Steroid inhalers not a breath of fresh air for asthmatic kids

I've been trained in first-aid. But honestly, if someone around me had to stop breathing, I would probably freeze-up and forget how to perform CPR. So what do you do when a child has asthma and can't breath? Pump them full of drugs, right? But what if those drugs could cause more harm than good?
This is what Dr. Inglis says about the dangers of inhalers...

I've met plenty of patients who have children or grandchildren taking steroid inhalers. They all had pretty much the same reaction when their doctors first prescribed this aggressive medication for their loved ones.

You know the reaction… your head kind of cocks to the side and your eyes narrow as you wonder, "Is this really safe?". Of course, most patients are afraid to say anything – and I understand not wanting to take any chances when it comes to a child's ability to breathe.

But trust your instincts. These inhalers can be incredibly unsafe, and research is showing that they're not always very effective.

A recent study from the University of Leicester in the UK re-examined the protocol at many hospitals, where children who are admitted with sudden wheezing attacks often are given steroid inhalers.

The researchers compared pre-schoolers who were given a corticosteroid drug with those given a placebo. There was no significant difference in the comparative length of hospital stays for 687 kids ranging in age from 10 months to five years. There was no real difference in symptom relief, either.

Another recent study, this one from Canada, looked at the benefits of using another synthetic corticosteroid containing salmeterol xinafoate as a preventive. Researchers concluded that the possible stunted growth from the steroid was more dangerous than any potential gains the drug provided for soothing wheezing.

It's been said that the hardest thing for a doctor to do is nothing.

I understand that the wheezing sound an asthmatic child makes is frightening, and could lead a doctor to prescribe an aggressive medication. But before you let your children or grandchildren take a medication that lists everything from coughing up blood to psychosis as its side effects, you need to ask some tough questions about whether it's going to do any good.

And, if we're completely honest, very often the answer will be no. But, there are natural alternatives, such as Salt Pipes, with no side effects. Click here for more information.