I have a child with asthma. Should I worry?

[littleblackdress04]

Sorry to start another thread about coronavirus but I have an 11 year old daughter with quite bad asthma. She has a seretide steroid inhaler - I am really worried as she’s prone to coughs/colds and is in and out of hospital.
Aibu to worry or should I just focus on keeping her steroids up etc

I wouldn't worry too much personally. It's not really killing kids (no deaths under 9 and only 1 in the 10-19 category last time I checked).

It’s hard not to get anxious tbh- DD has had the flu jab because of being higher risk. I get very stressed about it

I have asthma, I consider it 'controlled' but as asthmatics we know its not really!!! I had a cold a few weeks ago and upped my steroids, I've not lowered them and won't until things have calmed down, coronavirus or flu/colds. Just trying to be sensible

I'm also quite anxious about this as I have a DD with asthma.

The statistics suggest that children are less badly affected by some margin than adults and I was reading something today that suggested they may actually have improved immunity. Also the fatality rate is almost non-existent so far for that age group.

But agree its worrying.

Great blog from Asthma UK: www.asthma.org.uk/about/media/news/coronavirus

I’m asthmatic too, on the same meds as your daughter. Focus on keeping her generally healthy, keep on top of the asthma, keep fit etc. Make sure she’s doing hand hygiene etc. Make sure you’ve got good stock of inhalers etc.

And I’m being paranoid, but I’m going to be avoiding big events if it spreads loads.

@FrankRattlesnake my DD’s steroids have been upped after a recent attack & burst therapy in hospital but also as it’s worse in winter. I’m hoping it helps ‘control’ it a bit 😬

@DesignedForLife thanks for the link. I’m trying to keep on top of the meds etc! She walks a lot & is generally well- we just get the annual wheeze

We're moving this over to the right topic now.

yes, you should be more worried. We are for our DD, it's a respiratory disease so we won't be taking any risks at all with her. Starting with keeping on top of meds, hygiene and re-thinking holiday plans, and bigger events we're due to go to as a family ( festivals etc.)

Same here (DS, 9)

He’s been on montelukast all winter in addition to the brown inhaler. We usually stop the montelukast from April-sept. I won’t be stopping it with the current situation evolving and have discussed this with the asthma nurse over the phone and she agreed.

Additionally she has topped up our reserve prescription of prednisone. We keep a course to start with the first sign of a cough so we don’t have to wait for an appt. she has replaced that reserve course for us today.

I might try and get some oral steroids as we have an appt with the asthma nurse next week as a back up on top of the steroids

Please do double check this before you try but I came across your post and it reminded me that I once watched a programme on television around 25-30 years ago about a Russian doctor who claimed to be able to completely stop 85% of asthmatics needing an inhaler. The cases on the programme were direly needy of their inhalers. His technique was very simple. You would hold your breath for as long as possible. Initially you might only be able to hold your breath for 3 second tops. Then the next time you tried, the same thing. The more you tried however the longer you were able to keep holding your breath for, possibly up to 30 seconds, and the need for the inhalers decreased so much that they didn't need them. Of course, it goes without saying, DO NOT TAKE MY WORD FOR IT, see if you can read up on this for yourself. My mum has a hernia in her lung and I suggested she try this and she has built up her lung capacity by doing this simple exercise. She found it helpful.

I'm a bit worried too. I have a 13 with asthma. She has been quite well controlled since a bad attack 8 months ago. She was on Seretide when she was younger but Becotide and Singulair now.
The change of seasons never agrees with her so I'm keeping a close eye. She has hayfever too and that is kicking off now.
She's the only one in large extended family with asthma so no one else really understands that this is such a worrying thing for us.