Dr. Gail Brottman

Those are symptoms of childhood asthma and, you know, there's sort of a urban myth, maybe it's a medical myth that children under the age of five cannot be diagnosed with asthma and actually that's not true. You can diagnose asthma in young children.

Those are symptoms of childhood asthma and, you know, there's sort of a urban myth, maybe it's a medical myth that children under the age of five cannot be diagnosed with asthma and actually that's not true. You can diagnose asthma in young children.

Um, but at that point, that's where I come in as a lung specialist for children, where if, uh, if your primary care provider isn't sure if it's asthma, then, you know, people might want to say, Hey, uh, can you refer me to a specialist? Because I just feel like this is more than a cold or recurrent viral infections. And so I think that's really important for people to know.

Um, but at that point, that's where I come in as a lung specialist for children, where if, uh, if your primary care provider isn't sure if it's asthma, then, you know, people might want to say, Hey, uh, can you refer me to a specialist? Because I just feel like this is more than a cold or recurrent viral infections. And so I think that's really important for people to know.

It was epinephrine. They gave you a shot of epinephrine or known as adrenaline.

It was epinephrine. They gave you a shot of epinephrine or known as adrenaline.

So very fortunately, and I've been actually doing this for quite a long time as well. But a long time ago, we really didn't have a lot of good asthma medicines. And more importantly, we didn't really understand that the key component of an asthma attack, if you will, was actually swelling of the airways.

So very fortunately, and I've been actually doing this for quite a long time as well. But a long time ago, we really didn't have a lot of good asthma medicines. And more importantly, we didn't really understand that the key component of an asthma attack, if you will, was actually swelling of the airways.

And really what we thought asthma was, was just that the muscles that are around the air tubes in your lungs were just squeezing tight. And so the adrenaline would relax those muscles. And so that's why we used it. We also used to use a medicine called theophylline, which we don't really use anymore. But what happened with a lot of really good medical research over the years

And really what we thought asthma was, was just that the muscles that are around the air tubes in your lungs were just squeezing tight. And so the adrenaline would relax those muscles. And so that's why we used it. We also used to use a medicine called theophylline, which we don't really use anymore. But what happened with a lot of really good medical research over the years

is now we have a more specific medication that is administered either in an inhaler or a nebulizer that is very specific to relax the muscles. This medication is called albuterol. And we call that a rescue medicine. But the most important thing is that now when somebody is having an asthma attack, we know that albuterol is just a temporary relief.

is now we have a more specific medication that is administered either in an inhaler or a nebulizer that is very specific to relax the muscles. This medication is called albuterol. And we call that a rescue medicine. But the most important thing is that now when somebody is having an asthma attack, we know that albuterol is just a temporary relief.

It's kind of like giving Tylenol for a fever, right? So that Tylenol is not treating the cause of the fever. It's just treating the symptom. And that's what albuterol does. It just relaxes the muscles and that we know now what's important to do when somebody is having an asthma attack is to also give them a medicine to decrease the swelling. And typically those are medicines called steroids.

It's kind of like giving Tylenol for a fever, right? So that Tylenol is not treating the cause of the fever. It's just treating the symptom. And that's what albuterol does. It just relaxes the muscles and that we know now what's important to do when somebody is having an asthma attack is to also give them a medicine to decrease the swelling. And typically those are medicines called steroids.

Um, you might've heard the, uh, name prednisone or prednisolone or decadron or dexamethasone, but those medicines need to be used together because if you just use the rescue medicine or the albuterol or even the epinephrine, right, the epinephrine would wear off and then they'd have to give it again. Right. Because again,

Um, you might've heard the, uh, name prednisone or prednisolone or decadron or dexamethasone, but those medicines need to be used together because if you just use the rescue medicine or the albuterol or even the epinephrine, right, the epinephrine would wear off and then they'd have to give it again. Right. Because again,

it wasn't treating the swelling, which is really causing the airway narrowing over a period of time. And so that's really changed this whole idea of airway inflammation or swelling has really totally changed the whole frame shift of how we treat asthma.

it wasn't treating the swelling, which is really causing the airway narrowing over a period of time. And so that's really changed this whole idea of airway inflammation or swelling has really totally changed the whole frame shift of how we treat asthma.

And I think, again, that's really, really important for people to understand that by addressing these chronic issues in the airways with asthma controller medicines that would be taken daily to decrease the swelling, you can prevent those asthma attacks. And that's really, really key.

And I think, again, that's really, really important for people to understand that by addressing these chronic issues in the airways with asthma controller medicines that would be taken daily to decrease the swelling, you can prevent those asthma attacks. And that's really, really key.