4th of July Fireworks

(nydailynew.com)

It's that time of year again, time to celebrate the 4th of July. Many of us are having BBQ's, attending carnivals and parades and of course lighting off fire works.

Many of you who read my blog regularly know that I have a fear of smoke. This is due to Son #2 who almost died from the effects of a forest fire-the smoke filled our valley, along with my son's lungs. It was during 4th of July weekend, so the kids wanted to light off fireworks. It seems like kids are drawn to fireworks and water. (Watch your kids near the water too-we've already had 9 children that have drowned so far this summer in our state. All it takes is you turning your back 'just for a second' and they're gone.)

But back to fireworks. They can cause problems with asthma-any smoke can. Keep your kids a safe distance from them, and watch the way the wind is blowing the smoke, change positions frequently if you need to.

And watch their breathing- if they start coughing then do a nebulizer treatment or have them use their inhaler pronto! Many of us think "it's just a cough" Coughing is your lung's ways of saying "help!" If you have asthma, use your rescue medication, don't wait until it gets worse. (I think that's the mistake I made when my kids were first diagnosed with asthma, I didn't know when to use the nebulzier, call the doctor, or start them on steroids)

Trips to the Emergency room are not fun. And spending 3 days in the hospital each time for asthma is not fun either (Trust me, I know! My kids have been hospitalized 12 separate times for asthma) And sometimes, they can't save people who have asthma attacks. Keep in mind that 11 people die from asthma EVERY DAY

I do not want to me or my kids to be one of them. So, enjoy the 4th of July, and watch fireworks, but from a distance. And remember what your doctor has told you about treating your (or your child's) asthma. Don't be afraid to use your rescue medicine if you need it, and if there's no improvement after using your medicine, head to the closest emergency room. Minutes count when you have asthma.

Please look over your Asthma Action plan so you know what to do in case of an asthma attack. Follow the doses your doctor has prescribed for you, we're all a little different, so do what you need to to treat your asthma.

Happy 4th of July!