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Asthma is the most common chronic (long-term) childhood disease. In America
about nine million children are diagnosed with asthma. Up to ten per cent of children in Europe are
also suffering from asthma symptoms. Unfortunately parents of these children are often uninformed
about the various ways to control childhood asthma.
If you suspect your child has asthma the first priority is correct diagnosis.
However, be aware that symptoms can vary from episode to episode and not all wheezing and coughing
is caused by asthma. Asthma-like symptoms in children younger than five are usually due to a virus
or bacterial infection of the airways. However if your child is experiencing breathing difficulties
it is best to get them to a doctor whatever the cause.
About eighty per cent of children who develop asthma do so before the age of
five. Studies show that children living in rural areas have lower rates of asthma than those who
live in cities, particularly if they spent their first five years in a rural area. For children
living in inner cities the cockroach allergen seems to worsen asthma symptoms more than dust mite
or pet allergens. Therefore another important step in the control of your child's asthma is to
ensure that general cleaning and maintenance routines are followed to ensure cockroaches are not
encouraged into the home. Levels of cockroach allergens have been found to be highest in high-rise
apartments.
Another factor that has been linked to the development of asthma in children is
exposure to smoke. A study in Norway showed that almost ten per cent of adult asthma patients had
experienced passive smoking during early childhood. Therefore another step to take at home is to
ensure that your child is not exposed to tobacco smoke.
If your doctor recommends the use of medication the next step is to encourage
your child to take the medicine. Asthma is one of the main causes for emergency room visits by
children. Yet studies have shown that up to half of these hospitalizations may be preventable if
children, particularly teenagers, followed their medication schedule correctly, avoided their
asthma triggers and made regular visits to the doctor.
Perhaps fear of side effects or dependency, or an impression that it is uncool
to be seen taking medicines is preventing children taking their medication as regularly as they
should. Perhaps intermittent asthma symptoms persuade children and their parents that it is not
important to take medication if there are no symptoms. This is a mistake. Even when there are no
obvious symptoms an asthmatic’s lungs will be inflamed to some degree.
The fact that the condition seems to run in families with a history of asthma or
allergies suggests that certain people are born with a predisposition to asthma. Some may believe
you are born with the condition and there is nothing you can do. However a child’s environment can
also play an important role. Studies have found that exposure to potential allergens like pets and
pollen in the first six months of life may reduce the chance of developing asthma later. However
exposure beyond six months of age has the opposite effect. Being born into a family that already
has siblings also seems to reduce the chance of developing asthma.
It is known that children are more susceptible to viral and allergic triggers
than adults. An important step in controlling your child's asthma is identifying the triggers and
teaching your child how to recognize their asthma triggers and avoid them. One possible trigger is
ibuprofen, with over 100,000 children susceptible to asthma symptoms brought on by the drug.
Children tend to spend more time outside during the summer vacation. If pollen
or high levels of ozone trigger your child’s asthma you need to monitor these. Physical exercise is
a common trigger of childhood asthma. Teach your child to take medication if necessary, and do warm
up exercises before strenuous activity and wind down exercises after.
If your child is going away to camp during the vacation make sure those in
charge are aware of your child’s asthma management and action plans. There are camps designed
specifically for asthma sufferers in the U.S. and Canada.
It is essential to have a written action plan that clearly states what
medication to take and when, as well as how to respond to an asthma attack. You or your child may
not remember what to do at a time when it may be difficult for them to breathe, so it is essential
to have the important details in writing.
It is important you and your child remain calm during an attack as panic can
produce more breathing difficulties. A parent’s instinct may be to cuddle their child, but that
would constrict the chest further.
If asthma is diagnosed your next step is to inform your child’s school. Every
school should allow access to asthma medication and some allow children to carry and
self-administer their asthma medication if certain requirements are met.
Whilst we’re talking about schools here’s one often overlooked childhood asthma
trigger. School buses are major sources of pollution, and studies show children who ride them are
exposed to five to fifteen times as much asthma triggering particulates inside the buses compared
to outside. New Jersey recently passed a law requiring retrofitting of school buses and municipal
vehicles to clean up tailpipe emissions. Is your state doing the same?
Remember, if asthma is confirmed you need to educate yourself. According to the
experts knowledge is the best prescription. To stop the disease affecting your child’s life you
need to know how to monitor and manage asthma. This will mean knowing how to use medications
correctly, whether your child’s attacks are triggered by allergens and if so how to reduce exposure
to them, and the lifestyle changes that will help your child prevent attacks.
Despite being a widespread disease there are still plenty of myths about asthma.
One of the most damaging of these for children is the belief that the condition will improve every
seven years or can even disappear completely. Unfortunately, any apparent improvement is probably
due to hormonal changes as the child’s immune system matures. The underlying condition does not go
away and not managing it can lead to long-term lung damage.
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