How Do You Know If A Kid Has Asthma

What Is The Best Way To Live With Asthma

The key to good living with asthma is developing a strong partnership between patients, caregivers, and physicians. Practical steps include the following:

Make an asthma care management plan with your physician. An asthma management plan helps you understand what to do when specific situations arise. Each time you visit the physician, talk about your plan, and make any necessary changes.

Educate yourself. Stay informed about the latest developments in asthma and allergy care and treatment. Ask your physician about new medications or research findings that may relate to your care.

Get regular medical care. If you have asthma, you should see your physician at least once a year, even if your symptoms are under control. When you become sick, or if you have significant changes in your health, you should also talk with your physician about how your asthma could be affected.

Take your medicine. Your asthma medications will make you feel better and sometimes people think thats the time to stop. Its not! Use your medications as prescribed.

With good management, asthma symptoms can be controlled. Most people who develop adult onset asthma are able to lead normal lives. Expect success!

How Is Asthma Treated In A Child

Treatment will depend on your childs symptoms, age, and general health. It will also depend on how severe the condition is.

Your childs healthcare provider may refer you to a pulmonologist. This is a doctor with special training to treat lung conditions. Your child may also be referred to an asthma and allergy specialist. This is a doctor with special training in treating both asthma and allergies. Your childs treatment is based on how severe the symptoms are and how easily they are controlled. Treatment includes finding triggers and ways to stay away from them. It will also include medicines.

Asthma medicines include:

• Bronchodilators. These medicines are used to help open the narrowed airways. They may ease coughing, wheezing, shortness of breath, or trouble breathing.

• Anti-inflammatory medicines . These medicines help ease the inflammation in the airways.

• Anti-leukotrienes. These medicines help decrease the narrowing of the airways. These are often given by mouth. They are often used to treat mild symptoms.

• Allergy shots . This can be used to decrease allergies to environmental triggers such as dust, pollen, or animal allergies that can trigger asthma flares in some people.

• Biologic medicines. These are injected medicines used for certain types of severe asthma. They are available for children age 6 and older.

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Avoid Upper Respiratory Infections

Upper respiratory infections, including the common cold, cause 85 out of 100 asthma attacks in young children.footnote 10 Basic preventive measures include the following:

• Avoid contact with other people who are ill. If there is an ill child in the home, separate him or her from other children, if possible.
• If you have a respiratory infection, such as a cold or the flu, or if you are caring for someone with a respiratory infection, wash your hands before and after caring for this person.
• Do not smoke. Second-hand smoke irritates the mucous membranes in your childs nose, sinuses, and lungs and increases his or her risk for respiratory infections.
• Children who have asthma and their family members should get an influenza vaccine every year.

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Question : Do You Have A Cough That Wont Seem To Go Away

You answered yes.

You answered no.

• Coughing is an involuntary reflex action to clear the airways, and may be worse because of the excess mucus production engendered by asthma.
• For someone who has asthma, their coughing might be particularly bad at night as they are lying down and their airways become narrower during sleep.
• If you have a cough that lasts for longer than a couple of weeks or keeps returning over a period of time, this might be a symptom of asthma.

What Should I Do If I Think My Child Might Have Asthma

If you think your child has asthma, take them to see their pediatrician as soon as possible. The pediatrician may refer them to an allergist if she thinks allergies might be causing your childs asthma symptoms. Allergists can help identify the exact triggers that cause asthma symptoms.

Either way, if it turns out your child does have asthma, its a great idea to make sure they start getting treatment early. Children with asthma who go without treatment risk having serious complications, including frequent and severe or potentially fatal asthma attacks. Your child might be constantly tired and not perform well in school, gain weight quickly, and start to develop mental health conditions like anxiety or depression.

In order to determine whether your child has asthma, your provider will ask you some questions, perform a physical exam, and probably run some tests. You can expect questions about:

• Your childs symptoms

• How severe the symptoms are

• Whether your child has other medical conditions

• Your family history of allergies and asthma

• Your home environment

During the physical exam, theyll look and listen for signs that your child is having trouble breathing, or if there are signs of other allergic conditions.

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Other Common Triggers Include:

• Pollen, dust mites, cockroaches and pet dander cat dander is worse than dog.
• Inhaling cigarette smoke or having contact with someone who has smoked cigarettes .
• Chemicals including household cleaners, citronella candles and bug sprays. Colognes and scented lotions are triggers. Pool chlorine can be a problem indoor pools should be avoided as the chlorine is enclosed in the building. Private pools are much better than public, because public pools tend to have much more chlorine in them. Beach swimming is better than pool swimming.
• Stress: Even family stress can contribute to your child’s asthma!
• Cold and windy weather.
• Exercise: If your child is prescribed daily medications, make sure theyre taken prior to exercise, especially if your child is physically active. Also, your child should have their inhaler on hand. Exercise-induced asthma may be caused by rapid movement of air into the lungs before it is warmed and humidified. This often occurs because of mouth breathing during exercise.

What Makes A Child More Likely To Develop Asthma

There are many risk factors for developing childhood asthma. These include:

• Allergies.

• 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.

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Question : Are Your Symptoms Worse When You Are At Work

You answered yes.

You answered no.

• Someone who works in an environment where they are exposed to dust, fumes, certain chemicals or animals, and finds their symptoms flare up at work, may have what is known as occupational asthma, which affects around one in ten people who first develop asthma in adulthood.
• Bakers, vets, nurses, hairdressers, engineers and woodworkers are just some of the jobs that can lead to occupational asthma.

Adult Phenotypes Of Asthma

Late Onset Eosinophilic

Characterized by both clinical and biologic features of later onset, predominately female, and elevated sputum and serum eosinophils. Late-onset eosinophilic asthma is defined clinically by adult-onset, severe disease and is associated with sinusitis and less allergic sensitization compared to early onset disease. Biologically patients have increased IL-5 and IL-13 in the airways and elevated eosinophils in the sputum and serum . No cut off for sputum and serum eosinophils have been universally agreed upon however it is generally accepted that a sputum eosinophil count of > 2% or a serum eosinophil count of > 300 cells/uL indicates eosinophilic asthma . Despite a high prevalence of positive skin prick tests this form of asthma appears to be less allergic but is often associated with sinusitis, nasal polyps, and aspirin exacerbated respiratory disease . A family history of asthma is seen less frequently than those with early onset asthma . This type of asthma can be relatively steroid resistant but biologic therapies targeting T2 pathways have been shown to be highly effective in this group of patients .

Obesity-Related Asthma

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What Causes Asthma In Infants And Toddlers

We still do not know what causes some people to get asthma. If a child has a family history of asthma or allergies, a specific allergy or had a mother who smoked during pregnancy, they have a higher chance of getting asthma early in life.

A respiratory virus, an illness that occurs in the lungs, is one of the most common causes of asthma symptoms in children 5 years old and younger. Although both adults and children experience respiratory infections, children have more of them. Some preschool children get viral infections often. At least half of children with asthma show some sign of it before the age of 5. Viruses are the most common cause of acute asthma episodes in infants 6 months old or younger.

Can Allergic Asthma Be Cured

Unfortunately, allergic asthma cannot be completely cured. However, the right treatment can drastically reduce the impact the condition has on your life or the life of your child. Working with an expert allergist can reduce the likelihood of a severe asthma attack, while also minimizing the main symptoms. In brief avoid allergens, take the medication prescribed by your doctor, and perhaps utilize immunotherapy treatment. These practices will minimize allergic asthma for most patients.

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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.

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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Responsibilities Of Childcare Centres And Kindergartens In Caring For Children With Asthma

Services that care for or educate children are required to have first aid training for staff, anaphylaxis management and emergency asthma management plans and strategies to minimise the risk for your child. The service must, at all times, have at least one educator in attendance with current and approved:

• first aid qualification
• anaphylaxis management training
• emergency asthma management training.

For more information about first aid, anaphylaxis and asthma management in childcare see the Department of Education and Training website.

They Can Take A Few Years To Really Work

Allergy shots arent a quick fix: While some people may start to feel better during the build-up phase of their treatment, most people wont experience noticeable improvement until theyve been in the maintenance phase for six to 18 months, says Dr. Dziadzio.

In fact, a 2017 British study found that it took three full years for allergy shots for hay fever to be more effective than placebo shots. The maintenance phase for most allergy shots is usually continued for three to five years. Some patients experience long-lasting relief after that, and some may need continued treatment.

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How Do You Know If You Have Asthma

Asthma is a respiratory problem usually occurs due to the inflammation of bronchial tubes but how do you know if you have asthma? Normally, people experience symptoms like coughing, wheezing, tight feeling in chest and allergies as well. These symptoms simply points to the asthma. Are these symptoms enough to find out whether you have asthma or not? Its a no. Some people will not experience in the same way.

Symptoms for asthma attack can be mild to severe. Mild attacks are common. Mild asthma attacks might cause during exercise or due to the cold. Sometimes mild asthma attack tends to last longer. Well, in this case, immediate treatment is required. Seeking medical treatment at prior will keep asthma under control. But how do you know if you have asthma? Here are some signs and symptoms that will help you to know about it.

Contents

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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Q Will My Child With Asthma Be Allowed To Use Their Quick

Yes. The use of a quick-relief inhaler, with a spacer or valved holding chamber, should not spread viral particles because, when used correctly, the medicine is inhaled into the lungs and not expelled. Coughing is a common asthma symptom and using an inhaler could also cause a child to cough. Children should maintain a physical distance of at least 6 feet and cover their mouth if their asthma or the use of an inhaler makes them cough. Its important to communicate with the school health office to inform them that your child has asthma and to complete any paperwork that may be required by the school to allow your child to self-carry and self-administer their asthma medicine during the school day. If your child forgets their medicine or is not able to self-carry, discuss treatment options with the school health staff.

Get Help For Special Concerns

Special things to think about in treating asthma include:

• Managing exercise-induced asthma. Exercise often causes asthma symptoms. Steps you and your child can take to reduce the risk of this include using medicine immediately before exercising.
• Managing asthma before surgery. Children with moderate to severe asthma are at higher risk of having problems during and after surgery than children who do not have asthma. Before any surgery is done, make sure your child’s surgeon knows that your child has asthma.
• Taking care of other health problems. If your child also has other health problems, such as inflammation and infection of the sinuses or gastroesophageal reflux disease , he or she will need treatment for those conditions.

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What Are The Symptoms Of Asthma In Children

The symptoms of asthma in children include

• Chest tightness
• Wheezing, which causes a whistling sound when they breathe out
• Trouble eating or sucking

These symptoms can range from mild to severe. They may happen often or only once in a while.

When children have an asthma attack, their symptoms get much worse. The attacks may come on gradually or suddenly. Sometimes they can be life-threatening. Warning signs of a severe attack include severe coughing, serious breathing problems, and turning very pale or blue in the face, lips and/or fingernails. If your child has those symptoms, get medical help right away.

Tightness Of The Chest

Chest tightness is one of the most common symptoms associated with asthma across all age groups. Younger children might not properly explain the feeling and may instead mention feeling funny or hurting in the chest. Coupled with shortness of breath, labored breathing, or frequent coughing fits, parents should speak with a physician to have a child properly diagnosed with asthma.

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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.

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.

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