Get The Facts on Asthma and Children
While asthma is far from unheard of in the United States, it affects the most vulnerable of us, our children. Asthma as a whole affects nearly 20 million people, and nine million of those people are children. Due to the smaller airways in children, asthma becomes a very scary but real respiratory disease, sometimes fatal. Symptoms of asthma include coughing, difficulty breathing, wheezing, chest tightness, an upset of sleep patterns with all the previous symptoms, or frequent use of a rescue inhaler. Childhood asthma is a very serious condition that can cause a number of complications for your child, unless you have the right information on how to treat and manage asthma.
Those with a family history of asthma, allergies, eczema, or any other type of lung disease should be aware of the risks and symptoms of asthma. It is important to note and describe any type of symptoms to a health care provider. Specifically, the duration and how often the symptoms have been occurring should be monitored closely and reported to the doctor.
The risk factors for childhood asthma include low birth weight, frequent respiratory infections, family history of asthma and/or allergies, any allergies, and exposure to tobacco smoke at any time during development. Other contributing factors include being male or an African American, being raised in a low-income environment and not being able to afford healthcare, or a disorder of the immune system in which the body fails to make enough antibodies.
If you think your child or infant is experiencing any of the symptoms of asthma, it may be a good idea to have a skin prick test done at your local asthma clinic to find out if your child is allergic to any foods. Childhood asthma has been linked to foods that contain dairy or wheat, since these substances produce mucus in the body, so cutting these foods out of the diet may cure asthma in toddlers.
If your child doesn’t respond to the medications prescribed by your doctor, there are other alternatives that can be administered in a clinical setting. Cortisones that reduce swelling in the airways and can reduce the swelling of the face, arms, and legs that can be associated with asthma can be administered on a weekly or monthly basis, and there are also emergency treatments, such as the Epi-Pen, which administers strong, effective treatment immediately.
Did you know that asthma affects millions of people around the world? If you’re one of them, visit Asthma Treatments to learn more about what causes the condition, including asthma and exercise, and how to treat an attack.
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