Asthma
What is it?
Asthma is a chronic respiratory disease that
causes sudden, recurring attacks of breathing
difficulties.
Who gets it?
Asthma can develop at any age, but usually
first appears during childhood. Children born to
families with a history of allergies or asthma are
more likely to have asthma. Children who live in
urban areas, where there is a higher incidence of
air pollution, or live in a home that has high
levels of dust mites or cigarette smoke, are also
at a higher risk for asthma. Infants born
prematurely or who suffer lung damage shortly
after birth are also more likely to have asthma.
What causes it?
The symptoms of asthma occur when some trigger
causes the lung’s airways to swell and produce
excess mucus. The smooth muscles that line the
airways (called bronchioles) contract, narrowing
the airways and making it difficult to breathe.
The most common triggers are substances to which
the child is allergic, such as household dusts or
molds, animal dander, or pollen. Triggers can also
be irritants, such as perfumes, aerosol sprays,
air pollution, or cigarette smoke. Some children
have asthma attacks when exposed to cold air,
during times of stress, or when they engage in
physical exercise. Upper respiratory infections
can also trigger an asthma attack.
What are the symptoms?
Asthma symptoms can range from mild to severe.
Children with mild asthma may cough or wheeze
slightly during the night or during physical
activity. A wheeze is a hoarse, whistling sound
when the child breathes in and out. Severe asthma
causes labored breathing, chest constriction,
coughing, wheezing, anxiety, and rapid heart rate.
Because an asthma attack is triggered by some
external source, a child can be symptom-free for
days at a time. Other children experience symptoms
mainly at night. In severe cases, the airways can
become so narrow that very little air can get in
or out. This condition is called status
asthmaticus. The child’s lips and fingernails may
look pale blue. This type of asthma attack
requires immediate medical treatment.
How is it diagnosed?
sthma is diagnosed through a thorough physical
examination and a study of the child’s medical
history. The doctor will depend upon you to give
an accurate description of your child’s symptoms.
He or she may order other tests to rule out other
diseases that cause similar symptoms, such as
cystic fibrosis. If your child is older than five,
your doctor may perform a pulmonary function test,
which checks how well the child’s lungs move air
in and out of the body. He or she may also
recommend a series of allergy tests to determine
whether certain allergens are triggering the
attacks.
What is the treatment?
Asthma is treated with a combination of
preventive measures and medication. If your child
has asthma, it is important to remove any possible
triggers from your home, especially the child’s
bedroom. This includes removing or enclosing any
items that are common homes to dust mites, such as
mattresses, pillows, stuffed animals, and
carpeting. You may want to set up an air filtering
system, vaporizer, or humidifier to keep the air
clean and moist. Medications used to treat asthma
include bronchodilators, which deliver an inhaled
dose of a drug that opens the airways and relaxes
the smooth muscles. To reduce the inflammation and
swelling in the airways, children with asthma also
take anti-inflammatories. These might be steroids
or mast cell stabilizers. Both can be used to
prevent asthma attacks. Severe asthma attacks are
treated in a hospital. Older children with asthma
can monitor their condition with a device called a
peak flow meter, which measures how fast the child
can blow out air. While there is no cure for
asthma, some children do outgrow it. All children
with asthma should receive a yearly flu shot.
Self-care tips
If your child has asthma, it is important to
follow your doctor’s recommendations for
treatment. If you or another person in your
household smokes, it is extremely important that
you quit. People who smoke or live with someone
who does are generally sick more often than those
who don’t. With proper treatment, children with
asthma do not need to restrict their physical
activities.
This information has been designed as a comprehensive and quick reference
guide written by our health care reviewers. The health information written
by our authors is intended to be a supplement to the care provided by your
physician. It is not intended nor implied to be a substitute for
professional medical advice.
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