Any suggestions on how to manage my childrens Reactive Airway Disease?

Kati - posted on 07/02/2012

The best thing we did for our daughter at age 5, was to take her to an excellent asthma and allergy center. Though I had tried many more naturopathic ways first, we quickly realized that the cause of the RAD was that an infection early on in her life had not been properly treated, so her infection went "underground" and would flare up as RAD. This is what we did, and what we were told to do and it seems to have worked. Step one: Only one round of intensive antibiotics. 2) An inhaler that we give her for 6 - 7 days at the first sign of a cold (literally the fist few sniffles). That inhaler is QVAR 80. It is different than Albuterol. QVAR opens the airways and is more preventative. You can still use Albuterol in acute cases, but we haven't needed to use it since. Once we started this routine, we've had to do the QVAR only 3 times in the last 18 months. And it seems as if the problems is just going away. I do not know where you live, but we went to the Seattle Asthma and Allergy Center. Good luck - this is such a stressful thing. I wish you well.

Melissa - posted on 04/30/2010

Sounds like your child needs an inhaled steroid in addition to the breathing treatments. The breathing treatments are not preventing the flares, they are merely treating them. New studies on asthma and RAD show that flares decrease the lungs ability to compensate in the future. You also need to find out the triggers. If it is allergies, it could require antihistamines, or even removing a family from the bedroom if not the home. The preventative medicine will need to be used daily to prevent the flare ups so don't stop the medication just because the child seems to be doing better.

Toni - posted on 04/30/2010

My daughter had it as well. Her dr said it was a form of asthma. We just kept up on the breathing treatments faithfully and now at eight she has no signs she ever had it.

Amanda - posted on 04/28/2010

As soon as I see [hear] the coughing and congestion I put a vicks vaporizor in my daughters room at night, that has seemed to cut down on the need for her breathing treatments. like the other peole have said, as she is getting older her flair ups seem to be happening less and less.Good luck, I know it is so frusterating when they cant breath.

Stephanie - posted on 04/28/2010

My son had that when he was 3. He's 7 now and he also seems to have out grown it. It was tough but you get through.

Dana - posted on 04/28/2010

I'm doing pretty much the same as you did, just hopeing there is some way to curb the onset. Breathing treatments two & three times a day keeps them out of the ER anyway. Thanks for the info.

Christina - posted on 04/28/2010

My son had RAD when he was little. He is now 13 and outgrown it. Every time he got the sniffles I would start the breathing treatments. Not overdoing it, just once or twice a day. I also tried over the counter meds to treat the runny nose and coughs. If it persisted I knew I had to get him to the doctor within a day or two. Usually it helped to start the treatments though.