RAD.... or not so rad

So, all the coughing that LD had every time he had a cold -- turns out that it wasn't just a cold. Instead, it's something called Reactive Airway Disease (aka "RAD") -- which basically translates to that anytime he catches a cold (or can be caused from allergies, which is highly possible as well), it triggers his respiratory system and becomes like asthma, but strictly cold-induced asthma -- and there's no wheezing, just a constant cold. I was a little confused because I've always thought asthma was just wheezing, but I guess not.

Anyway, after oh, something like 16 trips to his pediatrician in the past 6 months to try and figure out just what the heck was going on, his primary pedi finally figured it out and prescribed an inhaler called Flovent -- this is a different one than the Albuterol he was on before. It comes with this quite nifty chamber and a duck-bill plastic piece that fits over LD's nose and mouth so that he doesn't have to keep his mouth closed while using the inhaler. Instead, the inhalant goes through the chamber and into the plastic piece and then LD just breathes it in for a count of 5. Very easy and not bad at all.

LD was started on it when the last cold started and this one was sooo much better than the previous colds. It's been over a week since that cold started and it's just like anyone else's regular cold now. There's been *no* nighttime coughing and no coughing all the time during the day like there was with the previous, untreated by the inhaler, colds. What a difference!

LD having RAD makes a lot of sense. Every time he was all stuffed up and coughing, the pedi's office would recommend a vaporizer with menthol or eucalyptus in it -- which would help a normal cough, but would instead make his cough even worse. Turns out the menthol/eucalyptus irritates the heck out of the respiratory airway, which makes the coughing even worse. Good to know and bye-bye vaporizer!