Often as parents we find ourselves asking “Well, what is it?” Mine is one of those situations. My son has what is called “Reactive Airway Disease.” When he was first diagnosed with this disorder I found myself asking everyone what exactly it was. His pediatrician sent us to an asthma and allergy specialist who also did not explain it to my satisfaction. As a concerned parent I have done extensive research about RAD and according to MAYOCLINIC.com, James T. Li, M.D.,
1 “Sometimes the terms ‘reactive airway disease’ and ‘asthma’ are used interchangeably. However, they're not necessarily the same thing.” He goes on to explain that Reactive airway is a term used when there is no medical explanation for chronic or reoccurring ailments such as “coughing, wheezing or shortness of breath of unknown cause[s],” and that these symptoms “. . .may or may not be caused by asthma.”
James T. Li discusses “the difficulty in establishing a diagnosis of asthma.” This is especially more complicated “in certain situations — such as during early childhood.” It is definitely possible for a child to have asthma and be diagnosed before the age of six. However, doctors are not very likely to jump to a diagnosis without evidence of the appropriate pathology. Documentation is key here, and for asthmatics or RAD children, there are so many other diseases with similar symptoms, that it can make arriving at a diagnosis much more complicated.
Aimee “The angry Asthma mama”
2 believes “the diagnosis of ‘Reactive Airways Disease’ is a load of bologna with a capital ‘BS’." She is very opinionated and her blog is very informative about this disease. She also shares her own personal beliefs on asthma. However I came to the understanding after many questions to specialists and research based on RAD, that unlike asthma attacks, an episode of RAD is brought on by a trigger. For example, if my son goes into a friends’ home with a pet he is more likely to have an attack. Whether he is allergic to the animal or not is completely irrelevant. It is very similar to a form of asthma called “allergic asthma,” in this respect. Both types of episodes are induced by an allergy or trigger. If pollen is a trigger for your child, he/she may not necessarily be allergic to it, however a picnic in the park may cost you a trip to the local emergency room.
