Asthma
Childhood asthma has become more widespread in recent decades. Asthma is a disease of the lungs. The airways of people with asthma are extra sensitive to the things they're allergic to (called allergens) and to other irritating things in the air (called irritants).
As the most common chronic illness in children, childhood asthma causes more missed school and places more limits on activity than does any other disease in the United States. Childhood asthma and adult asthma have the same underlying cause — inflammation of the airways. This inflammation makes the airways overly sensitive, leading to signs and symptoms that range from minor coughing or wheezing to serious flare-ups that interfere with breathing.
Fortunately, childhood asthma is treatable. Although childhood asthma can't be cured, a child’s can keep symptoms under control with a written plan, monitoring, regular doctor visits and making treatment changes as needed.
Asthma signs and symptoms range from minor to severe, and vary from person to person. A child may have mild symptoms such as infrequent wheezing, with occasional asthma attacks. Between episodes the child may feel normal and have no trouble breathing. Or, the child may have signs and symptoms such as coughing and wheezing all the time or have symptoms primarily at night or only during exercise.
Asthma symptoms start when allergens or other irritants cause the lining of the airways to swell (become inflamed) and narrow. The muscles around the airways can then spasm, (contract rapidly), causing the airways to narrow even more. When the lining of the airways is inflamed, it produces more mucus. The mucus clogs the airways and further blocks the flow of air. This is called an "asthma attack."
Parents, educators, and caregivers can help the child stay healthy. Taking steps to reduce the child's exposure to things that trigger asthma symptoms will help the child stay healthy and lessen the possibility of asthma attacks. Staying active and treating other conditions linked to asthma will help keep the child's asthma under control. Make sure the child gets regular exercise.
Asthma symptoms can interfere with active play or sports. But don't let asthma sideline a child. Exercise is proved to reduce asthma symptoms and is a critical part of your child's cardiovascular health. With asthma under control, there usually is no limit to your child's physical activity level. Regular exercise will aid with maintaining a healthy weight. Being overweight can worsen asthma symptoms, and it puts your child at higher risk of other health problems.
Most children use medications to aid in managing the disease, in addition to lifestyle changes. Asthma medicines can generally be divided into two groups: medicines to prevent attacks, (controller medicines), and medicines to treat attacks (sometimes called rescue medicines).
Controller medicines help reduce the swelling in the airways to prevent asthma attacks.
Controller medicines must be taken on a regular basis--whether or not a person is having symptoms. They take hours or days to start to help and don't work well unless you take them regularly.
Rescue medicines provide quick relief during an asthma attack by helping the muscles around the airways relax, which allows the airways to open. Inhaled bronchodilators are rescue medicines. They can be used on a regular basis or only when they are needed to quickly reduce symptoms.
Making environmental changes can go a long ways in reducing the number of asthma attacks. Here are some suggestions of changes that can easily be made. Use an air conditioner. Air conditioning helps reduce the amount of airborne pollen from trees, grasses, and weeds that finds its way indoors. Air conditioning also lowers indoor humidity and can reduce your exposure to dust mites. If you don't have air conditioning, try to keep windows closed during pollen season.
Make the child’s home more asthma friendly. Minimize dust that may aggravate nighttime symptoms by replacing certain items in the bedroom. For example, encase pillows, mattresses, and box springs in dust-proof covers. Remove carpeting and install hardwood or linoleum flooring. Use washable curtains and blinds.
Maintain low humidity. If the child lives in a damp climate, talk to a doctor about using a dehumidifier.
Keep indoor air clean. Have a utility company check the air conditioner and furnace once a year. Change the filters in the furnace and air conditioner according to the manufacturer's instructions.
Reduce pet dander. If the child is allergic to dander, it's best to avoid pets with fur or feathers. Regular bathing or grooming also may reduce the amount of dander in your surroundings.
Clean regularly. Clean the home, classroom, and therapy center at least once a week.
Reduce exposure to cold air. If the child's asthma is worsened by cold, dry air, a face mask can help.
Primary Sources:www.mayoclinic.com, hthttp://familydoctor.org/online
By MaryEllen Smith Tavares
