Why do GP Surgeries hand out inhalers like smarties?

[ZacharyZoo]

My DD aged 12 was diagnosed with asthma aged 18 months, and from then until aged 11, we had every winter with inhalers every time she had a cold, she's had steroids on a couple of occasions for bronchialitis, but it seems like she is now growing out of it. I took DS aged 6 months to the doctor yesterday as he has had a stinking cold for a week and was really unwell. Was given an appt with a nurse practioner, who listened to his chest, and said "Yes, he has asthma" and prescribed an inhaler. Didn't look in his throat, or check his ears. This is a child that had never been to the doctor at all in the whole of his life, and the first cold he has is asthma!? Decided to get a second opinion and went to see a doctor today, and she agreed with me that it was a bit hasty handing out inhalers for his first cold, and other options of steam in his room, vapour rub on his chest and calpol for his temperature would be better. The thing that has upset me it that this nurse practioner is supposed to be for minor ailments, i wouldn't class asthma as a minor ailment, if she thought that he had asthma shouldn't i have seen a doctor rather than her handing out salbutamol like smarties?
Maybe i am over reacting, but i don't think you should be prescribing strong drugs to little bodies unless you have really good reason to??

[Furball]

Quite unusual I would say they don't like to diagnose asthma until at least 2.

Me on the other hand am only allowed one inhaler per prescription so costs me £7 a go!

[Spidermama]

I was put on inhalers at a young age and was on them for around 25 years before I decided to try something else. I soon discovered that intolerances to dairy and sugary yeasty foods were overloading my system. I cut out these foods and the 'asthma' disappeared.

I's so thrilled to be free of this life long misery (difficulty breathing, itchy nose, itchy eyes, sneezing, allergies to dust, dogs blah de blah de blah) but I'm also angry and disillusioned with the doctors. Why do they never think to look at diet? All too often they treat the symptoms and ignore the root causes.

We need more allergy specialists in this country (as they have in other European countries) and I really believe we'd save so much money, not to mention misery, if only the NHS would stop acting like drug dealers for the pharmaceuticals and start thinking more holistically.

I feel I ought to say that I appreciate the role of the pharmaceuticals and I'm not implying they're wrong or evil, just over relied upon.

[HRHQueenOfQuotes]

DS1 was given an inhaler for use only when he had a cold (as that's when he was affected by it was called "seasonal asthama") when he was about 4 months old. He finally stopped needing it when he was about 4 1/2yrs old - and touchwood he's now completely grown out of it.