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10 Responses to “What type of doctor should I see for asthma/respiratory issues?”
See an allergist doc first..they should be able to handle asthma or even refer you to a pulmonary doctor *lungs*
If you’re insurance is HMO, you will need a refferal from your PCP
but it you have PPO you just need to fina an allergist or pulmoary who accepts your insurance
An allergist. My son and daughter have allergies and asthma. The are now on Zyrtec and doing great. It takes awhile for it to show improvement once they start it. Asthma does not always have wheezing that you can hear. A cough can be asthma. Good luck.
A chronic cough might be asthma related. Asthma is an obstruction in the airway that causes decreased air entry. That means that the body will kick into life save mode and keep him coughing to try to clear the block. The fact that he hasn’t been responding to any of those medications does not mean that he isn’t asthmatic. You just haven’t found the allergen and been able to eliminate it from his environment.
Also, you cannot just help yourself to a specialist. As the specialists secretary or office manager will tell you, you need a referral from a general-family practitioner to get to see a specialist.
If you try a walk in clinic, they might be willing to refer you if you give them a little of the history, but be pre-warned that it is most likely that they will refer you back to your own GP. (They will not help you because they are supposed to support each other and not go behind each other’s backs. Also, the second doctor might agree with the route that your own GP is taking.)
When my son was five years old (he is 18 now) he got a terrible cough every time he stepped into the hockey arena. We would take him to the doctor and it was always bronchonitis. He would get an antibiotic and then get better. One summer he had a really bad cough, and the pediatrician said he had asthma. He wanted me to get a nebulizer for him. I went to the pharmacist (small town) and he said I should get a second opinion because this doctor said everyone had asthma or allergies. I took him to an asthma/allergist specialist. He did not have asthma, but the doctor tested him for allergies and said he had those. He started taking the shots but did not get better. I am not big on filling a child up with medication so took him to an ear, nose, and throat doctor. He x-rayed his sinuses (front and side view–the allergist only x-rayed the front). The ENT said that his adenoids were so big that they were causing the constant pressure in his sinuses. He ended up having his tonsils and adenoids removed and tubes put in his ears. He was a totally different child after that. He did not take any more allergy shots. He used to snore really bad before he had this surgery, but now you can hardly hear him. Before you start giving her child all kinds of drugs, get different opinions. I think doctors are really quick to say people have allergies and asthma. Good luck.
The Answer Is Very Simple. If His Kidneys Are Good? Give Him Water 3 Or 4 Ounces Every Hour That He is Awake, This Is All It Takes.
If Your Body Give You Asthma It’s Because Is Crying For Water, It’s That Simple
You need to see a pulmonologist. He/she will be a doctor that specializes in breathing and the respiratory system. If the FP suspects asthma, then there are tests that will definitively recognize asthma or hyperactive airway disease, which is much like asthma. The test are preformed at a pulmonary function testing lab, (PFT Lab) and you will need to see a pulmonologist first. The two tests are called the methylcholine challenge and the pre and post bronchodialator test. Of course, I dont know how old your child is and if he/she is too young then these tests cannot be preformed unfortunately.
There are other disease or problem possibilities. Chronic Bronchitis, which would cause a lot of phlegm/mucus, Bronchiectasis, again, mucus, RSV or Respiratory Syncitial Virus, and if that is the disease, then the lack of response to the current medicine regimen is appropriate as virus’s dont react to antibiotics.
Please, consult a Pulmonologist before you get too worried and find out for sure what your dealing with. Good Luck!!!
May 22nd, 2009 at 6:09 am
Brittany Leech
See an allergist doc first..they should be able to handle asthma or even refer you to a pulmonary doctor *lungs*
If you’re insurance is HMO, you will need a refferal from your PCP
but it you have PPO you just need to fina an allergist or pulmoary who accepts your insurance
GOOD LUCK!!
May 22nd, 2009 at 11:20 am
Vickie Thames
An allergist. My son and daughter have allergies and asthma. The are now on Zyrtec and doing great. It takes awhile for it to show improvement once they start it. Asthma does not always have wheezing that you can hear. A cough can be asthma. Good luck.
May 23rd, 2009 at 11:53 pm
Rebecca Calloway
Sound like a whooping cough and u need to see ur child’s pediatrician
May 25th, 2009 at 4:19 pm
Natalie Zapata
This is probably an allergic cough, but she should have responded to steroids. May be she inhaled a foreign body, See a pediatric pulmonologist.
May 28th, 2009 at 2:46 am
Claire Quan
A chronic cough might be asthma related. Asthma is an obstruction in the airway that causes decreased air entry. That means that the body will kick into life save mode and keep him coughing to try to clear the block. The fact that he hasn’t been responding to any of those medications does not mean that he isn’t asthmatic. You just haven’t found the allergen and been able to eliminate it from his environment.
Also, you cannot just help yourself to a specialist. As the specialists secretary or office manager will tell you, you need a referral from a general-family practitioner to get to see a specialist.
If you try a walk in clinic, they might be willing to refer you if you give them a little of the history, but be pre-warned that it is most likely that they will refer you back to your own GP. (They will not help you because they are supposed to support each other and not go behind each other’s backs. Also, the second doctor might agree with the route that your own GP is taking.)
Good luck with it!
May 28th, 2009 at 6:42 pm
David Durst
consult a pulmonologist
May 30th, 2009 at 3:24 am
Gregory Laroche
When my son was five years old (he is 18 now) he got a terrible cough every time he stepped into the hockey arena. We would take him to the doctor and it was always bronchonitis. He would get an antibiotic and then get better. One summer he had a really bad cough, and the pediatrician said he had asthma. He wanted me to get a nebulizer for him. I went to the pharmacist (small town) and he said I should get a second opinion because this doctor said everyone had asthma or allergies. I took him to an asthma/allergist specialist. He did not have asthma, but the doctor tested him for allergies and said he had those. He started taking the shots but did not get better. I am not big on filling a child up with medication so took him to an ear, nose, and throat doctor. He x-rayed his sinuses (front and side view–the allergist only x-rayed the front). The ENT said that his adenoids were so big that they were causing the constant pressure in his sinuses. He ended up having his tonsils and adenoids removed and tubes put in his ears. He was a totally different child after that. He did not take any more allergy shots. He used to snore really bad before he had this surgery, but now you can hardly hear him. Before you start giving her child all kinds of drugs, get different opinions. I think doctors are really quick to say people have allergies and asthma. Good luck.
June 2nd, 2009 at 6:31 am
Gerald Paddock
Your child needs to see an Ped. Pulmonologist.
June 3rd, 2009 at 10:14 am
Clarence Seymour
The Answer Is Very Simple. If His Kidneys Are Good? Give Him Water 3 Or 4 Ounces Every Hour That He is Awake, This Is All It Takes.
If Your Body Give You Asthma It’s Because Is Crying For Water, It’s That Simple
June 3rd, 2009 at 1:23 pm
Wanda Savage
You need to see a pulmonologist. He/she will be a doctor that specializes in breathing and the respiratory system. If the FP suspects asthma, then there are tests that will definitively recognize asthma or hyperactive airway disease, which is much like asthma. The test are preformed at a pulmonary function testing lab, (PFT Lab) and you will need to see a pulmonologist first. The two tests are called the methylcholine challenge and the pre and post bronchodialator test. Of course, I dont know how old your child is and if he/she is too young then these tests cannot be preformed unfortunately.
There are other disease or problem possibilities. Chronic Bronchitis, which would cause a lot of phlegm/mucus, Bronchiectasis, again, mucus, RSV or Respiratory Syncitial Virus, and if that is the disease, then the lack of response to the current medicine regimen is appropriate as virus’s dont react to antibiotics.
Please, consult a Pulmonologist before you get too worried and find out for sure what your dealing with. Good Luck!!!