What To Expect When You Visit The Doctor
Your doctor may ask whether you have any family history of asthma, eczema or hay fever.
In children, doctors assess the severity of the asthma based on the pattern and frequency of the symptoms.
Lung function tests are difficult to perform in children younger than 5 years and so are usually only used to diagnose and assess severity in children 5 years and older.
It is recommended that a paediatrician or paediatric respiratory specialist diagnose and manage asthma in infants under 12 months. If your infant is wheezing your doctor should refer to you one of these specialists.
The Tendency For Asthma
Most people who have asthma were born with a tendency toward the condition. Once you have developed sensitive airways, your respiratory tract tends to stay sensitive to asthma triggers for life. That doesnt mean that youll always be bothered by your asthma. But it does mean that if you had it as a child, even if you seem to have outgrown the condition, you very well may experience symptoms again as an adult.
Experts have studied the condition enough to now know that we dont really outgrow asthma.
Why Boys Grow Out Of Asthma Symptoms More Than Girls
While recent studies suggest that boys are more likely to grow out of asthma than girls, experts are of the opinion that there is not enough research to make decisive conclusions about gender as well as the progression of asthma.
Some experts are of the opinion that more girls develop asthma after puberty, while asthma is more common in boys before puberty.
There are some experts who also believe that it is not the case that boys outgrow girl, its just that more girls have asthma.
Some studies also suggest that hormonal differences may be a factor for the higher prevalence of asthma in women.
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Will They Grow Out Of It
The natural history of asthma also varies from one child to the next. Symptoms may begin at any age, may persist or stop, and then may recur many years later. The majority of young adults with asthma have had recurrent wheeze in their preschool years. However, in a large longitudinal Australian study, two thirds of children with mild intermittent asthma did not have asthma symptoms during adulthood.
Those with more persistent or severe asthma in childhood, or those who also have hayfever, are less likely to grow out of their asthma. There is also a risk that those with asthma during childhood will have a resurgence of their symptoms during adulthood and are more at risk of developing chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in later life.
Young children under the age of five present a diagnostic dilemma. Wheeze is a common symptom with respiratory viral infections for infants and toddlers. They are unable to perform lung function tests because they cannot breath in the way the test requires, which can help with diagnosis of asthma in older children. Some doctors call this viral-induced wheezing, while others call it intermittent asthma which unsurprisingly leads to confusion.
Continue Learning About Asthma & Children
Important: This content reflects information from various individuals and organizations and may offer alternative or opposing points of view. It should not be used for medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. As always, you should consult with your healthcare provider about your specific health needs.
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Treatment For Asthma Emergencies In Children
An asthma attack can quickly become an asthma emergency, but if you take quick action, you can reduce the risk of this happening. So, if the symptoms of an asthma attack appear, follow your childs asthma action plan.
If your child is experiencing a severe or life-threatening asthma attack, call triple zero for an ambulance and then start asthma first aid.:
- Sit the child upright.
- Give 4 puffs of reliever medication , taking 4 breaths for each puff. Use a spacer and mask if one is available.
- Wait 4 minutes if the child still cannot breathe normally, give 4 more puffs.
- Continue to give 4 separate puffs of reliever medication, taking 4 breaths for each puff, every 4 minutes until the ambulance arrives.
Managing Your Childs Asthma
A team will help you manage your childs asthma. This may include your doctor, practice nurse, asthma educator and pharmacist.
Asthma is treated with inhalers known as relievers and preventers to relax and open the airways, and reduce the swelling and narrowing inside them.
Keeping a record of your concerns and your childs symptoms will help your doctor decide whether your child has asthma.
Your doctor, nurse or asthma educator will help you learn how to:
- use peak flow meters to assess your childs breathing at home
- use inhalers and spacers
- keep an asthma medication and symptom diary
- asthma proof your home and avoid the triggers for your childs asthma.
Theyll also help you develop a treatment plan for asthma episodes and upper respiratory infections.
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People Who Develop Asthma Later In Life Are Also Less Likely To Experience Remission
The age of asthma onset may also be a factor. One old, large 1999 study found that middle-aged and elderly adults who developed asthma later in life were less likely to experience remission.
Researchers in the study above determined that of 6,610 people, only 6 percent reportedly entered remission within 10 years.
What Causes Adults To Develop Asthma
At least 30% of adult asthma cases are triggered by allergies. People who are allergic to cats may have an increased risk for developing adult onset asthma. Exposure to allergens or irritants such as cigarette smoke, chemicals, mold, dust, or other substances commonly found in the persons environment might trigger the first asthma symptoms in an adult.
Prolonged exposure to certain workplace materials may set off asthma symptoms in adults.
Hormonal fluctuations in women may play a role in adult onset asthma. Some women first develop asthma symptoms during or after a pregnancy. Women going through menopause can develop asthma symptoms for the first time.
Different illnesses, viruses, or infections can be a factor in adult onset asthma. A bad cold or a bout with the flu is often a factor in adult onset asthma.
Smoking does not cause adult onset asthma however, if you smoke or if you are exposed to cigarette smoke , it may provoke asthma symptoms.
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Asthma Test To Predict Which Children Will Grow Out Of It Steps Closer
New US-led research has brought closer the day when a genetic test can predict whether children with asthma are likely to grow out of it by the time they become adults.
The study, led by researchers from Duke University in North Carolina, is published in the 28 June online issue of The Lancet Respiratory Medicine.
About half of children with asthma grow out of it by the time they reach their teen or adult years. But at present there are no tests that can predict which children will never grow out of the disease and which will.
For this latest study, the researchers looked at the results of a huge genetic study of asthma, drafted a profile of asthma risk genes and tested it against a leading asthma research database of individuals that have been followed from birth to their 30s.
They looked at the asthma-specific health information and made comparisons among those individuals who developed asthma , and those who did not, and among the former, who still had the disease in adulthood.
The huge study from which they constructed the genetic profile of asthma risk was from the GABRIEL Consortium, the largest-ever genome-wide association study of asthma, which included more than 26,000 participants.
For their analysis the researchers included 880 individuals from the New Zealand cohort.
The results showed that individuals who had the highest genetic risk scores were the ones most likely to develop asthma, and also developed it earlier.
Can A Child Outgrow Asthma
Once someone gets sensitive airways, they stay that way for life. This is the case even though asthma symptoms can change over the years. As a child gets older, they may be able to handle airway inflammation and irritants better, so their symptoms may get better. About half of those children get asthma symptoms again when they are in their late 30s or early 40s. There is no way to know which children may have reduced symptoms as they get older. New triggers may set off symptoms at any time in people who have asthma. If your child has asthma, keep quick-relief medicines and their Asthma Action Plan on hand , even if symptoms dont happen often.
Medical Review September 2015.
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Video: What Happens After Being Diagnosed With Asthma
Transcript of ‘What happens after being diagnosed with asthma?’
0:00 It can be really scary to be told you have asthma and it’s natural to worry about how it might affect your life. The
0:08 good news is that there’s lots of support out there to help you manage the condition and to help you to stay well.
0:15 You may wonder if your asthma can be cured. Well, even though we don’t have a cure for asthma at the moment, there’s so much we can do with the right medicines,
0:25 the right treatments, the right advice and support to help you stay well, so that the asthma won’t affect your life,
0:31 whether it be work or your play. You might find that when you’re just diagnosed with asthma it takes a little
0:38 bit of time to get your medicines just right so that you are living without symptoms every day. Be patient, hang on in there.
0:47 The most important thing is to develop a really good relationship with your doctor or nurse. With them you can draw up an asthma action plan, which you can
0:56 download from our website. That’ll really help you to manage your asthma well, and we know that you’re four times less likely to need to go to hospital if
1:04 you’ve got one of these. So, if you have just been diagnosed with asthma, try and stay positive. There’s so much you can do to stay well. You can visit our website,
1:14 or phone one of our friendly asthma nurse specialists, or even join a forum. Remember that we’re here to help.
What To Do In An Emergency
Follow these steps if your child is having an asthma attack:
Take the details of your childs inhalers, other medicines and personal asthma action plan with you if you go to hospital.
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What Can I Do To Reduce Asthma Symptoms
- Learn your childs triggers.
- Allergens like dust mites, pets, pests, molds and pollen can play a role in some childrens asthma. Discuss with your health care provider whether an evaluation by an allergist may be helpful.
- Follow your asthma management plan and give the medicines prescribed by your childs doctor.
- Avoid smoking near your child.
What Can I Do To Manage My Childs Asthma
When a baby or toddler has a chronic illness, parents can feel stressed to their limits. Here are some coping tips:
- Learn the warning signs for increasing asthma in infants and toddlers. Know your childs particular asthma symptom pattern.
- Develop an asthma care plan with your childs doctor. Make sure the plan has a course of action to follow if asthma symptoms get worse. Understand when your child needs emergency care.
- Follow your childs Asthma Action Plan every day! Dont change the plan until you consult your health care provider. Even if your childs symptoms are gone, stick with the plan until you discuss changes with the doctor.
- Teach your toddler or preschooler to tell you when they are not feeling well.
- Work out an emergency plan of action to follow if your child has a serious asthma episode. What hospital will you use? Who will take care of your other children? How does your medical coverage provide for emergency care?
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Everyday Treatment For Asthma In Children
The main aims of day-to-day asthma treatment are to:
- keep symptoms under control
- keep lungs as healthy as possible
- stop asthma from interfering with school or play
- help your child enjoy a full and active life.
Your doctor will help you to develop a plan to manage your childs asthma which will include an asthma action plan , and will prescribe the correct medication to help you do so.
Half Of Kids With Severe Asthma May Grow Out Of It
University Hospitals Rainbow Babies & Children’s
Fully half of children and adolescents being treated for severe asthma will improve over a three-year period, according to a new 11-institution longitudinal study of children and teens ages 6 to 17 being treated for severe asthma. This major finding provides evidence for the idea that some of these patients can outgrow their severe asthma while on proper treatment.
It is good news, says Kristie Ross, MD, Division Chief of Pediatric Pulmonology at UH Rainbow Babies & Childrens Hospital and lead author of the study.
Many children who have severe asthma during earlier childhood seem to improve during adolescence, she says. We know these patients did well even though their level of controller therapies decreased over time. Its reassuring to know that decreasing the dose of controller medicines can be safely done with close monitoring.
Although severe asthma affects approximately 4 percent to 5 percent of children with asthma, it accounts for a disproportionate fraction of the morbidity, mortality and cost of asthma.
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Can You Grow Out Of Adhd
ADHD affects 9.4 percent of kids in the U.S. and three times as many boys as girls. The gender imbalance is partly because the type of ADHD most boys have predominantly hyperactive-impulsive presentation becomes apparent at a younger age, with signs that are pretty obvious: fidgeting, interrupting, bouncing off the walls, blurting out whatevers on their brain. Girls, on the other hand, are more likely to have ADHD with predominantly inattentive presentation, marked by spaciness, forgetfulness, and disorganization. These signs typically take longer for parents and teachers to recognize.
Most boys are active, so a hyperactive boy sticks out like sore thumb, says Scott Benson, M.D., a pediatric psychiatrist in Pensacola, Florida. They are more likely to hit someone, which gets them sent to the principals office, whereas as a child who is daydreaming and not doing their work wont necessarily get in trouble. Thats why I tend to see boys in kindergarten and first grade and girls in third and fourth grade.
Although ADHD is a genetic neurological condition that never goes away, with the right interventions and ongoing management, kids can absolutely thrive. These include behavioral interventions such as talk therapy and coaching on organizational skills, as well as medications like Ritalin.
Parents should keep in mind that ADHD is a lifelong condition which they may know full well because they deal with it themselves.
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Keep A Diary Of Your Childs Symptoms
Keep a diary of symptoms to discuss with your doctor. The diary could include:
- a video or audio recording of the wheezing you could use your mobile phone
- when the symptoms occur such as during the day or worse at night
- how bad the symptoms are and how often they happen
- how long the symptoms remain and whether they change with time
- whether the symptoms are worse after exercise, playing or after an infection
- whether the symptoms are worse after exposure to animals, pollens or mould.
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Exercise Is Good For Children With Asthma
Exercise is good for children with asthma, as long as their asthma is well managed.
- You can give your child their reliever inhaler before exercise, if exercise usually triggers their asthma.
- If your child already has asthma symptoms, its best for them to avoid exercise until they improve.
- Sports with lots of stopping and starting are less likely to cause problems eg, swimming, tennis, martial arts and most team sports.
- Warming up before exercise is important.
- If your child shows any sign of asthma, STOP the activity immediately and treat the symptoms.
Letting Your Childs Childminder Nursery Or School Know
If anyone else cares for your child, make sure they know about your childs asthma and what they need to do if your child has symptoms. You could share your childs asthma action plan with them.
If your child is at school or nursery, its a good idea to have a spare reliever inhaler and spacer.
Find out more about leaving your child in other peoples care, or school and nursery.
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How To Get A Diagnosis
The first thing to do is book an appointment. Your GP or an asthma nurse can help confirm or rule out a diagnosis of asthma.
They can do this by:
- talking about your symptoms, what sets them off, and when you get them
- asking if anyone else in the family has asthma
- finding out if you, or anyone in your family, have other allergies, like hay fever
- testing how your lungs are working
- listening to your chest for any sounds of wheezing
- prescribing asthma treatments to see if they make a difference
- considering any other symptoms that might suggest something else.
Asthma tests
Alongside a full clinical assessment by your GP, youll need some asthma tests to confirm or rule out asthma. Your GP can see how your lungs are working with tests like peak flow, spirometry, and FeNo .
Your GP can usually perform these tests during the appointment, and you can see the results straight away. But you may need to do tests again on another day before your GP can confirm you have asthma.
You may be given a peak flow meter to use at home for a couple of weeks. This is so you can record your own peak flow scores in a diary.
When you take it back to your appointment, your GP or asthma nurse will be able to see a pattern of scores that could suggest asthma.
Trying out asthma treatments
Your GP or asthma nurse may prescribe asthma treatments to see if they help. This is sometimes called a trial of treatment.
If your symptoms start to get better, it suggests you could have asthma.