Driving & Asthma

[Kathy_B]

I have been doing some recent research on Erbs Palsy. My daughter is 13 and in a few years will be hoping to receive drivers education. Help me to understand what type of difficulties you or your teenager have when driving. Also, in one of the message boards someone mentioned they have difficulty when running. The Erbs Palsy causes diaphragm problems. Can there also be a connection between Erbs Palsy and asthma?

[admin]

Hi, I just wanted to clarify for you what asthma is. It is an obstructive disease of the airways that can be caused by a hypersensitity to something that is inhaled such as allergens (like pollen), irritants (like smoke) or it can be brought on by stress or exercise. Your lungs go in bronchospasm and start to produce mucus. It is not that you can't get the air in, it's that your lungs are air trapping and can't get the air out. When you have a problem with your diaphragm not working properly your body may need to use some of its accessory muscles to help breath. By my understanding asthma is not connected to Erb's Palsy in that Erb's Palsy does not cause iflammation of the airways or bronchospasm. It may predispose you to have breathing problems in that you may have difficuly fully expanding your lungs due to a partially paralyzed diaphragm. It also seems to complicate some cases of asthma by restricting what lung function the client may already have. Hope that answers your question about the asthma. I'm a respiratory therapist and I have a daughter with OBPI. Francine's daughter Maia has asthma and difficulties with an affected diaphragm. She posts frequently on this board and may be able to answer some of your questions as well.

[Anna G]

i use a infer red sysem that controls the signals from a hand control i only neeed to use my thumb to press a button. It is a lodgesons.

[Karen Hillyer]

Anna
a few people I know who've had lodgesons infra red controls fitted have been sent a letter recalling the units and telling the customer not to drive until they've been replaced or fixed, have you had this letter?
Karen

[Anna G]

unfortunatly yes.


dad spoke to the company and about five of the poins have shattered in about 1000 whicvh is not a lot but it is still worrying.


because im learning i don't use the a lot, so the decision that we have made is that dad will drive the car to where we practise three point turns, parrel parking and stuff like that then i can practise them cause if im doing that i am a slow enogh speed that i can control the car if any thing happens. They were estimating about eight weeeks. cause they need to find the problem a manufature a new machine.

life goes on though- it is also models from August 2002 onwards.

Do u know how many other people in the group have infer red?

[Karen Hillyer]

Hi Anna
I don't know many people in our group, but I am in touch with a group for people who have a traumatic bpi and I think about 5 -6 of them have had similar letters sent about their Lodgesons, so that's how I know - glad to hear that your dadis helping with driving you round - at least you're in very safe hands!
Karen

[Francine_Litz]

Amy - that was a great post! You're right on about the diaphragm issue versus asthma... There is such a high incidence of pediatric asthma right now in the world it's just shocking. You should only see the nurse's office and how many boxes of inhalers she has in there.

BUT with that said - I think that before any child has surgery they should get a pulmonary function test (completely non-invasive). Maia does not wheeze or cough - so her issues are completely inaudible...yet her lungs were only taking in 40%. She had to be on steroids for a couple of months before her surgery and oral steroids the week surrounding the surgery...and bronchidilators had to be used in her oxygen during the surgery because she had problems... Better safe than sorry - get your child checked out!

[Brandi]

I am a little behind...I did not realize that BPI affected the diaphram. Our daughter is almost two and when she is running or just playing she begins to cough a lot. We have been concerned with it because my husband and my mom have asthma. Can anyone give me anymore information on this? You can email me at juliabpi@hotmail.com.

Thanks!

[Francine_Litz]

Brandi - best to take your daughter to a pediatric pulmonologist.... they can do a test called fluoroscopy and a pulmonary function test, etc. With cases like these, I believe you need to go to a specialist - pediatricians aren't equipped with the best equipment. For example in our pediatricians office, you would just blow in a tube to do the test...but in our specialists office- they have a computer set up and Maia had to make a computer program respond to her breathing and it tested many things at the same time. She had fun and we got the information we needed....

good luck,
francine

ps maia does not cough or wheeze but when she's not getting enough air, even the smallest activity tires her and she eats more to try to get more energy and it doesn't work....

[Anna G]

ive got the car back! wooohooo