Moms with Ashtmatic kids

FloF9

My DD was just diagnosed with asthma, and we got a nebulizer as well as a prescription of Allegra by her pedi.

What do you guys do to help cope with this?  We have an air filter (HEPPA) in their room, as well as clean the fan blades to prevent dust, and I was thinking of pulling the carpet in their room and replace with laminate wood.   I

 think it would be easier to keep clean. I liked the carpet because it keeps the room warmer in the winter - maybe berber? not sure if that keeps the dander better?

Any thoughts on this? 

Mrs. Destructo

I have asthma, and I've lived in houses that have absolutely no carpeting in them before and it really helps. So I think your idea of replacing the carpet with hard flooring is a good idea. If you're worried about the floor being cold in the winter you can put down area rugs and clean them regularly.

 The thing I've found that helps the most is to get the air ducts in the house professionally cleaned. I always have them show me what they get out of the ducts, and it is DISGUSTING.

Jessarella

Ditto, I have asthma too, and we think DS has it. Doc says he wont know for sure until he is 4 or 5. He takes Xopenex through an air chamber with a mask attached. Dusting a lot will help, our house is almost all slate floors, but the babies room does have carpet. I got a Dyson vacuum which is awesome. (My mom just got new carpet in her house, and the warrenty on they type of carpet she got is actually void if you use a Dyson vacuum because it sucks so hard it pulls the carpet weave out!) We have a big shedding yellow lab, and I think that contributes to the asthma too, I can't bear to make her an outside dog so we groom and brush her often.

Ditto on getting the air ducts cleaned, and change your air filter often. The air purifiers work well too. GL! 

FloF9

Thanks ladies.  I will use my Dyson for now but I think that come Fall I'll be moving to laminate.  My house isn't that old (8 years) so the air ducts might not be that bad but I will certainly ask for some estimates.

Mrs. Destructo

You'd be surprised how fast air ducts get disgusting. They suck up a lot of construction debris when the house is being built, and then they just keep on accumulating crud every time air passes through them.

This convo reminds me that I need to get our ducts cleaned. I'm sure they are naaasty. We moved into this house a year ago and didn't have it done then, and we're pretty sure they've never been cleaned. Yukola.

FloF9

Mrs.Destructo - ewww okay you convinced me.

smcjune21

Ds was just diagnosed with asthma at 12months. He was using the nebulizer but since it was taking so long 4x a day and he was getting really resistant to it, the allergist prescribed an inhaler which is much simpler.?