The details are little bit vague, but I recall going to a doctor when I was younger and being prescribed puffers for wheezing symptoms. The doctor said it was for prevention. And that's the advice many children are given when it come to wheezing. My parents are big believers in Traditional Chinese Medicine and didn't believe in steroid use (ie. puffers) for prevention so I went off it. I've never experienced any wheezing or asthmatic symptoms since that one summer. Lucky for me I guess and lucky that I didn't continue taking the steroids.
Recent research published in the New England Journal of Medicine is now advocating that most steroid use for children prone to wheezes and colds is largely ineffective. This article reported on two studies conducted. One involved British preschoolers who were admitted to hospitals for wheezing attacks. Those treated with the steroids had the same recovery period as those given fake pills. The second study was on Canadian kids taking steroids for prevention. The results showed that preventive steroid use had modest improvement with the wheezing, but the side effect of possible stunted growth outweighed the benefits.
Even I was surprised by this research because steroids are quite effective at opening the airways, especially during asthma attacks. For those of you with asthma, it's still important to carry your puffer, but if your child experiences transient wheezing episodes (like I did), you should consult your doctor about this latest piece of research.
Yours in health,
Ian Koo, ND
Doctor of Naturopathic Medicine
Naturopathic Essentials Health Centre
"The care you want, the health you need"
No comments:
Post a Comment