Asthmatic Children--need to relocate (Jacksonville: daycare, schools, allergies)

[esmith5]

Hello! We live in southeastern PA, which is proving a nightmare for our asthmatic children. Every summer, I take them to the beach and am able to take them off all their medication (four daily--including steriods, with more meds for flares). The children have no significant allergies; their triggers are viral. We are considering relocating to the Beaches (specifically, we are looking at Ponte Vedra Beach because of the quality schools) area near Jacksonville. Can anyone share information regarding asmatic children and how they do living along the coast of north Florida? Thanks very much!

[littlefamily]

I would suggest taking a visit (and if you can go now you will hit pollen season I think...) and see how they do.

We were living in the Philly area and our child had no problems. Then we moved to Jacksonville. My then 10 year-old daughter had pneumonia twice the first winter/spring we were in Jacksonville. She was then diagnosed with asthma. The pediatrician doesn't know what triggered the start of the asthma, but felt that the thick pine pollen down there wasn't helping her at all. She would get a cold, her lungs would be irritated by the pollen, then her lungs would become inflamed sending us down the pneumonia cycle.

Now we are back in Philly and although the asthma is not gone, she is not getting the pneumonia. It could just be that we are getting better at catching it early or it could be that she has fewer triggers up here.

I don't think you will know for sure until you take a trip and see how the kids do.

Good luck! If you decide to relocate - we loved it down there.

[mcleanl]

Our youngest son has asthma. His triggers include a whole list of tree pollens and animals as well as viral. We moved here last Aug from CT. He is now on singular and nasonex to control his allergies which in turn trigger his asthma. He has had two doses of oral steriods this year as well as his rescue inhalers and nebs when needed. Pollen is a huge issue here and without the harsh cold of the winter it is released earlier than in the north. We are struggling this year, much more than in years past. That being said, if your kids triggers are viral, I am curious...are there some locations that are better than others? Would the viral risk be any different here?

[moesobo]

Hi,
I have two kids with Asthma but I don't think it is related to the area. I have had my kids tested for allergies and they are fine. When I leave the state of Florida my allergies are a nightmare and then I return to Jacksonville and they are fine. My kids seem to be most effected by the daycare bugs that trigger the asthma not by the climate. What is great about north Florida is that each season is milder. So, I think this helps the asthmatic.

[Dappleganger]

Hopefully I can help. We moved here 8 years ago from the western part of VA with all four of our kids plus myself being asthmatic (and allergic). Now I can tell you that our asthma is significantly WORSE here because the allergies were worse, and in the heat of the summer it is too much to handle being outside. Many times we are prisoners in the air conditioning because it is so bad. My asthma is much worse down here--before I never needed a nebulizer but an inhaler worked fine, down here I need a neb. If you have allergies this is not the place to move to because things are blooming almost all the time. We also get pneumonia far more often than when we lived in VA.

[annerk]

Originally Posted by Dappleganger

Hopefully I can help. We moved here 8 years ago from the western part of VA with all four of our kids plus myself being asthmatic (and allergic). Now I can tell you that our asthma is significantly WORSE here because the allergies were worse, and in the heat of the summer it is too much to handle being outside. Many times we are prisoners in the air conditioning because it is so bad. My asthma is much worse down here--before I never needed a nebulizer but an inhaler worked fine, down here I need a neb. If you have allergies this is not the place to move to because things are blooming almost all the time. We also get pneumonia far more often than when we lived in VA.

Wow, I pretty much could have written this post.