Can Anyone Give Me Some Insight on E.I.A. ?

** Edit: I have used: Xopenex, Ventolin, Albuterol, and Proventil.
Some, will make the heart race faster or 'might' make the person a bit hyper.
Each person is different. None of the inhalers, have affected me much as far as side effects.
My Mom however, did not like Xopenex... it didn't help her too much and it make her edgy. But not for me. And I like the Xopenex.

The thing is, any medication will have side effects, but per Asthma.... you cannot withhold medication/inhalers... because the other option is that the person will simply asphyxiate. The side effects of the inhalers, are thus, marginal.

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I have Asthma.
Have had it since I was a child.
What does Asthma feel like?
Well... imagine suffocating. Or, when you smoosh your face into a pillow... and then try to breathe and take a deep breath.
THAT, is what Asthma feels like.
It is, like suffocating.
Asthma... means that the airways are inflamed/constricted... and thus, one cannot breathe or breathe deeply etc.
So then, it can also mean that the bloodstream is not getting enough oxygen either. And one that happens, it is a really dire situation or the person needs to be in a hospital. Without oxygenated blood, the person can really, suffocate. They will turn blue.

There are MANY different types of inhalers.
THUS, YES... see a Pulmonologist.
AND, get another inhaler, if this one is NOT working.

Also, being that he has Asthma... he should be carrying the inhaler on him or have it at school etc. It should ALWAYS... be kept near or on, the person.
Asthma attacks... can come on at ANY time. And it has NO, hint as to when it will arise.

I get activity induced Asthma too. Then sometimes I don't. Other times I do. Other times other things affects and triggers my Asthma.
It is, capricious and unpredictable.
Even with, an inhaler.

Using the inhaler before exercise does no good. It's for use once he had difficulty breathing at which time it will open up the airways.

Look up asthma on the Internet to learn more about it. There are many good sites.

A.m.a.n.d.a I'm not familiar with that kind of inhaler. I did look up pro air on the Internet and they said it is a rescue inhaler.

My granddaughter has asthma due to allergies but she also has EIA. She sees an allergist regularly. She has pro air as a rescue inhaler and an Advair for maintenance. The Advair she uses daily.

Her doctor is an allergist but he also advertizes that he manages other breathing issues. His card says "allergy, asthma, dermatology. In my granddaughters case she needs treatment for all three. You might call an allergist and a pulmonologist and ask about which would be the better person to treat his asthma. Or ask his pediatrician.

My granddaughter's pediatrician treated her asthma until the treatment no longer worked at which time she recommended this specific doctor.

BTW the terms are rescue inhaler and maintenance inhaler.

It is difficult to watch our child struggle to breathe. My granddaughter has ended up in ER as a baby because of it. It can be scary but once the doctor found the right combination of medicines life does get much easier.

My only experience was a girl on my daughter's soccer team. She did fine with the inhaler type thing she had. This was competitive soccer too. I think we worried about her more than her mom or she worried.

I wish I knew more about what she used. The thing looked like a round accordion pleated four inch tube with one end closed and the other had a mouthpiece. It had a different type of medication in it, I think she breathed it in as it collapsed. She kept it in her soccer bag, didn't use it very often but she only used it when she had serious breathing issues on the field.

I had asthma really bad as a child. I can remember waking up at 2 in the morning and having to call the doctor (who was our neighbor) to come over and give me a shot. There are once a day pills that can be taken now for asthma. I know it has to be at a certain intensity. I can not remember taking anything like that. I did have an inhaler. I used the inhaler after it got started.