Asthma in children is widespread in recent decades. As a common chronic disease in children, asthma in children causes more absenteeism in schools. Asthma in children and adults have in common cause - swelling of the respiratory tract. This swelling makes airways overly sensitive, have signs and symptoms of mild cough or nasal breathing to serious respiratory disorders.
Fortunately, asthma in children can be addressed. Although asthma can not be cured in children, you and your child can keep the symptoms under control by making a written plan, observe, regular visits to your doctor and make changes if necessary treatment.
Symptoms
Asthma in children is very disturbing, causing the dull days of not being able to play, exercise, and daily activities of children in general. In some children, asthma is not managed properly can be serious or even life threatening.
Common signs and symptoms of asthma in children include:
• Cough
• nasal or whistling sound when breathing
• Shortness of breath
• The tightening of the chest muscles
Other signs and symptoms of asthma in children include:
• Difficulty sleeping because of shortness of breath, cough or nasal airway
• Cough or nasal breathing worsened when attacked by a virus, such as colds and flu
• The delay in healing or have bronchitis after respiratory infection
• Fatigue or breathing problems occur when playing sports or
Signs and symptoms of asthma is different for each child, and can worsen or improve. When nasal voice is most associated with asthma, not all children with asthma nasal voice. Your child can only have one sign or symptom, such as a cough that does not go away or a blockage in the chest.
Sometimes it's hard to tell whether your child has symptoms caused by asthma. Nasal breath and other asthma-like symptoms may be caused by infection of bronchitis or other respiratory problems.
Causes & Risk Factors
Causes
In children with asthma, the immune system is too sensitive to make respiratory swelling and inflammation when exposed to triggers such as smoke or allergens. Sometimes, asthma symptoms occur without an obvious trigger. When asthma occurs, the respiratory muscles shrink, lining the airways swell and mucus thickness meets bronchial tract, making asthma symptoms occur.
Asthma triggers are different for each child include:
• Viral infections, such as colds
• Allergens, such as dust, animal dander, pollen or mold
• Tobacco smoke or other environmental pollutants
• Sports
• Changes in air or cold air
Conditions associated with asthma include:
• wet nose and shortness of chronic (rhinitis)
• Inflammation of the sinuses (sinusitis)
• The heat in the stomach (gastroesophageal reflux disease)
Risk factors
It is not clear why some children develop asthma and others do not, but it may be a combination of genetic (hereditary) and environmental factors. Children with asthma have family records have a greater risk for having asthma. Other environmental factors that can increase the chances of your child having asthma include:
• Exposure to tobacco smoke
• Allergic reactions before, including skin reactions, food allergies or allergic rhinitis
• Living in a big city environment with increased exposure to air pollution
• Records of families with asthma, allergic rhinitis, hives or eczema
• Low weight at birth
• Obesity
Prevention
Careful planning and controlling asthma triggers is the best way to prevent asthma attacks.
• Avoid triggers. As much as possible, avoid allergens and irritants that your doctor identified as triggers of asthma
• Prohibits smoking around your child. Exposure to tobacco smoke when the baby is the greatest risk of asthma in children, as well as a common trigger of asthma attacks.
• Encourage your child to be active. Throughout your child's asthma can be well controlled, regular physical activity can make the condition of the lungs work more efficiently
• Have a plan. Working with your child's doctor to develop a plan to asthma, and make sure all your sitter - care centers, teachers, coaches, parents and friends of your child - have a copy. Some plans use a peak flow meter can detect lung function decline before your child have any symptoms, provide important information how to treat your child's asthma from day-to-day.