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Asthma symptoms- PEC or similar

Pikachu11

My son is 8. He has an asthma flare up; pollen is one of his triggers. He does not seem to be able to identify when he needs his reliever inhaler - even when his asthma symptoms are very marked. I have tried discussing how his cough etc feels (physical sensation in his body) but have not found a way yet that helps him identify his asthma symptoms and the need to use his inhaler. He co-operates well using his inhaler when I instigate using it. I am looking for any advice as to how I can help him learn when to use his inhaler or ways of communicating his asthma symptoms to me (or school etc)

thank you

Parents

  • I don’t think my response will be of much if any help for you but I am keen to see what responses you get on this. I am now in my mid twenties and still struggle to regularly use my inhalers and for me I’m pretty sure part of my struggle is a sensory issue. 

    I go through phases and have done since I was diagnosed as asthmatic at the age of 7. I don’t cope/enjoy taking the brown preventer as to me it leaves what feels like a coat of something at the back of your throat and I find I gag at times taking this which in turn leads me to get back into a routine of avoiding using it.

    Then my asthma will flare up and I will beat myself up for not using the preventer like I should and will only use my blue when I get to the point that I am really wheezy and having coughing fits (more so on a night for me) 

    I have also found I have been given different advice from the Asthma clinic over the last few trips and now trying to fully understand what being asthmatic means and how it works. It was explained to me that as a long term condition it’s finding out how to manage your Asthma that is key and that the preventer for me can be used up and down in volume depending how I am feeling (can seem quite confusing I think I would prefer a set pattern of when I’m supposed to take it and how much) so if I’m not really feeling symptoms of my asthma and it seems to be at bay I should reduce the dose on the preventer and shouldn’t be using the reliever. If I find I need the reliever that’s when I need to be upping my dose on the preventer until I get to the point I don’t need to reach for the reliever.

    I’m still trying to work it out and what works best for me, I have until my next review to try this new plan and see how I get on but then the option would be to discuss alternative treatments and I have been made aware there is a tablet form (but I’m not very good at taking some types of tablets so I am not certain that would be a better option for me) 

    Sorry if this isn’t very helpful for you but I would like to see what advice others may have on this as I am still struggling to manage as an adult, as far as I’m aware it’s something I’ve always battled with and part of me also was embarrassed as a youngster I had already felt different enough and been bullied at school and didn’t want to highlight something else - kids can be cruel. I hit secondary school and threw myself into sports and although exercise can sometimes add to the triggers (especially cold mornings) I’m sure over the years I helped my asthma through improving the strength of my lungs. I had a bad knee injury 2 years ago and after surgeries and multiple treatments I found after this injury and not exercising like I was before my asthma is now as bad as it has ever been. Whether there’s any science in that I’m not sure but for me I do feel my asthma wasn’t as bad when I was physically fit, it hadn’t gone but definitely wasn’t as bad as it is now.

Reply

  • I don’t think my response will be of much if any help for you but I am keen to see what responses you get on this. I am now in my mid twenties and still struggle to regularly use my inhalers and for me I’m pretty sure part of my struggle is a sensory issue. 

    I go through phases and have done since I was diagnosed as asthmatic at the age of 7. I don’t cope/enjoy taking the brown preventer as to me it leaves what feels like a coat of something at the back of your throat and I find I gag at times taking this which in turn leads me to get back into a routine of avoiding using it.

    Then my asthma will flare up and I will beat myself up for not using the preventer like I should and will only use my blue when I get to the point that I am really wheezy and having coughing fits (more so on a night for me) 

    I have also found I have been given different advice from the Asthma clinic over the last few trips and now trying to fully understand what being asthmatic means and how it works. It was explained to me that as a long term condition it’s finding out how to manage your Asthma that is key and that the preventer for me can be used up and down in volume depending how I am feeling (can seem quite confusing I think I would prefer a set pattern of when I’m supposed to take it and how much) so if I’m not really feeling symptoms of my asthma and it seems to be at bay I should reduce the dose on the preventer and shouldn’t be using the reliever. If I find I need the reliever that’s when I need to be upping my dose on the preventer until I get to the point I don’t need to reach for the reliever.

    I’m still trying to work it out and what works best for me, I have until my next review to try this new plan and see how I get on but then the option would be to discuss alternative treatments and I have been made aware there is a tablet form (but I’m not very good at taking some types of tablets so I am not certain that would be a better option for me) 

    Sorry if this isn’t very helpful for you but I would like to see what advice others may have on this as I am still struggling to manage as an adult, as far as I’m aware it’s something I’ve always battled with and part of me also was embarrassed as a youngster I had already felt different enough and been bullied at school and didn’t want to highlight something else - kids can be cruel. I hit secondary school and threw myself into sports and although exercise can sometimes add to the triggers (especially cold mornings) I’m sure over the years I helped my asthma through improving the strength of my lungs. I had a bad knee injury 2 years ago and after surgeries and multiple treatments I found after this injury and not exercising like I was before my asthma is now as bad as it has ever been. Whether there’s any science in that I’m not sure but for me I do feel my asthma wasn’t as bad when I was physically fit, it hadn’t gone but definitely wasn’t as bad as it is now.

Children
  • in reply to Bumblebee

    Thank you for taking the time to reply. 
    It may be a sensory reason behind him not instigating use of his inhalers. Because he doesn’t complain and co-operates if I ask him to use them I dismissed this. There are other things I ask him to do and he will refuse or at least argue the point! 
    Hopefully if I get any more replies they might be helpful for you too.