I am wondering if anyone has a child with astma and/or recipes that will not bring on asthma attacks. I have been trying to stay away from dairy and some fruits, but I am not sure where to start or what I can do. Anyone ever try this? Your help is greatly appreceiated!
Both of my two DS are asthmatic. The 10 yr old has it worse than the 8 yr old.
My sons' asthma specialist only advised me to keep them away from the foods they are allergic to and to "moldy foods". DS # 1 is allergic to peanuts, nuts and soy. Did you know that Ritz Crackers has ground up peanuts in them?! You have to read EVERY label of EVERY food item that your child will ingest! And, you have to warn the parents of friends whom he may play at their house or stay overnight! You also have to be VERY careful when dining out...ask how food is prepared down to the most minute detail! Explain why it is so important ......your child's life may depend on it!
The only "moldy food" that I can think of right now that I have to keep my sons away from is mushrooms and cantalope. The doctor gave us a list but I can't locate it right now (it was given to me over 4 yrs ago!)
Did your child's doctor give you some special dietary guidelines to follow???
I am definately not an expert on this subject...but I am the one with the Asthma that was OUT OF CONTROL....
and I just wanted to mention that I was allergic to fruit (technically called fructose intolerance- mine was severe - do you know most toothpastes contain fructose), my asthma was getting worse and worse and worse, I was sure I was going to die.....but then we found it with a specialized blood test and it came back with a fructose intolerance (I did have glucose intolerance symptoms without having high blood sugar at all!)
First they thought fresh organic fruit might be OK, but the truth is, it wasn't...
Since I got all of that out of my system..and if I keep it out (hard to do since "high fructose corn syrup" is everywhere), avoid corn, carrots and other sweet vegetables... I am breathing....and not even using inhaler but several times a MONTH!!!
I got my life back... well, I have been told since I am on RX medication - antihistimes that I am still allergic to something, and now I am rashing --- but asthma has not yet been triggered to any extreme.
All that to say.... if you can find out which foods to avoid, etc. for your child, I do believe the asthma won't be as severe. I believe that allergies definately trigger the symptoms - but don't give up because it may not be as simple as giving up nuts, etc. And good luck to you !!! It may be hard work, but its worth it!!!
Please try the following:
Check out the following websites they are useful. www.drweil.com you may also may want to check out his books on diets and recipes www.ivillage.com they have weekly newletters for asmathics. www.about.com
I developed asthma at 35 these are the some of the things I know.
fresh pineapple (not the canned variety) has an enzyme that helps ashmatics.
drinking hot fluids in the a.m. help to open up the broncial tubes and reduces ashtma attacks.
Decaf green tea and decaf black tea is good for the lungs and the immunity.
Apples are good for lung function as well as blueberries.
calming exercises and meditation helps tremendouly when attacks hit as well as the necessary medications. Remember the movie scence in Mask with Cher where she talked her son out of a really bad headache.
Good luck
Wow, thank you for the valuable information. My Dr did not give us any dietary guidelines to follow. When she was an infant, she had very very sensative skin and eczema. We really have not had any major flare ups since. We have stayed away from many dairy products, but it is funny because she naturally stays away from it.
I know that in a year we will get her tested or give her one of those allergy panels just so we give her body a chance to grow and become stable. The dr said that testing her now would not result in conclusive evidence due to the fact that she is growing and body chemistry is still changing.
My husband took her to the dr yesterday and she switched her med to Singulaire, along with the nebulizer 3 X a day.
(he waited 2 hrs just to see her for 10 min, by the way....rediculous). Anyhow, thank you for the links as well. I am definately going to persu this.
Anyone have a dehumidifier? What brand and do you use it throughout the year? Our house is very dry in the winter due to the forced gas heat. I need a way to keep her room moist yet not mold growing weather.
This thread is very interesting and helpful to me. Thank you!
My ds is 11 months old and had severe excema on his face, hands, wrists, etc. from very early on. The doctors told me to keep his skin lubricated because it was due to dry skin. Pure lanolin (the kind used for breastfeeding) worked better than anything else to keep it manageable but did not clear it up totally. He also had breathing "difficulties" and ended up in the ER twice, when he was about 4 and 6 months old. At the 6 month visit, they diagnosed him with restrictive airway condition (or something like that--they call it baby asthma since he is under a year and they can't diagnose him that early with asthma) and put him on a steriod to open up his lungs and a nebulizer with albuterol. Well, his excema cleared up instantly (steriod??) and has only recently come back (4-5 months later) in small, dry patches on his legs rather than large, ugly, red, oozy patches covering his face. So somehow it turns out that this is all related, the excema and the baby asthma. I wouldn't have guessed it and I am surprised his doctor didn't see the connection until I pointed it out at his last appointment. He has food allergies that we are trying to figure out--he gets hives all over his face and if we don't/can't treat the hives right away, he gets the asthmatic wheezing and needs a nebulizer treatment. We have figured out that it is dairy (he grabbed my spoon of ice cream with his hand and although I got him cleaned up immediately, he still had a massive hive attack! We are afraid it may also be peanuts but haven't confirmed that one, yet. He is breastfed and his diet is pretty basic because of all of this. I guess I didn't think too much about the food allergies and baby asthma being related and am grateful for the insight I have received by reading this thread.
But the one NEW thing I wanted to mention is that when we lost our cat (she passed away) about 2 months ago, my ds went from needing the nebulizer treatments several times a week down to less than 2x a month. We went to visit my in-laws who have a dog and a cat and he had an attack and needed the nebulizer. We went to visit my parents who were cat-sitting and he had an attack. So although he is still having the food allergies, they are easily treated with Benedryl and rarely develop into the asthmatic attacks but when he is near pets (mostly cats, unfortunately), he is having the bad attacks.
Again, thanks for the other helpful info!
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"Make the most of yourself. For that is all there is of you." Ralph Waldo Emerson
this was a very interesting thread i hope all your children get better and i hope the best for you all i know it is very scary to watch them have thos attacks i too developed astma at age 34 mine was from lots of bronchitis and pnemonia mine a re triggered by chemicals like household cleaners especailly bleach dut and mold also chemicals when the farmers spray around here i live in a farm community so you may want to keep your children in other rooms while using these types of pruducts also and there are lots of wonderful new medications out there to help your children hope you all the best!!!!!!!!!!!!1
I recently redid my daughters room. Got rid of the carpeting, put cheesecloth over the vents, the special pillowcases etc. and had to really watch what she brings in her room with her (Stuffed animals, books, etc). We are planning on having our vents sucked out next month...after the pollons are blooming, or just after the first frost, so hopefully they will all be dead. But, I now use strictly vinegar or bleach (not together) to do the majority of my cleaning. I have noticed a difference in even my breathing. I was diagnosed with asthma only while pregnant with my second daughter (The one who has allergy problems now).
She also had excema at a very young age. Her "infant acne" did not clear up and whe was put on a topical steriod for a while. It cleared eventually, but not rite away. IT is hard because people look at your child differently when there are sores on the face. Rarely does she have breakouts that are bad. She only gets dry, patchy, and itchy skin.
I also made her own baby wipes, as the store brand was very very harsh on her skin. Infact, I use them for my 3rd child as well. We keep a tub in the car and in the house so that she can use them for her hands, face etc. Once you find a baby wash that is compatable with the skin, then you can use it and the body will accept it. I have not had one diaper rash with my 13 month old yet, and I believe it is due to the wipes.
This thread and everyone's responses are helping me very much. I feel horrible that this happens. Not being able to breathe is terrible. Hang in there everyone!
Oh, I have a girlfriend who's son has terrible allergies to peanuts, wheat, whey, milk etc. She breastfed him for almost 3 years...even pumping it into a cup. She felt horrible that he could not eat anything and had to be very careful if she left him in the care of anyone else. There are many people out there with food allergies. Not that it makes it any better, but there are probably places that have recipes for these things. One is the National Org of mothers of children w/asthma. That is not the correct name, but if you do a search, I know they have recipies on their website.
Great info! Every child's immune system is different but here's my experience - hope it helps someone
My asthmatic child is now 19 but she had very bad asthma starting at 2 years old just after my upsetting divorce from her father (even 2 year olds can tell something emotional is going on!). Her asthma went on for years (in addition to chronic ear infections and bronchitas), but I began to notice that every year just about 2 weeks after Halloween I was rushing her to emergency... after the annual Halloween binge she was in a desperate condition.
You can guess that we realized that she was very sensitive to sugars, and we have since done research to feel that this is related to an overload of candida in her system - all those antibiotics from the chronic ear/bronchitas infections. She tested negative for pregnancy diabetes, so its not diabetes (she gave birth to a healthy, beautiful boy 1.5 years ago).
She's been asthma free for a number of years now but is still very sensitive to sugars and has a number of food allergies that she knows to avoid, including milk/dairy. Yogurt is ok, and yogurt cheese seems to be a good alternative for her cheese cravings. She continues to take anti-candida products from the health food store and garlic and is doing relatively well in her health.
All-
Just got this today in the VitaCost.com newsletter. Its discussing adults rather than children but could be helpful...
CoQ10, the Wonder Nutrient
The benefits of CoQ10 (Coenzyme Q10) never cease to amaze me. In the September issue of the journal Allergy, CoQ10 levels were measured in patients with asthma. In recent years, free radical damage has been thought to underlie the pathogenesis of bronchial asthma. It has been speculated by some researchers that taking adequate doses of antioxidants can have a beneficial effect in patients with asthma. In the study from this journal, 56 men and women between the ages of 19 to 72 suffering with allergic asthma were enrolled. There was a control group of 25 healthy volunteers, ages 25 to 50. It was found that the concentrations of CoQ10 were significantly decreased in both plasma and whole blood of asthmatic sufferers compared with that of the healthy volunteers. The researchers speculated that sub-optimal concentrations of CoQ10 may play a possible contribution in patients with asthma.
