Whether Its Asthma Allergies Or Both These Conditions Can Be Managed
With the right care and treatment plan, you can help your child manage their asthma, allergies or both so they can live a happy, healthy life.
If your child has never been diagnosed with asthma, allergies or is starting to show new symptoms make a primary care appointment. There are many conditions that look similar and your doctor can help demine if your childs symptoms are related to asthma, allergies or COVID-19, or something else.
With in-person and video visit options, you can choose the appointment type thats most convenient for you.
If your child has been diagnosed with asthma, allergies or both, you can schedule a visit with an allergy and asthma specialist without a referral.
How Do You Treat Asthma Without An Inhaler
Asthma is a chronic lung disorder that causes airways in the lungs to swell, make mucus, and become inflamed. When these airways narrow and swell, it is known as an asthma attack. An asthma attack can happen suddenly and last for a few days or longer. Asthma is a leading cause of missed school and work days, and it can keep people from doing many of the things they enjoy. With proper treatment and self-management of asthma, people with asthma can live active lives. If you are looking for a natural cure for asthma, there are many of them. All these remedies can be found over the counter, or buy them online. But, if you dont see any improvement after 3 days or your symptoms get worse, see a doctor..
How Do I Know If My Child Has Asthma Or Allergies
A primary care doctor, or an allergy and asthma specialist, can provide an official diagnosis.
If your child has new symptoms, start by making an appointment with their primary care doctor or clinician. The doctor will likely conduct a clinical exam and also talk with you about your childs:
- Type, severity and frequency of asthma or allergy symptoms
- Medical history, specifically any prior treatment for similar symptoms
- Family medical history
From there, theyll work with you to develop a treatment plan, which may include connecting you with an allergy and asthma specialist. If allergies are suspected, a skin test may be recommended to determine which allergens cause a reaction.
A skin test involves scratching the skin and applying solutions containing different types of allergens. If your child has a reaction to any of the allergens, a hive or welt will appear at the site of the scratch. Blood tests may also be run to determine allergies.
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What Triggers Asthma Cough
Asthma cough is triggered by several factors. These include air pollution, dust, pollen, cold air, infections like cold and flu, and certain foods. However, for most people, explained Dr. Bruce Thorpe of the National Jewish Medical and Research Center in Denver, asthma cough from one of the above triggers is temporary. In most cases, the cough will either go away within a week or so, or the symptoms will improve to the point where you tolerate them better, he said. In fact, the cough is usually just a minor side effect..
Childhood Asthma Risk Factors
Asthma is the leading cause of long-term illness in children. It affects about 7 million kids in the United States. Those numbers have been going up, and experts arenât sure why.
Most children have their first symptoms by age 5. But asthma can begin at any age.
Things that can make a child more likely to have asthma include:
- Exposure to secondhand tobacco smoke before or after birth
- African-American or Puerto Rican descent
- Being raised in a low-income environment
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When Symptoms May Point To Something Else
When asthma is suspected, your doctor may want to perform a series of tests, including pulmonary function testing , blood tests to check for inflammation, and chest X-rays. In some cases, other tests may be used to rule out less common but just as serious disorders that could be causing the asthma-like symptoms.
Other respiratory illnesses that can masquerade as asthma, especially in very young children, include bronchitis and pneumonia: these bring along a severe cough and the characteristic wheeze, along with other general discomforts.
Less often, serious conditions like cystic fibrosis or congestive heart failure may be responsible for the breathing difficulties, and since these demand swift diagnosis and close attention, your doctor should perform a very close examination.
What Are Signs And Symptoms Of Asthma In Babies
In infants and toddlers, it may be hard for parents, and even doctors, to recognize signs and symptoms of asthma. Bronchial tubes in infants, toddlers and preschoolers are already small and narrow, and colds and other illnesses can iname airways, making them even smaller and more irritated.
Asthma symptoms will vary from child to child. The challenge with infants is that they cannot tell you how they are feeling.
Babies with asthma may experience difficulty breathing you may notice their bellies moving more when inhaling or exhaling and the nostrils of their nose may flare out. You might also notice:
- Wheezing or a whistling sound when breathing
- Fast, shallow breathing
- Blue tint to skin and fingernails
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Using Medicine As Prescribed Can Prevent Asthma Attacks
- Inhaled corticosteroids and other control medicines can prevent asthma attacks.
- Rescue inhalers or nebulizers can give quick relief of symptoms
- But . . . about half of children who are prescribed asthma control medicines do not use them regularly.
SOURCE: National Health Interview Survey, 2013.
The Federal government is
- Working with state, territorial, private and non-government partners to support medical management, asthma-self management education, and, for people at high risk, home visits to reduce triggers and help with asthma management. ,
- Providing guidelines, tools such as asthma action plans, and educational messages to help children, their caregivers, and healthcare professionals better manage asthma.
- Promoting policies and best practices to reduce exposure to indoor and outdoor asthma triggers such as tobacco smoke and air pollution.
- Tracking asthma rates and assuring efficient and effective use of resources invested in asthma services.
Doctors, nurses, and other healthcare providers are
Some payers/health insurance plans are
Parents and children are
Schools are
Video: Spotting Asthma Symptoms In Your Child
Transcription for ‘Spotting symptoms of asthma in your child’
0:14 If youre worried your child might have asthma, but youre not sure whether to talk to your GP about it, this video shows the things to look out for. There are four main symptoms of asthma – coughing, wheezing, chest tightness and breathlessness.
0:34 Children get coughs all the time. So how do you tell if it could be asthma?When your child gets a cough is a good clue. Children with asthma often cough at night time, in the early morning or after exercise.Another sign is if your child has had a cough for a long time and it just wont go away.
0:57 A wheeze is a whistling sound in your childs chest, usually when they breathe out. Every childs wheeze is different and theyre often hard to hear. Even your nurse or doctor might need to use a stethoscope! So, if you cant hear a wheeze, but your child has other symptoms, Id still recommend talking to your doctor about asthma.
1:15 Another sign of asthma is chest tightness. This ones tricky to spot. In my experience, children with chest tightness often rub their tummy or chest. If they can talk, they might say things like, I have a tummy ache or my chest hurts.
2:26 If you have more questions about asthma, you can always WhatsApp me or one of my nurse colleagues at Asthma + Lung UK.
2:35 Contact an Asthma + Lung UK nurse on WhatsApp 07378 606 728
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Learning To Manage Asthma
For some people, asthma requires consistent medication and awareness of potential triggers that might lead to an asthma attack. For others, asthma only requires the occasional use of an inhaler for rare flare-ups. But to get to a point where asthma is well-controlled, parents need to be proactive about speaking to a pediatrician if a child presents with any of the symptoms associated with the disease.
Asthma In Infants And Young Children
The signs of asthma in a baby or toddler include:
- Working harder to breathe
- Panting with normal activities such as playing
- Difficulty sucking or eating
- Tiredness, not interested in normal or favorite activities
- Cyanosis, a tissue color change on mucus membranes and fingertips or nail beds – the color appears grayish or whitish on darker skin tones and bluish on lighter skin tones
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What Are The Treatments For Asthma In Children
IIf your child has asthma, you will work with their health care provider to create a treatment plan. The plan will include ways to manage your childs asthma symptoms and prevent asthma attacks, such as
- Strategies to avoid triggers. For example, if tobacco smoke is a trigger for your child, you should not allow anyone to smoke in your home or car.
- Short-term relief medicines, also called quick-relief medicines. They help prevent symptoms or relieve symptoms during an asthma attack. They include an inhaler to have for your child at all times. It may also include other types of medicines which work quickly to help open your childs airways.
- Control medicines. They work by reducing airway inflammation and preventing narrowing of the airways. Not all children will take control medicines. Whether or not your child needs them depends on how severe the asthma is and how often your child has symptoms.
If your child has a severe attack and the short-term relief medicines do not work, get medical help right away.
Your childs provider may adjust the treatment until the asthma symptoms are controlled.
How To Keep Your Kid Safe At School
When it comes to safety at school, Dr. David Stukus of Nationwide Childrens Hospital in Columbus, Ohio says communication is key. Talk to teachers and administers before the start of the school year to allow time for school personnel to make any necessary preparations, he says.
Here are a few more important tips:
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Symptoms Of Asthma Emergencies In Children
The signs of an asthma emergency include when the child:
- finds it very difficult to breathe or is not breathing
- is unable to speak comfortably or complete sentences without losing breath
- has lips turn blue
- has symptoms that get worse very quickly
- has tugging in of the skin between ribs or at the base of the neck
- is getting little or no relief from their reliever inhaler, or their reliever inhaler is not available.
How Is Asthma Diagnosed In Older Children
Asthma is typically diagnosed with a medical exam and a test that measures the airflow in and out of the lungs. Your child may have one asthma symptom, or several of them. You may think its just a cold or bronchitis. If the symptoms come back, thats a clue your child might have asthma. In addition, symptoms may worsen when your child is around asthma triggers, such as irritants in the air or allergens like pollen, pet dander and dust mites.
Tell your childs pediatrician if anyone in your family has asthma, allergies or atopic dermatitis. These conditions often run in families if they run in yours, its more likely your child will have them.
You may be referred to an allergist who may perform skin or blood tests to see whether your child has any allergies that can trigger asthma symptoms. These tests can be done at any age. You can help your childs doctor by completing a childhood asthma control test prior to your visit.
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When To See A Gp
See a GP if you think you or your child may have asthma.
Several conditions can cause similar symptoms, so it’s important to get a proper diagnosis and correct treatment.
The GP will usually be able to diagnose asthma by asking about symptoms and carrying out some simple tests.
Find out more about how asthma is diagnosed.
Can Babies Have Asthma
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We dont always know why a baby develops asthma but some causes can be:
- Family history of asthma, allergies or eczema
- Premature birth
- A viral infection , especially when the baby is less than 6 months old
- A mother who smokes during pregnancy
As many as 80% of children that will have asthma develop signs and symptoms before the age of 5.
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How Bad Is Covid If You Have Asthma
The use of Covid during an asthma attack can cause fatal respiratory failure, so it is best that you use a different medication to treat an asthma attack. Asthma attacks are frequently managed with either bronchodilators, which open the constricted airways in the lungs, or corticosteroids, which help decrease all of the diseases symptoms. With the exception of albuterol, bronchodilator inhalers are generally safe for people with asthma. They provide fast, temporary relief from asthma symptoms so you can get out of the attack. They are not, however, a cure. Steroids are long term medication and need to be taken every day to help prevent attacks. Steroids work to reduce inflammation inside the lungs, which is why they are a great treatment for asthma..
What Are The 3 Types Of Asthma
There are three types of asthma: 1. Allergic asthma: this is caused by an allergic reaction to an allergen like pollen, dust mites, pets, or even cold air. This type of asthma is the most common. 2. Exercise-induced asthma: is caused by physical activity. This type of asthma is experienced by a lot of people during their teenage years, but usually fades away as people get older. 3. Asthma caused by a condition such as chronic bronchitis, usually improve with treatment of the main disease..
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Key Points About Asthma In Children
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Asthma is a long-term lung disease.
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Symptoms include trouble breathing, wheezing, chest tightness, and coughing.
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Staying away from the things that cause asthma symptoms is an important part of asthma treatment.
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Medicines are used to prevent and control symptoms during flare-ups.
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Asthma can cause serious complications if it is not well-controlled.
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An up-to-date asthma action plan is key to managing asthma.
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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Can Childhood Asthma Go Away
The misconception that asthma goes away on its own is common, but it is not true. When a child has asthma, it is there for life, and it affects children greatly as they grow up. It is as much an issue for them, as it is for their parents. This is a disease that is more common in winters. So, it is important to understand ways to deal with asthma in children. These are some ways that will help you, so your child can lead a normal life. Here is a list of 9 best ways to deal with asthma in children..
What Does My Family Do To Avoid The Hospital During Asthma Peak Week
- We make sure our family stays on their daily, controller inhaler. If we have swelling in our lungs and then get pneumonia, we are toast.
- We get the flu vaccine every year, and the pneumonia vaccine every 5 years.
- Continue to be germaphobes. We are frequent hand washers and avoid large crowds.
What do you do to help your kids avoid getting sick when they go back to school?
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What Should You Do If Your Child Has An Asthma Attack
If your child is showing symptoms of an asthma attack:
- Give your child their reliever medicine according to the asthma action plan.
- Wait 15 minutes. If the symptoms go away, your child should be able to resume whatever activity they were doing. If symptoms persist, follow the Asthma Action Plan for further therapy.
- If your child fails to improve, or if you aren’t sure what action to take, call your care provider.
The danger signs of an asthma attack are:
- Severe wheezing.
- Trouble walking and/or talking,
- Blue lips and/or fingernails.
If your child has any of these danger signs/symptoms, go to the nearest emergency department or call 911.
How Can I Help My Child Live With Asthma
You can help manage your childs asthma by:
- Finding out your childs triggers and keeping him or her away from them.
- Giving your child medicine as directed to prevent symptoms.
- Creating and keeping an Asthma Action Plan.
- Closely watching asthma signs and symptoms to know when they are getting worse.
- Knowing what to do when asthma gets worse.
- Making sure your child has proper emergency medication and paperwork on file with his or her school.
Work with your childs health care provider to find the best way to take care of your childs asthma. There are guidelines for children from newborn to age 4, ages 5 to 11, and ages 12 and older.
The more information a person with asthma has, the better the asthma can be controlled.
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