Asthma and pneumonia

  About asthma and pneumonia

This month, I’d like to share my experience with asthma and pneumonia. As you read the following story, keep in mind one important message: No one knows your body (or your child’s) better than you do; follow your instincts.

Matt’s Story

Three years ago, in January, Matt developed a bad cough that just wouldn’t quit. In fact, he couldn’t stop coughing despite using his inhaler and nebulizer. Something just wasn’t right and the cough was very different from his normal "asthma" cough. You know the one I mean. The one that wakes you out of the deepest sleep at 1 a.m.; the one that tightens your gut; the one that says, "Here it comes!"

Of course, it was Friday after office hours, so we had to make a trip to the Urgent Care Center and see whoever was on duty that night. Eventually, the doctor came in and began a routine examination of Matt while asking about Matt’s medical history. As soon as he heard the word asthma, he set down his stethoscope, stopped the exam and proclaimed that a severe asthma episode was in progress.

"Put him on 80mg of prednisone for 6 days and he’ll be fine," the doctor said.

"But it’s NOT his asthma," I insisted. "The Ventolin hasn’t made a difference and besides, that’s not an asthma cough. It’s something else."

"Asthma cough? That’s ridiculous. Just give him the prednisone and he’ll be fine," the doctor said. I knew from his look and tone of his voice that he was thinking, Here’s another hysterical mother panicking on a Friday night.

Despite my efforts to get the doctor to continue his examination, he refused. I gave in on the prednisone (knowing it wouldn’t help.) I did, however, insist that he change the dose to 35mg tapered down over a six-day period. To that, he agreed and we went home.

I should not have given in so easily.

Five days later, Matt was not better. He was worse. Along with the cough, he developed a mild fever, a general feeling of malaise and stomach problems. By the seventh day, Matt was complaining of a sharp pain in his chest when he inhaled. No hesitation, off to the doctor’s office.

We were at our regular care center, but Matt’s pediatrician was not available, so we saw another doctor. She examined Matt fully, asked many questions and did a lot of listening to me and to Matt’s chest. She tried one nebulizer treatment and came back to re-examine him.

She kept frowning. "I don’t hear anything in his chest. Even though it sounds clear, we better send him for chest x-rays just to be sure."

Ads by Google
Buteyko Method Self Teach
Control asthma symptoms naturally using the Buteyko self teach video
www.buteykovideo.com
Chinese Medicine Hospital
Coughing, asthma and bronchitis to be treated by experts in China.
www.tcmtreatment.com
Help for Baby’s Asthma
Video/book massage instruction to treat breathing with Chinese method
www.bodyharmonics.co.uk
X-rays confirmed Matt’s pneumonia. There was a small spot of fluid in the same spot he had felt the pain. Luckily, it was bacterial pneumonia and he responded quickly to antibiotics and was home the next day. (Viral pneumonia, which killed Jim Henson years ago, does not respond to antibiotics and is, therefore, more dangerous.)

Had it not been for that second doctor, I may have lost Matt. Just three weeks earlier, a girl his age died from pneumonia in our area because her doctor thought it was a mild cough, or a lower respiratory infection. He sent her home with some cough medicine and she died less than 48 hours later.

About the author:
Asthma



More health information - More asthma information