How Is Asthma Treatment Different For Older Children
Sometimes when asthma is suspected, the doctor will put your child on a trial of asthma medication to see if it helps. If your child gets better while taking the medicine, it can be a signal that your childs symptoms are due to asthma. The medication will depend on how severe your childs symptoms are and how often they occur.
The goal of treatment for children include:
- Managing the childs environment to avoid triggers
- Treating the airway inflammation and bronchospasm with medication
- Keeping asthma in control so activity does not need to be limited
- Teaching the child about asthma, their medications and how to be as healthy as possible in a way they can understand
When administering medication to your child, make sure to follow the instructions given to you by your doctor and on the package insert.
Vaping And Lung Damage
- Talk with your teen about the dangers of vaping.
- Vaping can cause severe lung damage. It can become permanent.
- Vaping can even cause death .
- Vaping tobacco also causes nicotine addiction.
- For these reasons, the legal age to purchase vaping products is 21 in the US.
- Encourage your teen to not start vaping or to give it up.
- Warning: home-made or street-purchased vaping solutions are the most dangerous.
What Are The Signs And Symptoms Of Asthma
People with asthma usually have obvious symptoms. These signs and symptoms resemble many respiratory infections:
- Chest tightness, pain or pressure.
With asthma, you may not have all of these symptoms with every flare. You can have different symptoms and signs at different times with chronic asthma. Also, symptoms can change between asthma attacks.
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How Is Asthma Treated
Asthma can be controlled, but there’s no asthma cure. There are, however, certain goals in asthma treatment. If you are unable to achieve all of these goals, it means your asthma is not under control. You should contact your asthma care provider for help with asthma.
Treatment goals include the following:
- Live an active, normal life
- Prevent chronic and troublesome symptoms
- Attend work or school every day
- Perform daily activities without difficulty
- Stop urgent visits to the doctor, emergency room, or hospital
- Use and adjust medications to control asthma with little or no side effects
Properly using asthma medication, as prescribed by your doctor, is the basis of good asthma control, in addition to avoiding triggers and monitoring daily asthma symptoms. There are two main types of asthma medications:
Asthma medications can be taken by inhaling the medications or by swallowing oral medications . If you are also taking drugs for other conditions, you should work with your providers to check drug interactions and simplify medications when possible.
What Kind Of Physician Treats Adult Onset Asthma
Many older patients are treated for asthma by their internist or family physician however, if your asthma symptoms are not under control within three to six months, or if you have severe persistent asthma, or if you are having asthma episodes that need emergency treatment, it may be time to see an asthma specialist. Allergists/Immunologists or pulmonologists are specialists who treat asthma. Those who have completed training in those specialties are usually called board-certified or board-eligible.
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Q: What Increases Your Risk For Adult
A: Most childhood asthma disappears in adulthood. But having childhood asthma increases your risk of a relapse in your 30s or 40s. Other factors that increase the risk of adult-onset asthma include:
- Being overweight or obese: A low level of physical activity, changes in lung physiology and higher levels of inflammation are among several factors at play.
- Being female: Hormonal fluctuations in pregnancy and menopause can trigger asthma.
- Allergens: Cats, cigarette smoke, chemicals, mold or dust can trigger asthma.
What Causes Childhood Asthma
Researchers continue to learn what causes asthma. It is not fully understood. The following things play a part:
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Genetics. Asthma runs in families.
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Allergies. Some allergies are more common in people with asthma. Allergies also tend to run in families.
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Respiratory infections. Infants and young children who have some respiratory infections are more likely to have long-term lung problems.
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Environmental factors. Irritants such as pollution and allergens are known to cause asthma.
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Side Effects Of Steroid Tablets
Oral steroids carry a risk if they are taken for more than three months or if they are taken frequently . Side effects can include:
- muscle weakness
With the exception of increased appetite, which is very commonly experienced by people taking oral steroids, most of these unwanted effects are uncommon.
However, it is a good idea to keep an eye out for them regularly, especially side effects that are not immediately obvious, such as high blood pressure, thinning of the bones, diabetes and glaucoma.
You will need regular appointments to check for these.
Read further information:
Side Effects Of Relievers And Preventers
Relievers are a safe and effective medicine, and have few side effects as long as they are not used too much. The main side effects include a mild shaking of the hands , headaches and muscle cramps. These usually only happen with high doses of reliever inhaler and usually only last for a few minutes.
Preventers are very safe at usual doses, although they can cause a range of side effects at high doses, especially with long-term use.
The main side effect of preventer inhalers is a fungal infection of the mouth or throat . You may also develop a hoarse voice and sore throat.
Using a spacer can help prevent these side effects, as can rinsing your mouth or cleaning your teeth after using your preventer inhaler.
Your doctor or nurse will discuss with you the need to balance control of your asthma with the risk of side effects, and how to keep side effects to a minimum.
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Treatment Options For Asthma
Asthma treatment aims to reduce the severity and frequency of symptoms. There is currently no cure for asthma, but effective treatments can improve the quality of life.
Avoiding triggers is a good way to reduce the risk of symptoms. Recording symptoms and environmental factors in a log can help people pinpoint their triggers.
Treating asthma inhaling medications when symptoms start to worsen. These include bronchodilators, such as beta-2 agonists. They widen the airways to treat breathing problems.
In some cases, doctors may prescribe corticosteroid and other anti-inflammatory medications to reduce severe inflammation.
Asthma In Older Adults
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that nearly 7 percent of people age 65 and older have asthma.
To treat their asthma, people use an inhaled corticosteroid that inhibits the inflammation that causes asthma. It also helps to prevent asthma and improve lung function.
People with asthma also use a bronchodilator to expand bronchial air passages and to ease breathing.
Asthma is intermittent or persistent, Wechsler said. If its persistent, its either moderate or severe, and the frequency interferes with daily life. If symptoms occur two times a week, the asthma is persistent. If four to five days a week, its moderate. If daily, its severe.
Wechsler said physicians gauge the severity of a persons asthma and treat it accordingly.
We ask, is a persons asthma well-controlled based on what I do? he said. What is the frequency of exacerbation, or flares of the disease? What is the level of lung function, based on age, sex, gender, race, and height?
Older people have lungs that are aging and have lower lung function, Wechsler said.
Their respiratory muscles are weaker from poor nutrition and from comorbidities such as cardiac and kidney disease, which are associated with muscle weakness, and they have less elastic recoil in the chest wall and lungs, he explained.
Aging also dulls the immune systems response to inflammation, Wechsler noted. That is a key contributor to asthma.
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Can You Outgrow Asthma
Those who have asthma are aware that the condition is incurable. However, there may be stretches of times where asthma attacks and other symptoms dont flare up. While these are nice periods of relief, this doesnt mean your asthma has disappeared. Instead, going months between episodes is a testament to your asthma management plan. Avoiding asthmatic triggers, taking your medication or a combination of the two is working well for you.
You may have heard of instances where children with asthmatic symptoms seemingly stop experiencing their symptoms, out of the blue. The children dont report any further breathing difficulties and go on with their lives. Is there some reality to this or is it just a myth? It is possible to outgrow your asthma? If so, how? Does everyone outgrow their asthma or is it just certain people? Why?
In this article, well answer all those questions and more.
Is There Any Way Of Altering The Course Of Asthma In Young Children
âItâs not really the case that intervention changes the course of asthma. But medicines have gotten so safe that we can pretty much neutralize symptoms indefinitely in the majority of people with asthma,â Johnson says. Uncontrolled asthma leads to emergency room visits, absenteeism from school, and missed opportunities for social and athletic interchange, he says.
Rachelefsky adds, âThe goal of asthma treatment is control of the disease to allow someone to have a normal life, knowing that it may not prevent the natural history of the disease. People should concentrate on the right diagnosis and treatment.â
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Diagnosis Of Asthma In Advanced Age
Perhaps the most challenging task in interpreting airway obstruction in the elderly is the differentiation of asthma from COPD. The above-described structural changes of the lung lead to a condition of the airways that is no longer susceptible to the effects of treatment, accounting for the loss of reversibility and the persistence of airway obstruction. The possibility of development of fixed airflow limitation in elderly asthmatics may contribute to generating confusion, as the scholastic distinction between the two chronic respiratory diseases based on the degree of response to a rapidly acting bronchodilator agent loses its strength. However, it has been demonstrated that elderly subjects with a history of asthma have different pathology compared to subjects with a history of COPD, even in the presence of fixed airflow limitation . Moreover, the presence of physical disability may lead to misdiagnosis of COPD in elderly asthmatics . Even smoking history is not a clear-cut condition to distinguish asthmatics from individuals with COPD: about one out of three adult asthmatics is a current smoker . What are the clinical implications of this assumption? An obstructed elderly subject with a long history of asthma should be treated as an asthmatic , regardless of the presence of reversibility of bronchial obstruction.
Can You Beat Asthma With Exercise
Amy Warren | Answered May 18, 2020
Research shows that exercises improve the symptoms of asthma in the long term, in addition to improving the overall health of asthma patients. Exercise improves cardiovascular fitness and strengthens the muscles and bones, which in turn helps the body clear all the secretions from the lungs.Nov 5, 2020
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What You Need To Know About Your Childs Asthma
There are many things to think about and plan for when your child has asthma. It is important to learn as much as you can about the condition. Your doctor and pharmacist are there to help you. Talk to them about any concerns you may have about your childs asthma. To manage your childs asthma effectively, it is important to know:
- the pattern of their asthma
- their asthma medications what they do and how to help your child take them properly
- what to do if they have an asthma attack know and follow asthma first aid.
Make sure you have an updated written asthma action plan and understand how to use it.
It’s Easy To Get The Care You Need
See a Premier Physician Network provider near you.
You can develop asthma at any time in your life. Its possible not to have asthma as a child and develop it later as an adult. Its also possible to have long periods where asthma is inactive, and then have symptoms return later in life.
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How Can Asthma Be Prevented
You cant prevent asthma. However, you can take steps to control the disease and prevent its symptoms. For example:
- Learn about your asthma and ways to control it.
- Follow your written asthma action plan.
- Use medicines as your doctor prescribes.
- Identify and try to avoid things that make your asthma worse . However, one trigger you should not avoid is physical activity. Physical activity is an important part of a healthy lifestyle. Talk with your doctor about medicines that can help you stay active.
- Keep track of your asthma symptoms and level of control.
- Get regular checkups for your asthma.
For more details about how to prevent asthma symptoms and attacks, go to How Is Asthma Treated and Controlled?
What Is Asthma Remission
Remission is different from treatment. Usually, the goals of treatment are to minimize attacks and control symptoms. But remission goes one step beyond this.
Remission is when symptoms decrease and or disappear completely for at least 12 months or more. There are generally two types of remission when we’re talking about asthma. Symptomatic remission means that symptoms stop occurring, while total or complete remission is when the underlying condition is no longer causing a problem.
Basically, the goal of remission is to control or manage symptoms so that they stop occurring with or without the need for treatment. Because symptomatic remission does not address the underlying cause of asthma, symptoms can return at any time, which is known as relapse. Total or complete remissionmeaning the patient no longer experiences asthma symptoms at allis also possible, but also means that the underlying issue is no longer causing symptoms.
According to information from a 2022 study published in the European Respiratory Journal, asthma can go away on its own naturally, and this is relatively common for people who have asthma as children. But even these people who have outgrown asthma may experience relapse later in life.
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Getting Diagnosed As An Adult Can Be More Difficult
There are several reasons that adults may be less likely to receive an accurate diagnosis, says pulmonologist Anthony Gerber, MD, a professor of pulmonary, critical care, and sleep medicine at National Jewish Health and an associate professor of medicine at the University of Colorado Denver.
Some adults believe that they cant get asthma if theyve never had it before and so may be more prone to ignore or write off symptoms. Its not uncommon for adults to have a chronic cough for months without considering it could be asthma, says Dr. Parikh.
Adults are also more likely to have other underlying conditions that can mask or complicate asthma symptoms. Those include heart disease, diabetes, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, also known as COPD.
Its not just the adults who are confused, though doctors often miss asthma symptoms in adults or misdiagnose other conditions as asthma.
About one-third of the patients I see who have been diagnosed with severe asthma dont really have asthma, says Dr. Gerber. Their symptoms are being caused by a different condition.
For example, chest pain could be from gastroesophageal reflux disease or heart disease. A chronic cough could be due to vocal cord dysfunction.
This leads to asthma being misdiagnosed in adults, says Dr. Gerber. I always recommend adults get diagnosed by a specialist.
Severe Asthma Attacks Can Be Life
Whether youre currently having mild, moderate, or severe asthma or no symptoms at all its important to keep in mind that asthma can be life-threatening. If you experience an asthma emergency, its important to get medical help right away. Signs of an asthma emergency include:
- Quickly worsening wheezing and shortness of breath
- No improvement after you use a quick-relief inhaler or other rescue medication
- Shortness of breath even with mild exertion or physical activity
Its also crucial to understand your condition and what your baseline symptoms are meaning how often they occur, how serious they are, etc. If your level of symptoms increases significantly, you should talk with your doctor. It may be that the medications you take to control your asthma and respond to attacks need to be modified. Your doctor can perform tests and make the necessary adjustments to your medications.
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What To Do In An Asthma Attach
This is an emergency act now.
1. Stay calm. Sit up straight do not lie down.
2. Take slow steady breaths.
3. Take one puff of your reliever inhaler every minute.
Use a spacer if available.
People over 6 years can take up to 10 puffs in 10 minutes.
Children under 6 can take up to 6 puffs in 10 minutes.
4. Call 112 or 999 if your symptoms do not improve after 10 minutes.
5 Repeat step 3 if an ambulance has not arrived in 10 minutes.
Remember if someone is having an asthma attack:
Do not leave them on their own.
Extra puffs of reliever inhaler are safe.
If you are admitted to hospital or an accident and emergency department because of your asthma, take details of your treatment with you. Bring your asthma management plan if you have one to the hospital. You should also make an appointment with your doctor or nurse after you are discharged from hospital, so that you can review your asthma treatment to avoid the situation arising again.