Asthma....need a second opinion!!

Hi


My seven year old son is suffering from respiratory problems....he finds it difficult to breathe,chest feels tight etc....i took him to a doc and he said its definitely asthma and started him on the ventolin inhaler....he was ok for a few days with the antibiotics along with the inhaler but now that the meds are over and its only the inhaler he seems to b getting it back.

I want to get a second opinion from a paediatrician who specializes in respiratory conditions....i searched on asiaexpat and came up with Dr Alfred Tam but not sure of his address.

Could anyone plz refer a good doc or give me the address of Dr Tam


Thanks in Advance

Try checking out the following method which is all natural and has proven successful with such conditions. Buteyko's Breathing Method. Jac Vidgen, an advertiser of mine teaches it here in HK a few times a year. His info is below:

Buteyko Breathing Asia

9378 5185

jacvid@gmail.com

www.buteykoasia.com and www.buteykoasia.multiply.com

Dramatically improve your health and well-being by learning to optimize your breathing with Buteyko's method. Providing profound results for asthma, allergies, sleep & anxiety disorders, coughing, stress and numerous other health concerns, the method usually allows for fast reversal of symptoms and safe reduction in reliance on medication. Veteran Australian practitioner Jac Vidgen visits Hong Kong regularly (usually for a month, 4 times a year) giving lectures, workshops and consultations.


I've attended some of his classes and he teaches quite a few children with respiratory problems.


You can read an article from him at - http://content.yudu.com/Library/A18svs/HealthyTimesNewspape/resources/index.htm?referrerUrl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.yudu.com%2Fitem%2Fdetails%2F63585%2FHealthy-Times-Newspaper-Hong-Kong---Volume-5


Page # 14


I would suggest checking things like this out before going and suppressing the problem with a bunch of medications that can ultimately do more harm that good.

My neighbour's son had reccurent asthma attacks

after my GP treated his blocked nose, he is now asthma free

he sleeps better now and is a happy chirpy boy

apparently the nose is better at filtering the air b4 they go into the lungs

breathing thru the mouths means letting the unfiltered dusty air enter the lungs directly

so says my neighbour

hope your son's asthma is better

My suggestion is: look for the cause of his asthma attacks and get rid of it.

if bec. of the change of weather: Make sure you bring him to a beach with salt water to breathe some fresh air and it would helped a lot to refreshen his lungs and good inhalation.


I am an asthmatic before and when I reached Secondary School it was gone. And recurred in college coz I was studying in a science field that i need to deal with cadavers and formalin stuffs. So by that time I was suffering great deal and also for the air pollution.


The best thing is just make his room as simple not much clutter or dust nor hairy objects if you have pets inside the house. Also if you leave nearside trees which also be the pollen of the trees which aggrevate his symptoms.


Now I am free from asthma attacks. And forgot one more asked him to drink a frog congee or lizard congee. Thats the best. And also the snake soup. It did helped though. It is expensive in the restaurant but it worth it. I used to have them when I have asthma attacks coz I cannot sleep with my head flat down I need to raised several pillows in order to breath well and be able to sleep.


Hope it will work well your son,

Hi I am a retired RN and specialist Asthma nurse,

A few things I may suggest which might help, cause of asthma if it is that is the airways in the lungs get irritated usually by something which the person is allergic to, this causes swelling in the airways and over production of mucous, during an astma attack the airways 'twitch' and go into spasm, causing the feeling of tightness and wheezing and coughing. You have been prescribed Ventolin inhaler, is your son using it correctly, he should frist breathe out, then put the inheler between his lips, with lips sealed round it, press the Ventolin inh. and at the same time breath in, drawing it into his lungs, close his lips for ten seconds, then shake the inhaler again and repeat for the second 'puff' of Ventolin. Ventolin is only short acting to widen the airways, during a bad asthma attack it can be used every 10 minutes till you get you son medical assistance.

Your Dr may need to prescribe an additional spray to protect his lungs, often this additional inhaler is a mild steroid, which only acts directly on the swelling inside the lungs and reduces the over production of the mucous. If prescribed IT DOES NOT STUNT GROWTH or have any other effects you hear about with steroids as it is not absorbed into the blood stream.

Allergy induced asthma is often caused by the house dust mite, which everybody has, so vacuuming his mattress daily, preferably with a hepa filter vac, then using an anti allergy mattres cover should help.

Remove carpets out of his bedroom, as these harbour dust, mop floors daily.

Reduce the amount of soft toys if any, to get rid of the dust mite off them, place soft toys in plastic bag, put in freezer over night, this will kill dust mite, then wash toys.

Many astmatics are allergic to feathers, hollow fibre pillows and quilts on the bed are preferable, and they can be washed. If you find you are allergic to feathers , inform any hotel you may stay in as lots of them have feather quilts and pillows

Use Non biological Powder with no fabric conditioners for washing clothes/bedding and rinse very well.

Pollens and grasses pet furs can also effect asthma , often difficult to avoid, if you have a pet don't encourage your son to put his face too near the pet, and if he has been stroking it ask him to wash his hands. There are certain pet shampoos you can get now to cut down the amount of animal 'dander' which aggravates asthma.

Certain things he may inhale like smoke or fumes may aggravate his lungs, ie cigarrette smoke, fumes from cars, perfumes, chemicals. paints glues etc etc, try to avoid these.

Do not stop your son from taking exercise, some of the worlds greatest athletes and sportsmen have asthma, ie David Beckham, exercise is good for the lungs, but asthmatics should you their Ventolin Spray 10 minutes before exercise.

Hope you find a good Specialist in Hong Kong, I don't know any as I've only lived in HK for 2 and a hlf years, and I have been retired from nursing before I left UK.