Mouldy in aero chamber mouthpiece

[Livlapin]

Hi, I am so ashamed to post this but tonight just after using her blue aero chamber with anl mouthpiece my daughter showed me that it had black mould in it. She said that it's been there for weeks. She is only six and I am mortified. She's had this type of aero chamber for a few months now, but I have just realised that I haven't washed it yet. I'm livid with myself, I used to wash the yellow one with a mask every fortnight, so why haven't I done it with this one that actually goes in her mouth?

Her asthma is bad at the moment, but I put it down to a cold. Obviously we've binned it, not even washing it. Should we take her to the doctor? Have I put her in danger? Could the mould spores be on her chest now?

I am sick with worry and mortified by how neglectful I've been.

Thanks.

Please don't be nasty to me, I am devastated anyway.

[Minushabens]

Don't beat yourself up too much, we all make mistakes!

I know a little bit about this as I also suffer with aspergillosis, & from what I understand normal, healthy lungs (including asthmatic ones) will generally destroy mould spores fairly quickly.

Asthma can complicate that either as a result of lung scarring or if there is a sensitivity or allergy to the mould, but I'd have a guess that there's probably no reason to panic.

As always though any worries give the GP a call.

[Livlapin in reply to Minushabens]

Thank you so much for replying. I will definitely be calling the G.P.

[-Butterfly-]

Oops if I'm honest I very rarely clean mine as you're supposed to, I'm off to check mine.

Don't be cross with yourself, parenting is a full time job in itself. ..We're not superhuman, these things happen.

[servewithmintsauce in reply to -Butterfly-]

I'm considering just asking the nurses if I could please have a new aerochamber because I haven't washed mine out in a couple of months (!!!!!!!) and literally can't see through it but I don't have a spare with me (or even at home, for that matter) so don't worry, you wouldn't be the first person to not wash their spacer!

The mould is surprising; I went 6 months without washing out my peak flow meter mouthpiece but it didn't go mouldy :/ could there have been anything in it which would go mouldy? Maybe chat that one through with your doc :/

[KK1719]

Don't be ashamed.. You are human and believe me we if we are honest we have all forgotten to wash out the spacers.

I have about 4 blue ones and the same amount of volumatic spacers for my daughter so I now always have one clean in the cupboard. I'm sure your daughter will be absolutely fine but do check with gp.

I have actually recently set a reminder on my phone to clean spacers, sad I know but with all that's going on with my daughter I wouldn't remember anything..

Give yourself a break, it's hard dealing with your child with asthma. You have so much to worry about and life on top

Thoughts and hugs to you

Xxx

[-Butterfly- in reply to KK1719]

Having extra spacers makes sense, whenever I do actually wash mine out, I can guarantee I need it before its dry.

A reminder on your phone sounds a good idea too, how often are they supposed to be cleaned?

[KK1719 in reply to -Butterfly-]

I have spacers everywhere, they actually get on my nerves lol, but yes it's always good to haves extras.

My daughters specialist nurse says that once a month is enough to clean them but you could do it every other week if you wanted I suppose.

I know what you mean about needing them before there dry and then you worry that they might breath in remnants of water too. Speak to your GP and ask for even just one more, I have spacers for bags, for school, for her dad and at her grandparents, see there everywhere

[Lorcas_15]

I used to make dilute apple juice from concentrate for my pre-school daughter's drinking flask. I don't think I used to shake it up enough and a blob of the concentrate must have been stuck somewhere I couldn't see it when washing up. A crèche worker thought I was giving her cider. My daughter is a healthy 29 year old now.

[Livlapin]

Thanks everyone. I took my daughter and the mouldy spacer to the GP. He was quite an elderly locum and was interested in why inhale gone like that, but was not concerned about my daughter at all. He didn't even speak to her,never mind listen to her chest. I had scared myself crazy the night before reading horror stories about black mould and lungs.

Hopefully she'll be ok, her seasonal asthma is bad at the moment so it's hard to tell what's what.

Thanks.

x