Childhood Asthma: All You Need to Know

Asthma is a long-term lung disease that affects the airways, the tubes that carry air in and out of the lungs. The airways become inflamed and narrowed and causes wheezing, coughing and chest tightness.

Asthma often begins during childhood, usually before age 5. It is the most common chronic disease of childhood and can cause children to miss school and end up in the hospital but treatments can help manage it.

The cause of childhood asthma is unknown but some factors are thought to be involved…

1. Inherited tendency to develop allergies

2. Parents with asthma

3. Some types of airway infections at a very young age

4. Being exposed to environmental factors such as cigarette smoke or other air pollution 

An asthma attack can happen when a child is exposed to an asthma trigger. Triggers set off or worsen asthma symptoms. Different triggers can cause different types of asthma, for example,

• Allergic asthma is caused by allergies such as dust mites, mold, pets, pollen from grass, trees and weeds and waste from pests such as cockroaches and mice

• Non allergic asthma is caused by triggers such as breathing in cold air, certain medications, household chemicals, infections such as the colds and the flu, outdoor air pollution and tobacco smoke 

• Exercise -induced asthma happens during exercise, especially when the air is dry

Asthma triggers might be different for each child and can change over time.

Symptoms may include:

• Chest tightness

• Coughing, either at night or early  morning

• Breathing problems such as shortness of breath, rapid breathing or gasping for air

• Feeling tired

• Dark circles under the eyes

• Irritability

• Wheezing

• Trouble eating or sucking in infants

These symptoms can range from mild to severe. They may happen frequently or only once in a while

Risk factors

These following factors might step-up the child’s likelihood of developing asthma

• Exposure to tobacco smoke, including before birth

• Former allergic reactions, including skin reactions, food allergies or hay fever

•      A History of asthma or allergies in the family

• Living in an environment with a high degree of pollution

• Obesity

• Respiratory conditions such as a chronic runny or stuffy nose, inflamed sinuses or pneumonia

• Heartburn

• Being black or Puerto Rican

• Being male

Complications

Asthma can induce a number of complications including;

• Severe asthma attacks that necessitate emergency treatment or hospital care

• Permanent decline in lung function

• Missed school days or lagging behind in school

• Poor sleep and fatigue

• Symptoms that intervene with play, sports and other activities

When do you see a doctor…

Take your child to see the doctor if you suspect he/she has asthma. Early treatment will help control symptoms and perhaps prevent asthma attacks

Make an appointment with your child’s doctor if you notice any of this

• Coughing that is constant, is intermittent or seems to be linked to physical activities

• Wheezing or whistling sounds when the child breathes out

• Shortness of breath or rapid breathing

• Complaints of chest tightness

•  Repeated occurence of suspected bronchitis or pneumonia

Listen for coughing which might not wake your child, when he/she is sleeping. Crying, laughing, yelling or strong emotional reactions and stress also might initiate coughing or wheezing

When do you seek emergency treatment…

In severe cases, you might see your child’s chest and sides pulling inward as he or she battle to breathe. The child may have an increased heartbeat, sweating and chest pain

Seek emergency care if your child:

• Has to stop in mid sentence to catch his/her breath

• Is using abdominal muscles to breathe

• Has widened nostrils when breathing in

• Is trying so hard to breathe that the abdomen is sucked under the ribs when he or she breathes in

• Blue lips or fingernails

Seek medical help early!

Dr.favvy

Next topic: My Child is Asthmatic: What can I Do?

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