Chronic catarh - asthma or hayfever?

[PrettyCandles]

How do you know whether chronic catarh is due to mild asthma or an allergy/hayfever?

Dd has been on the brown preventer inhaler for a couple of years. She had chronic catarh and blocked nose, hearing problems, and the night-time/exercise/cold air cough. Although it's all vastly improved, and the cough is completely gone, she still gets bungy from time to time.

Given that we always follow the dr's instructions to cut down in late spring/summer, and the catarh always returns, could she actually have hayfever?

Could she actually only need the inhaler during the cold months, for the cough, and antihistamines during the warm months, for the catarrh?

We just had an appointment with Ds' consultant this week for his review of his allergies.

He has never been diagnosed as asthmatic but has a blue inhaler that he needs when around dust mite and some animals.

He has this year also started getting a very blocked nose and has woken up in the mornings coughing and sneezing.

Anyway, the consultant believes that hayfever is probably having an affect along with the allergies and has now put him on a drug called 'montelukast' which should help to open up his airways and recommended he take clarityn at the same time.

Not sure if that is any help! Consultant did say that every child he had seen that morning seemed to be suffering from the affects of hayfever and it seemed to be becoming more prevalent, or maybe it is the time of year.

Dd tried Montelukast for a few months, but it had no effect on her.

She is still on the winter dose of her inhaler. We've been waiting for her catarrh to ease before trying the annual dose-reduction.

In her first year on the inhaler, we went to the USA for two weeks, just after she had stopped the inhaler for the first time. She had two gloriously unbungy weeks - and as soon as we returned to the UK her nose bunged up again. Different pollens? That was the only time she has ever managed to come off the inhaler.

If she has hayfever, has no cough in the summer, and the catarrh is controled by anti-histamines, then surely she does not need the inhaler all year round?

Hi Pixie, sorry for delayed reply. Laptop battery ran out and I have only just got around to charging it back up!

Ds has only been on Montelukast since Thursday night (so only just ahd his 4th dose), so may be a bit early for any negative affects. I did read a little about the side affects and they sound scary!

How quickly did other children start experiencing the bad side effects?

you do know that asthma and hay fever go hand in hand?

It could well be that she has both and needs antihistamines and her inhaler. fwiw I've always been worse in the summer and needed both. Its only autumn and early spring i can consider reducing steroid inhaler.

I would say that it would be worth tryng the antihistamines seeing what that does for her symptoms and if her asthma symptoms are controlled then try reducing her to her summer dose of inhalers.

It may be that she needs both and is unable to reduce doses. Either way go to a practice nurse/ gp for monitoring