Female Speaker: Three-year old Ryan Parel is a happy, healthy toddler. His mother, Debbi, can attest to that.
Debbi Kempe: He gets into everything, he wants to learn about everything, he's learning his abc's, he can count.
Female Speaker: But on Ryan's sixth month birthday, after coming down with a bad cold, Debbi noticed changes in Ryan's behavior, and knew something was wrong.
Debbi took Ryan to the pediatrician, and it was a good thing she did.
Debbi Kempe: When I took him in there and laid him down on the table for the doctor to look at him, the doctor was immediately like, you need to take him to the emergency room. It's awful, you just think, what did I do wrong you know why is this happening, it's awful.
Dr. Michael Welch: Well hi, hi, who's this today with you?
Female Speaker: With the help of pediatrician and asthma specialist, Dr. Michael Welch, the mystery of Ryan's illness was short lived.
Dr. Michael Welch: Let's take a listen here.
Female Speaker: After assessing Ryan's symptoms, Dr. Welch diagnosed him with Asthma. Unfortunately, the most dangerous cases of asthma can occur in infants too little to describe the severity of their symptoms. That's why Dr. Welch says it's so important for new parents to be aware of the warning signs of asthma.
They may include difficulty breathing, wheezing, coughing and shortness of breath, and an overall tightness in the chest. Asthma is caused by an inflammation of the tubes that carry air through the lungs. These airways often become inflamed due to irritants and allergens, such as viral infections, cigarette smoke, cold air, or other particles and chemicals in the air. This inflammation is what makes it especially hard for children with the condition to breathe.
But Dr. Welch says the combination of daily medications, as well as medications given at the time of the attack, can effectively restore normal lung function, and minimize symptoms for most children. For now, life is good for three-year-old Ryan. A daily nebulizer treatment allows him to take his asthma medication in an easy to breathe mist form. Each treatment lasts about ten minutes a day. Debbi says proper diagnosis and treatment has helped her son and their entire family, live normal, happy lives.
Female Speaker: Seven-year old Tyler McDougal knows all too well the signs of an oncoming asthma attack.
Tyler Mcdougal: It's giving me a really hard time to breathe and it's getting harder.
Female Speaker: Tyler has been living with asthma for as long as he can remember, and controlling his asthma has become a way of life for him.
Tyler Mcdougal: I tell my mom that I'm starting to feel tight and we do the machine to make it feel better.
Female Speaker: Tyler now attends asthma camp, to learn more about his condition and how to manage it. Tyler and his mother, Carmen, feel education and dedication are helping them win their battle against asthma.
Carmen Mcdougal: Dr. Welch feels that he gives us the tools, and we take the responsibility for the disease, so we know what to do and when to ask for help.
Dr. Michael Welch: Tyler has to be ready to do this program everyday, and mom has to make sure it gets done and I have to make sure that we have the right program, so it's a team effort.
Female Speaker: And Dr. Welch says parents can't forget the role of childcare providers and schools when dealing with asthma, since most children spend a good portion of their day in the care of others.
Carmen Mcdougal: I let school and daycare know, for example Monday morning, that we had a little bit of trouble over the weekend.
Dr. Michael Welch: The schools are becoming more and more willing to work with parents like you and people like me, to take care of kids, at least I've found.
Female Speaker: Although there is still no cure for asthma, children like Ryan and Tyler can continue to learn new ways of managing their condition, to make life a little easier.
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