My 2 yr old has croup and asthma?

Would a vaporizer or humidifier help w/ my sons cough?? He has asthma and all the coughing is affecting his breathing. The docs started him on oral steroids... and I wondered what else I should do to make him more comfortable. Thx

First...never use a hot air humidifier/ vaporizer...only cool air. Be sure to clean it out often following the manufacturer recommendations..very important! I prefer (for my asthmatics) a cool air vaporizer during the winter months when heaters deliver dry hot air. The vaporizer makes the atmosphere more comfortable and eases the feeling of being "smothered" that so many asthmatics experience.
One thing that my pediatrician recommends is limited exposure to cool night air when a child suffers from croup. I always bundled up my children and rocked them on the front porch..this worked every time :)
Oral steroids are effective, but have some side effects that you may want to discuss with your doctor. Implementing a preventative regimen of asthma and allergy medications is ideal and can lessen the need for oral steroid use.
Here is a website that can help: http://www.aafa.org/

Just like "J Mom" mentioned ...a nebulizer is quite effective..I never leave home without my portable Pari Nebulizer. My daughter has life threatening asthma and this unit is a God send!

Yes, a vaporizer will help.

I would try the humidifier. It should loosen the cough and help him breath better.

Keep him hydrated, a humidifier will certainly help, you could even just sit with him in the bathroom with the hot water steaming up the room, also no dairy products as they thicken secretions - help to to stay calm as crying , too much activity can affect his breathing - Good Luck - there is a lot of this stuff going around right now.

I have asthma to the highest degree, and my daughter, and her two month old twins.

By all means a cold air mister, or steamer for the croup, and even to break the asthma some. Don't you have a nebuliser for him? with either steroids like abuterol, or sulfates or bromides? ask your doctor. They're paid for through the Medcaide or Medicare.

Rather than oral steroids, you can ask your MD about using a nebulizer with albuterol and an inhaled steroid. My husband and I have asthma and my youngest of 3 has it too.