Asthma Treatment Side Effects

Child asthma sufferers who use inhaled steroids end up being slightly shorter as adults, was recently reported in a study, and important to know as a concerned parent. When we see our children suffering it is only natural to want to relieve their suffering, but not if the traditional child asthma methods will give our children new issues down the road.

Child Asthma sufferers on Prescription Medications is Likely to affect your Child’s Height

Child asthma sufferers taking inhaled steroids are likely to end up being slightly shorter than their friends when they get older. This information comes from a recent study, funded by the government. It has been known for some time that inhaled steroids have been known to slow children’s growth for the duration of the first years of using them. Now we learn the long term shock of inhaled steroids on height was unidentified until now. One participating researcher said the risk for stunting\ growth may be lessened by lowering the medication’s dose. That is not a positive statement though as the researchers just do not know whether smaller doses will improve the outcomes. And the only way to find out is to try it and see what happens to your child. Many parents would rather not be the guinea pigs of experimentation. It is much wiser to go with a proven program, relieving symptoms in natural ways, you will find at True Health Solutions of Lexington.

Inhaled Steroid Users Slightly Shorter

Adults, who were monitored in the government study, had been using budesonide, an inhaled steroid, which is in Pulmicort the prescription medication. These adults in the study were, commonly, half an inch shorter than those adults who were not using a steroid. This difference in height was seen first throughout treatment, and though the effect did persist into their adulthood, it did not continue to get worse, according to the report.

The findings are considered surprising in the medical community. Doctors believed inhaled steroids would not affect height permanently and that the children using inhaled steroids would catch up, which is not what the findings proved.

Study Brings a Long Awaited Answer

Although the study provided a long awaited answer to whether or not inhaled steroids did in fact have an effect on growth that was permanent. Some physicians believed the impact on their patient’s height had to be weighed in opposition to the seemingly effective inhaled steroids compared with other traditional asthma treatments for children.

This government study included about 1,000 mild to moderate asthma suffering children. There were three groups including one treated with budesonide, the inhaled steroid, another group using nedocromil, which is a non-steroid inhaled drug, and not available in the United States any more, and the third group was treated with a placebo.

All of the groups, interestingly enough, were also given the non-steroid asthma drug albuterol. After a year to two years of treatment, children in the inhaled steroid group were an average of a half an inch shorter than children in the other two groups.

To learn your natural options for treating this debilitating disease, come see Dr. Miller at True Health Solutions of Lexington, for a scientific assessment and an asthma treatment program that gets real results.