like they're really not listerning to me or taking my concerns seriously, i will keep you informed.
by poolnoni, May 15, 2006 12:00AM
To: sharock
Sharock, Why does your doctor not think it is necessary to have a chest xray...because of the radiation. Or because because your son's lungs sound clear when the doctor listens with his stethoscope. Please do keep me posted. God bless.
by myproblem, May 15, 2006 12:00AM
Speaking from experience, Asthma really should not be diagnosed without Pulmonary Function Tests. I was misdiagnosed with asthma for 11 years because the Dr. who originally diagnosed me did no tests. I went through a lot that I shouldn't have had to, and took 1000's of dollars a year in medicine which never helped much no matter what I tried. When I fnally got the PFT's by a competent Dr., I was shocked. In my case, it is restrictive lung disease. In your son's case it could be a number of things. Have they checked his thyroid? A swollen thyroid can cause a feeling of something in the throat. Has he been to an ENT? They could easily scope his upper airway in the office to see if there is blockage. At the very least they should do a full set of PFT's, including an albuterol nebulizer treatment with some of the tests repeated afterward. If you can get a Methacholine test too, that would be great.
by sharock, May 16, 2006 12:00AM
To: poolnoni
Dr says it will be an un-nessesacery dose of radiation, a couple of years ago my son had a chest xray which proved he did have an infection deep in his lung it took 4 different antibiotics to clear it, when i mention this they sit there with look on their faces as if i'm being over protective and because his symptons are different from that time they wont even refer him for x ray just to make sure.In the past he has had scalded skin syndrome,which is a very nasty infection of the skin,which can be fatal, he has had shingles twice,so i think his immune system is pretty shot anyway, but they say none of this is a concern at this time,he's off school yet again, they will not entertain that it could be anything other then asthma even though inhalers do not work. He started the new asthma tab they gave him last night,got up with a pounding head and an even worse throat, they say i've got to give it chance to work properly. i'm in the process of pushing for him to be refered to an allergy specialist and chest specialist,i'm sure they just think i'm an over protective mother, thats how i feel they are treating me now.
by sharock, May 16, 2006 12:00AM
To: myproblem
To be honest they've just done a 2 month peak flow monitoring with my son, and it proved inconclusive, but they said " well it is hard to diognose asthma in children" And then said it was asthma anyway. i'm just so upset now, i'm at my wits end, i've heard of other people being wrongly diognosed like yourself.
by sharock, May 16, 2006 12:00AM
No he hasn't been to ENT,i've also asked for blood test but they say that theres no point at this time,
by myproblem, May 16, 2006 12:00AM
I say get a new Dr. They're not taking you seriously. They probably think you're just a worry wart, and they're trying to pacify you without doing much work. Your son deserves better care than that.
by poolnoni, May 16, 2006 12:00AM
To: sharock
Sharock-I agree with Myproblem. You need to get your little boy to a different doctor. Sounds like the doctor is doesn't have the slightest idea what's wrong and won't admit it. Sharock, don't worry about if anyone thinks you are an overprotective mom, do what your instincts tell you. Keep me posted.
by extropy_lite, May 16, 2006 12:00AM
To: Sharock
Sharock, I get exactly the same from the docs. You have to be persistant, they will dismiss you or keep you waiting months but you just have to hang in there and keep pushing them until you get some answers. Believe me it's not easy, but it's that or pay thousands for private treatment. Good luck!