Allergies and Asthma

Cole has been having some allergy issues lately that seem to keep getting worse rather than better.  He experienced some of these issues last year but not for very long and not as severe.  He experienced some issues when we were in Arkansas - red and itchy eyes.  He had a hard time sleeping one night so we got him some over the counter allergy medicine the next day.  It seemed to help so we thought we were good.

Last Wednesday we went to the Botanical Gardens and Cole didn't have any allergy medicine.  He was okay in the beginning of the day but by the end of the trip his eyes were so red, puffy, watery, itchy and a bit swollen.  We stopped on the way home for some medicine and he went straight to the shower to rinse off when we got home.  He was outside playing a bit more that evening and his eyes got a bit worse.  Poor thing was pretty uncomfortable.

So, from then on we decided he needed the allergy medicine every morning and every evening.  We've talked to his doctor's office several times and that is what they recommended.  They also suggested some eye drops which took me a while to find since many stores were out of them.  Of course now that I have them he won't let me give them to him.

  Luckly his eyes cleared up enough so we could get family pictures taken on Sunday.  I kept him inside for two days straight for fear of sending him outside to play and it bothering his eyes.

  Spring break ended and it was back to school on Monday.  I e-mailed his teacher to let her know what was going on in case his eyes start to act up.  When he came home yesterday evening I noticed he was wheezing a bit when he was breathing and his breathing was a bit heavy.  After talking to his doctor's office they suggested taking him to the pediatric urgent care to get checked out.

  The urgent care gave him a nebulizer treatment and sent us home with one.  He was doing much better after the treatment. 

We filled his perscriptions on the way home.  One is a five day steroid and the other is for the nebulizer machine.  When we got home I noticed the wheezing was back and he was breathing heavy again.  We are so lucky to have a doctor in the family because we called Matt's sister several times to talk to her about his medicine.  She told us to give him another dose of the steriod, his over the counter allergy medincine, another nebulizer treatment, toss him in the shower to rinse any pollen away and then one more nebulizer treatment.  After all that he was doing much better.

  Poor little guy was so tired and just wanted to sleep.  He spent the day at my Mom's house resting.