4th of July. Fireworks & Asthma Are NOT a Good Mix!

 As the 4th of July weekend nears, I'm VERY worried about fireworks smoke.

We live in a cul de sac, and the neighbors like to put on a BBQ with fireworks and dub the party  "The Cul de sac of Fire"

Can I tell you how much I hate fireworks? 

Am I old and cranky? Well, yes - but that's beside the point 

Firework smoke almost killed my son

When Son #2 was in elementary school, his asthma was almost impossible to control. This was before asthma biologics were available for those under age 12. 

He was on multiple daily, anti-inflammatory inhalers. 

He also had allergy shots in the hopes that controlling his allergies would control his asthma. 

And our home was allergy & asthma friendly.  

We were also germaphobes WAY before COVID. 

We tried everything to keep him healthy. 

Every minor cold morphed into pneumonia for him - and another hospital stay. 

RSV also put him in the hospital for a week (at age 5). Yes, 5.

4th of July fireworks  

My son was excited for fireworks that night. I let him go outside and watch as we lit small fireworks. 

But he started coughing, and coughing, and coughing. 

I brought my son inside and started a breathing treatment, but he didn't seem to respond.  

I watched him closely and had the feeling I should take him to the ER. 

Something didn't look right. 

PLEASE follow your mother's instinct. You know what's normal for your child more than anyone else.   

Emergency Room  

The ER nurse quickly put my son in a triage room, and assessed him. His oxygen level was  dropping and he was breathing rapidly. 

His skin was pale, and his lips and fingernails were a purplish color.  

They admitted my son to the Pediatrics ward and kept a close eye on him. But he kept getting worse. 

He ended up in ICU and struggled for days. 

They placed a crash cart outside my son's room. (I learned later that medical staff believe that keeping a crash cart outside a room will help a patient NOT crash.)

Who knew?!

It was a long few days, and I was constantly on edge.   

He slowly recovered and was released 4 days later. 

It took a long time for him to recover, his lungs were not happy. 

Since that happened, I have flashbacks on 4th of July and worry about firework smoke. 

My son is an adult now, and just stays inside to protect his lungs. 

But I will never forget what he went through. 

Cul de Sac of Fire  

My daughter and I also have asthma and duck inside while the neighbors light of fireworks on 4th of July.

 But if we leave the house the next day, the smoke still lingers - and we have asthma attacks. 

This happens every year.  

And this is why I hate fireworks.  

Fireworks and asthma are NOT a good mix.   

Has anyone else had an asthma attack or ended up in the hospital from fireworks?