Children Suffering with Asthma and Pneumonia

A., does she have an immune disorder? CH50 and IGG (immunoglobulin G are parts of the immune system in the human body. Deficiencies in these could mean an immune system problem. You might want to get a referral to someone that deals in immunity.

Hey Amanada,
I do not know about the blood tests, but I do know that a lot of kids who are always sick are helped thru supplementation. I have been with Shaklee Corporation for 25 years now and have helped a lot of families with sickness issues. I have 3 teenagers and they are rarely sick thanks to all I have learned over the last 25 years. Please feel free to call me at ###-###-#### or visit my website at www.shaklee.net/nancyhull Take care and hang in there!
N. Hull

Wow, I just had my friend sigh me up for this so this is my first day to receive this email and it must have been a "God thing" because my son had an IGG deficiency and was sick constantly. The best advice I can give you is to give him echinacea (gummy form) daily, lots of Vitamin C and keep him away from anyone sick or where you know lots of people are such as ballgames, Walmart, church, etc. Church is one of the worst places to take a child that gets sick easily because people go to church sick because they do not want to miss. My husband and I rotated every other Sunday with our other child because by Tuesday Jacob was sick if we took him to church. Hopefully your child will outgrow it. We went to an allergist and he did allergy testing and it showed us things he was highly allergic to that we knew to avoid such as cats and feathers. We had to get rid of our outdoor cat because you still track in dander from the outdoors. Also, we started using a humidifier every night and kept our house temperature on 68 degrees year round. There are some kids that don't outgrow their IGG deficiency and if that is the case you will have to get a shot periodically to give the child the immune they need. They just drew blood out of his arm (at elbow) and that was the way they tested the IGG and it slowly got in the normal range. Our doctor told us that even when Jacob got in the normal range he would still be quick to get sick and it would most always be respiratory and that has been the case. In fact, he had mono a year ago. Be sure your child takes vitamins and eats healthy. Good luck and I will keep you in our prayers. Let me know how things turn out! Be sure you get the pneumonia and flu vaccinnes!God bless - L. Williams

Hi A.. I don't know about that specific blood work, but we had to take my 2yo son to an allergy/asthma specialist after blood work at the family doc. It may just mean something about her immunity is low.
We did the big allergy test where they poke their back, and although I didn't want him to go through that (I've had it done before and its a pain)...it was definately worth it. It helps narrow down their allergies so you can be aware, and to help make environmental changes at home.
My son has asthma really bad, we know all about the hospitalizations, he had to be rushed to the hospital via ambulance from daycare b/c of trying to crash.
It is so scary for us mommas when our babies can't breathe....I feel ya. Plus, its more frustrating when docs won't diagnose a child with asthma b/c of insurance problems they will run into. I went round and round with our docs, and the last straw for me was having him in the e.r. three times in 2 days then rushing by ambulance. I was persistent and told them my son won't risk dying b/c they won't diagnose him correctly. Needless to say, it got fixed.
The specialist should do a fantastic job of setting you up with asthma meds and allergy. Our son was put on Allegra (then Zyrtec), Albuterol and Pulmacort nebulizer treatments 3x/day, a nose spray (Veramist), and Albuterol inhaler as needed. It is alot, but it made a world of difference very quickly.
I hope they help you and your daughter, just be persistent and don't let them brush you off. :)
Sorry this is so long..I didn't expect for it to be so blabby! I am pretty passionate about this issue in children. :)
Hope this helps...good luck!
A.

I have a daughter that is also always sick with respiratory issues and allergy stuff. She's allergic to nickle?! But we haven't delt with blood work, yet. I just wanted to say that I hope you find the answers that your looking for and that if you need anyone to chat with I would be more than happy to listen and maybe even find answers myself. I am calling today to make an appt for my dd for her skin issues.

T. G.
____@____.com

Hello, I will admit I do not know anything about the blood results. However, it does sound like your child needs help with her immune system. Antibiotics actually weaken the immune system and leave us open for more sickness. Also, toxic cleaners in our homes cause asthma and trigger allergies. Let me know if you would like any suggestions for better health. ____@____.com

I'm a full-time wife, mother of four, and employee. I've had years of experience with going to physicians, specialists, allergist, gastroenterologist, etc... My children were diagnosed with reactive airway disease, they could not fight off a cold and were constantly on steroids for their lungs and nasal passages. Finally I got mad enough to trust God and visited a nutritional consultant named Pat Bunch at Herbal Harvest in Durham (Hope Valley shopping center, right beside the Food Lion). My children are no longer "sick", we don't even use that word anymore when they face a health challenge. We have come to realize that nothing catches God by surprise and he left provision on this earth for everything we might encounter. Now when faced with a health challenge we treat it with herbs & supplements and go directly to the root of the problem instead of playing around with the symptoms of discomfort. My recommendation is for you to take your daughter and go see Pat!!!! A. Burnette, Hillsborough

Igg levels are actually a count of how many antibodies we have in our blood stream. As you know, antibodies are what fight off illnesses within our bodies. It's amazing how most people hang in that perfect balance of having just the right number. There are those though that have too many. Too many antibodies is what causes allergic reactions. The best way to describe it that I can think of is a whole school of baracuda going after one little fish. On the flip side, having too few antibodies is what causes us to be ill a lot. It's like sending one platoon in to fight a world war and expecting them to win.

The ch50 test is a protein test. We need certain proteins present in order to produce antibodies. Here's a good link that decribes the test and what your doctor is looking for when they perform it. http://www.walgreens.com/library/contents.jsp?doctype=1&a...

I don't know anything about those terms but I do have a great deal of experience with allergies casing pneumonia. My daughter would get pneumonia every winter and the winter before she turned three, she got it four times! After the third time, I was pressing the doctor to do something, asking why she keeps getting sick. I kept hearing "it is just allergies causing the infection". I asked and asked for a referral to an allergist and was told allergists do not do work ups until children are three...I got fed up and looked into it myself and found that is not at all the case. I had her fully worked up by an allergist (a two day process, not fun) but it was so worth it! We determined we were feeding her foods she was allergic to, something we never knew because there were no classic sneezing or trouble breathing symptoms, only continued upper respiratory infections. As soon as we cut those foods out, she has only had pneumonia once since then and that was a few months ago, she is now 6 1/2. Get your little one worked up, it will make all the difference!

I would first look at changing the cleaning products you use in your home. I did this in our own home and it has made a big difference. I would love to answer any questions if you have them and I can make some recommendations as well. Feel free to contact me directly. ____@____.com
Good luck!

Hi A.,

I have a six year old boy who was rushed to the hospital with a servere asthma attack, at the time we didn't know he had asthma. Very scarey at the time he was one and a half, the asthma doctor after that never believed one of his triggers was from seasonal algeries, I didn't care how reconized he was for his work at the childrens hospital, he wasn't working for my son at this point.I disagreed and found a new doctor, my son was tested for what was out at that moment, we found that he was highly alleric to trees that start to bloom the beginning of spring, this is his trigger for asthma, now we now that before spring starts we start the allergy medicine, although I hate him having to be on meds, I hated it even more and it broke my heart having him rushed to pediatric ICU for three days. Question everything the doctor says and if they explain it in their jargin, then ask them to explain it to you so you know exactly what they are saying. That is what they are there for, I know it is hard when a child is always sick, the same son with asthma has always been the one the be hospitalized for sickeness(rotovirus). I feel for you, freinds were my other big help( the moms club), they took care of my other son while I went to doctors or the hospital ,even when I was at home but had to give more attention to my youngest they made my family meals. Huge help. Find a doctor you are comforable with that is willing to sit down with you and devise a plan to find out what is making your daughter ill. And again ask allot of questions, don't ever take for granted they know everything. You have to tell them everything. I even guestioned every time they admistered meds, well in the hospital. She is your daughter and knowone else will ever be a better advocate for her then you. Good luck, I hope you find the help you deserve.

Hi A.,
her immune system is exhausted. like running marathons back to back with no rest.

sounds like she might be allergic to something or even emotionally afraid of something. perpetual fears even ones that are not 'big' to us can wear down immune systems.
Sometimes a different allergist can pick up something that the first one might have missed or was just not as apparent back then.

Also for the pneumonia and to restore her energy right now..."Black Elderberry" sugar free cough syrup is amazing.
sugar free is much better than that with sugar if you use the syrup.
i've had pneumonia so many times growing up and was otherwise a healthy child. since taking this black elderberry (go for a good quality brand), i haven't had it at all...for over 15 years! a brand name i use is 'Sambucol'. Wild Oast used to carry it and you can get it online. its kosher which means it is a very high quality and very consciously made. The Sambucol liquid syrup is a deep, deep crimson and is thinner than water so doing it over the sink is highly recommended!

another kind in many health food stores is made by Gaia Herbs and is in liquid capsule form...a six year old would probably want that over the liquid version...feels more like a vitamin.

the flu homeopathic flu remedy called "oscilloccoccinum" at most health stores (and at Walgreens now!) helps balance out the deep levels of one's system to rebuild. it is not a pharmaceutical and has no contraindications. it would probably take two rounds of it to make the deep shifts.

I don't know anything about igg's but i do know exhaustion from coughing...and these things helped tremendously. all can be used with young children as well. i've had many neighbors and friends use these with much success as well.
i see your daughter Happy, Healthy and Beaming with Sunshine and Laughter...deep breathing and enjoying all she does.
all the best!

A.,
I had asthma for many years and allergies as well. Although I've never had pneumonia. Then I found a wellness store, where I shop online or with an 800 # I save money and time on top of the fact that I no longer have asthma or problems with allergies. I no longer have to use a nebulizer, inhalers or singulair. I don't know what ch and igg are. I was always tested for the oxygen levels in my blood though. You can call me for the information on the great store I've found. Also they have a health savings card that will help with all you medical expenses too!
T. ###-###-####
www.livetotalwellness.com/T.
www.workathomeunited.com/T.

I don't know anything about the bloodwork you are looking at. However, I do have a child who suffered with asthma and have been able to help him. This would be my youngest boy who has suffered with asthma from birth. He is now almost two and doing great. I found some information that Doctors have linked people who suffer with asthma and allergies to chemicals that are found in cleaning products, personal bath products,etc. I found a new store and started shopping there for all these needs, after a month I was able to get my little one off the nebulizer and he was on it twice a day and two medecines. So you can imagine how much of a relief it was for me. This store was no more expensive than Wal-Mart either, that really suprised me. If you want more information you could call me at ###-###-#### or email me at ____@____.com or look at this website workathomeunited.com/myfoursons. Hope this information helps you

My Son is 3.5 years old. He has had pneumonia 3x already. The first time was at 6months old. He had lower pneumonia and was in a oxygen tank for 1week. After that he had episodes of trouble breathing, and several steroid shots.I decided to seek a specialist. I went a pediatric Pulmonologist, Dr. Alan Dozer. He is in Hawthorne, NY. He diagnosed my son with sever asthma. He took several test. Such as, allergy, IgG, sweat test etc. My child has low IgG levels as well. They were around 370 the first time tested. To my understanding a child with normal IgG levels should be close to 1000. I got him tested a year later and they raised to 430. I was excited that they were going up even though they were still low. My son just recently got out of the hospital again for pneumonia and RSV. I just recently got his IgG levels tested again and are waiting on the results. I am nervous this time around because if the Dr. told me if they did not go up I will have to take him out of Day Care.
I have been reading up more on Children with IgG levels. They said there is no cure. There is different treatments depending on the severeness of the low levels. Such as Immune injections, blood transfusions, bone marrows etc.
This scared me. I looked up alternative treatment and there is different diets/ vitamins to help the immune system as well. I have a picky eater so this will be a challenge for me! There was also therapeutic massage and yoga that will help increase as well.
I wish you the best of luck with this challenge. You and your family will ill be in my prayers. You are not alone! Please let me know if you had found out anymore information that could help me.

I am no doctor nor an expert in nutrition, BUT I do know that prolonged exposure or use of an antibiotic should be counteracted with a probiotic. I mean the good stuff you buy in health food stores, something not synthetically produced , but natural. This will build up your daughter's immune system that is being compromised from staying on antibiotics for so long. My children have never had pneumonia or asthma, but we have dealt with some serious coughs that chiripractic can sometimes help with. If you find a good chiripractor they will also help you find the right nutritional supplements that will help your children stay healthy and keep your daughter from EVER getting pneumonia and alleviate asthma symptems. It is worth a shot and what have you got to lose. There are a lot of skeptics out there about nutrition and chiropractic, but I am a believer based on facts with my own children.

Have you tried using non-toxic cleaning products? Believe it or not, the air in our homes is more toxic than the air we breath outdoors. And that is because all of the harmful chemicals that are in the products we are using every day in our homes. Asthma is up %400 in the last 10 years because our everyday household products are being made with more synthetic and harmful substances. I use products from a company called Melaleuca. They make more natural and non-toxic everyday household products that are safer for the environment and for your family. Let me know if you are interested and I'll be happy to tell you how you can purchase them. I know lots of kids who have completely come off their inhalers and asthma medications just by changing over to these products. J. K ____@____.com

I have found in battling this myself, that it is profitable to doctors, hospitals to be sick. Drs get kick backs from phar companies. Yes, there are some medicines that are necessary, but you also have a lot of docs who know nothing but to medicate and not figure out what is the underlying causes of the illness and make money off of people who are sick.
I am just throwing a little of what I know out there. I mean no disrespect and do not mean to offend anyone. This is what I found to be true. Dairy of any kind and the mucous it is something to avoid. We are the only mammals that still give milk after being weaned. Chiropractic actually helped my daughter with chronic ear infections and my other with asthsma. I went to a lady who specialized in children with chronic illnesses. I restrict dairy intake, they are both taking vitamin C. They both take vitamins. I have a friend that has a daughter that has chronic asthma who does a number of holistic things. If you would like, I can ask her what all she does. Just let me know.
A LITTLE ABOUT ME:
I am 36 yo with a 9 yo daughter that HAD asthma and 5 1/2 yo daughter born with multiple heart defects called Tetralogy of Fallot. We live in a small town in Indiana. I have dogs, fish and a guinea pig we rescued from the shelter where we volunteer :-)

A.,
Often times the onset of asthma succeeds an over-looked untreated food allergy. For example, if you're daughter had eczema as a toddler and the allergen was not identified but instead only the symptoms were treated (usually with steroid creams and various moisturizers), that will progress to asthma. The good news is that an eliminative diet will identify the food allergy and the body can start to heal itself as early as a week after the implicated food/food derivative/ingredient has been completely eliminated from the diet. If your daughter did in fact have eczema in her early years and you are interested in knowing more, please let me know and I will expand on the process. Just some quick insight into my knowledge base on the subject: My four year old began getting the tell-tale eczema rash on the insides of her wrists when she was 14 months. I thought it was a passing thing that kids went through. A couple months later, it got worse until at 20 months her rash was on her neck too and so itchy she had scratched herself into a skin infection (impetigo). I went to the doctor, they didn't even ask me what she was eating, they just unloaded some steroid cream samples on us that my husband made me promise to not put on her. At wits end, I went to a naturopath up in Mount Airy, MD, and she told me flat out that her eczema was a result of something she was eating. I did the eliminative diet and within a week I realized that SOY was the culprit. I thought I had removed every trace of soy from her diet but after about a year I noticed that she was still experiencing little outbreaks. Then I realized that her "treat" of a tiny handful of chocolate chips contained the emulsufier "soy lecithin" and later read that only a small amount of that can trigger a big reaction in sensitive people. As it turns out she was one of those people (and who knows how many more little ones are, but they're just misdiagnosed, if at all). Well, within 2 weeks of truly eliminating every last food product that contained a soy ingredient (soy protein, soybean oil, lecithin, soy flour, etc, her skin was healed with the discoloring typical of eczema disappearing as well. She's been soy-free for the last 14 months and there hasn't been a trace of eczema or skin issues. I'm convinced if she had continued on the hidden soy train that her allergy would have progressed to asthma.
P.S.
I just scrolled through some of the other responses posted and couldn't help but notice someone recommending you make sure to give your daughter the pneumonia and flu vaccines.
Please visit this link to learn a little more about the chemical side of vaccines from a Christian point of view,
http://poisonevercure.150m.com/from_a_christian_view_poin...
and never get your child vaccinated while their immune system is trying to fight off something like pneumonia. Vaccines temporarily incapacitate the immune system and introducing them into the child's body while it is already so taxed can only do way more harm than good. That is specifically why the question of "...has your child recently been sick or had a fever?" is on the questionaire you fill out when you take them in to get shot up, so that those children can have a chance to get better before more burden is placed on the immune system.

A., I am so sorry that your daughter has been sick. I don't know what ch50 is, but my pediatrician says that kids wit IgG disorders can definitely have an allergic component influencing their health. My ped is Dr. Jill Dickerson of Growing Child PEdiatrics in Wake Forest. She is WONDERFUL (although I think she might be leaving town this summer) and I would recommend her if you are looking for a local pediatrician.

Allergy testing is a good start. I would definitely do the skin prick testing rather than the RAST testing. The skin prick testing is more reliable, in general.

My son has a very complicated allergic disorder so I know how difficult it is to deal with health issues. Please let me know how it goes.

C.
Wake Forest

I am not really sure what these tests would have to do with pnumonia but the asthma could be a sign of allergies.
The IGg is a test that they do that show that there is a high chance that there is a food allergy. The CH50 is a hemolytic test that when present with the IGg is probably associated with the food allergy. They will do tests and find out what she is allergic to. But I wouldn't make an appt now because it may take you 3 months to get in.
Good luck and I hope it isn't anything difficult for her to live without.