Re: Allergist Question

[Guest guest]

Hi Rhonda, My asthma is intrinsic asthma which is not all allergy related. I do have some mild allergies, though, to some pollens and dust. My major triggers are cigarette smoke, scents, and some chemicals, plus the pollen and dust. Tell your friends to butt out and let you raise your child the way you see fit. You are doing what needs to be done for now and if the medications are helping, let it be for a bit. Family wrote: I'm very confused about what to do. My 7 year old has pretty chronic asthma. She was "diagnosed" 2 years ago after a bout of pneumonia and a partially collapsed lung. She recovered well and went quite a while with no symptoms. She refused

to take any inhaled meds so was on singulair for a while. Last fall her cough came back with a vengance. She was put on advair and nasanex but they didn't help much. She is now on qvar, nasanex, foradil, albuterol and occasional xoponex. She was responding pretty well until our air quality index rose with some sudden hot weather...we live in one of the worst air quality areas of the world, central California. She has an asthma plan and carried her inhaler at school. So far she does not wheeze but she coughs ALL THE TIME. We have no idea what ehr triggers are. Right now she is seeing her pediatrician, whom we love and trust very much. She has recently begun seeing an RRT, the Asthma Program Director for our county...the guy is VERY knowledgeable and has helped me learn quite a bit. But

here is my question...so many people I talk to ask me why I have not had her allergy tested. I have asked both the ped and "asthma doc" and they seem to feel it's not necessary right now, that it wouldn't change what we're doing anyway and that she needs to get her symptoms under control before considering testing. I have even had friends treat me as though she can't have asthma if we don't know that she has allergies. It seems that everywhere I turn I get told to take her to an allergist. So what is the right thing to do? I could insist on a referral if I have to I just want to make sure I'm doing the right thing. And if I do do testing what all is involved and will it tell me of her triggers are mold or particulates or ozone? This is all so confusing!! Rhonda~God bless you!

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