How to know if your child has asthma

Childhood asthma - Symptoms and causes

Overview

In childhood asthma, the lungs and airways become easily inflamed when exposed to certain triggers, such as inhaling pollen or catching a cold or other respiratory infection. Childhood asthma can cause bothersome daily symptoms that interfere with play, sports, school and sleep. In some children, unmanaged asthma can cause dangerous asthma attacks.

Childhood asthma isn't a different disease from asthma in adults, but children face unique challenges. The condition is a leading cause of emergency department visits, hospitalizations and missed school days.

Unfortunately, childhood asthma can't be cured, and symptoms can continue into adulthood. But with the right treatment, you and your child can keep symptoms under control and prevent damage to growing lungs.

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Symptoms

Common childhood asthma signs and symptoms include:

Frequent coughing that worsens when your child has a viral infection, occurs while your child is asleep or is triggered by exercise or cold air
A whistling or wheezing sound when breathing out
Shortness of breath
Chest congestion or tightness

Childhood asthma might also cause:

Trouble sleeping due to shortness of breath, coughing or wheezing
Bouts of coughing or wheezing that get worse with a cold or the flu
Delayed recovery or bronchitis after a respiratory infection
Trouble breathing that hampers play or exercise
Fatigue, which can be due to poor sleep

Asthma signs and symptoms vary from child to child, and might get worse or better over time. Your child might have only one indication, such as a lingering cough or chest congestion.

It can be difficult to tell whether your child's symptoms are caused by asthma. Periodic or long-lasting wheezing and other asthma-like symptoms can be caused by infectious bronchitis or another respiratory problem.

When to see a doctor

Take your child to see the doctor if you suspect he or she has asthma. Early treatment will help control symptoms and possibly prevent asthma attacks.

Make an appointment with your child's doctor if you notice:

Coughing that is constant, is intermittent or seems linked to physical activity
Wheezing or whistling sounds when your child breathes out
Shortness of breath or rapid breathing
Complaints of chest tightness
Repeated episodes of suspected bronchitis or pneumonia

If your child has asthma, he or she may say things such as, "My chest feels funny" or "I'm always coughing. " Listen for coughing, which might not wake your child, when he or she is asleep. Crying, laughing, yelling, or strong emotional reactions and stress also might trigger coughing or wheezing.

If your child is diagnosed with asthma, creating an asthma plan can help you and other caregivers monitor symptoms and know what to do if an asthma attack occurs.

When to seek emergency treatment

In severe cases, you might see your child's chest and sides pulling inward as he or she struggles to breathe. Your child might have an increased heartbeat, sweating and chest pain. Seek emergency care if your child:

Has to stop in midsentence to catch his or her breath
Is using abdominal muscles to breathe
Has widened nostrils when breathing in
Is trying so hard to breathe that the abdomen is sucked under the ribs when he or she breathes in

Even if your child hasn't been diagnosed with asthma, seek medical attention immediately if he or she has trouble breathing. Although episodes of asthma vary in severity, asthma attacks can start with coughing, which progresses to wheezing and labored breathing.

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Causes

Childhood asthma causes aren't fully understood. Some factors thought to be involved include:

Inherited tendency to develop allergies
Parents with asthma
Some types of airway infections at a very young age
Exposure to environmental factors, such as cigarette smoke or other air pollution

Increased immune system sensitivity causes the lungs and airways to swell and produce mucus when exposed to certain triggers. Reaction to a trigger can be delayed, making it more difficult to identify the trigger. Triggers vary from child to child and can include:

Viral infections such as the common cold
Exposure to air pollutants, such as tobacco smoke
Allergies to dust mites, pet dander, pollen or mold
Physical activity
Weather changes or cold air

Sometimes, asthma symptoms occur with no apparent triggers.

Risk factors

Factors that might increase your child's likelihood of developing asthma include:

Exposure to tobacco smoke, including before birth
Previous allergic reactions, including skin reactions, food allergies or hay fever (allergic rhinitis)
A family history of asthma or allergies
Living in an area with high pollution
Obesity
Respiratory conditions, such as a chronic runny or stuffy nose (rhinitis), inflamed sinuses (sinusitis) or pneumonia
Heartburn (gastroesophageal reflux disease, or GERD)
Being male
Being black or Puerto Rican

Complications

Asthma can cause a number of complications, including:

Severe asthma attacks that require emergency treatment or hospital care
Permanent decline in lung function
Missed school days or getting behind in school
Poor sleep and fatigue
Symptoms that interfere with play, sports or other activities

Prevention

Careful planning and avoiding asthma triggers are the best ways to prevent asthma attacks.

Limit exposure to asthma triggers. Help your child avoid the allergens and irritants that trigger asthma symptoms.
Don't allow smoking around your child. Exposure to tobacco smoke during infancy is a strong risk factor for childhood asthma, as well as a common trigger of asthma attacks.
Encourage your child to be active. As long as your child's asthma is well-controlled, regular physical activity can help the lungs to work more efficiently.
See the doctor when necessary. Check in regularly. Don't ignore signs that your child's asthma might not be under control, such as needing to use a quick-relief inhaler too often.

Asthma changes over time. Consulting your child's doctor can help you make needed treatment adjustments to keep symptoms under control.
Help your child maintain a healthy weight. Being overweight can worsen asthma symptoms, and it puts your child at risk of other health problems.
Keep heartburn under control. Acid reflux or severe heartburn (gastroesophageal reflux disease, or GERD) might worsen your child's asthma symptoms. He or she might need over-the-counter or prescription medications to control acid reflux.

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By Mayo Clinic Staff

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Asthma in Children: Signs, Symptoms & Treatment

Symptoms

You can get asthma at any age, and it is not contagious. During an asthma attack, the tubes that carry air to the lungs become swollen, get squeezed and make extra mucus, which makes it harder to breathe.

The signs of asthma can range from a cough that lingers for days or weeks to a sudden and scary inability to breathe effectively. Common signs include:

Coughing, especially at night
A wheezing or whistling sound, especially when breathing out
Trouble breathing or fast breathing that causes the skin around the ribs or neck to pull in tightly
A tight chest
Frequent colds that settle in the chest

Your child might have only one of these symptoms or several of them. You may think it’s just a cold or even bronchitis. But if the symptoms recur, it’s time to see an asthma specialist, such as an allergist.

pollen, pet dander, dust mites, weather changes, and viral infections such as colds. Avoiding triggers when possible can help reduce asthma attacks in your child.

Diagnosis

Tell your child’s pediatrician if anyone in your family has asthma or allergies because both tend to run in families. If a family member has asthma or allergies, it’s more likely that your child will have them.

Asthma is typically diagnosed through a medical exam and a test that measures airflow in and out of the lungs. Diagnosing children can be challenging, especially when they are very young. Children who are preschool age or younger may not be able to complete the airflow test, which requires blowing very hard into a tube. And infants and toddlers can’t describe how they feel. This makes it especially important for parents, other family members and caregivers to know the signs of asthma.

Your allergist may perform skin or blood tests to see whether your child has allergies that can trigger asthma symptoms. These tests can be done at any age. Your allergist may also prescribe one or more asthma medications depending on the severity of the asthma.

No parent wants to see their child suffer. If your son or daughter is struggling with asthma, take control of the situation and consult an allergist today.

Treatment and Management

It’s very important that children with asthma receive proper treatment. An allergist can help your child achieve long-term control by working with you to create an action plan. With the right treatment, your child can sleep through the night, avoid missing day care or school and breathe more easily. The action plan will help you recognize when your child’s asthma is under control, when you need to change medicines and when emergency help is needed.

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Symptoms and treatment of bronchial asthma in children According to some reports, almost 10-15% of children from all over the world suffer from this disease today.

This is quite a significant number. In order to take the necessary measures in time, every mother should know what kind of pathology it is, what symptoms it has, and how asthma is treated in a child. We propose to discuss all these issues in this article. nine0003

Asthma in children: what is it?

Asthma affects the child's airways. For the most part, this condition is not associated with infectious processes.

A characteristic feature is bronchospasm. The lumen of the bronchi narrows. As a result of this change, wheezing appears wheezing, shortness of breath, choking cough.

The main cause of an asthma attack in a child is usually associated with an allergic reaction to one or another irritant. nine0003

In most children (about 80%), this disease first manifests itself in preschool age.

Causes of asthma in children

The main cause of asthma symptoms in children is allergies. Types of irritants:

Food allergens - provoke the development of asthma in 4-6% of cases. Children who are at greater risk are switched to mixtures early, cannot tolerate meat products, etc.
Inhalant allergens - this category includes irritants that enter the body through breathing. What it could be: plant pollen, animal hair, dust mites, mold fungi, etc. nine0034

Allergies are not the only cause of asthma. Sometimes this pathology is a consequence of exposure on the children's body of various infections. For example: staphylococcus, influenza, SARS, etc.

Some babies may develop this disease while taking certain types of medicines (antibiotics, vitamin complexes, etc.).

In addition to the above, several risk factors can be mentioned: genetic predisposition, living in an area with poor ecology, being overweight (it has been established that children with obesity are at risk of developing asthma increases to 52%). nine0003

Characteristic symptoms

Asthma occurs in the form of periodic exacerbations of the condition. And first there are harbingers, then begins attack, and then comes the post-attack and interictal periods.

It is important to note that the diagnosis of this disease in children has certain difficulties. The fact is that up to 5 years the bronchi are not yet fully developed and have a narrow lumen. For this reason, an attack can proceed without pronounced symptoms. In this case, only swelling of the mucous membrane occurs and sputum is released. nine0003

It is not uncommon for the development of such a disease to be confused with ordinary bronchitis or SARS. Outcome – treatment of asthma in children begin long after the onset of the first symptoms.

In order not to miss the beginning of the development of this dangerous condition, be sure to pay attention to the following: symptoms:

dry cough without visible signs of a cold. At the same time, it occurs paroxysmal, more often in the morning or at night,
a whistle is clearly audible in the breath,
the child often complains that he has pressure in his chest,
cough occurs only when certain activities are performed (for example, after the baby pet a cat or dog),
the condition worsens with the arrival of spring and the beginning of the flowering period.

Monitor your child closely. When at least one of the listed seizures occurs, you should visit a pediatric allergist-immunologist.

How does an asthma attack progress in a child?

It all starts with the appearance of the harbingers of an approaching asthmatic attack. During this period, the child may become restless, there is a sleep disturbance, a headache may develop. Sometimes the skin and eyes start to itch, stuffy nose, dry cough.

The period of precursors can last several minutes, a couple of hours, and sometimes even days.

The next stage is an asthma attack. It is difficult to confuse it with something else, since it has vivid symptoms, namely:

the child has a feeling of lack of air due to pressure in the chest,
severe dyspnea develops,
wheezing, sometimes wheezing can be heard,
the child becomes frightened and begins to actively gasp for air,
skin becomes pale, cold sweat breaks out,
dry cough with weak sputum,
there is an increase in blood pressure,

If the attack lasts more than 6 hours, then we are talking about the development of status asthmaticus in the baby.

At the end of the attack, sputum with a thick consistency begins to actively depart. This makes breathing much easier. The child becomes drowsy and lethargic, experiences general weakness of the body. From the side of the cardiovascular system a response comes in the form of bradycardia, a decrease in pressure.

In terms of the severity of the course, children's bronchial asthma is divided into 3 types: mild (attacks are rare, not more than 1 time per month), medium (attacks can occur 3-4 times a month), severe (attacks also occur 3-4 times a month, while the function of external respiration falls below 60% of normal). nine0003

What to do if a child has an attack: first aid

If your child has an asthma attack, the main thing is not to panic. It is necessary to act quickly and coherently.
What to do as first aid:

Immediately put the baby in a chair and tilt his body forward. This will reduce hypoxia.
Open windows to let fresh air into the room. But there is an important nuance here - if the attack is caused allergy to plant pollen, then the supply of oxygen to the room is best ensured by supply ventilation with filters (We will look at this issue in more detail below). nine0034
Inhalation with bronchospasmolytics.
A warm bath for feet and hands will help to relieve the condition a little.
If the measures taken do not bring results, and the baby's condition only worsens, do not waste time and immediately call an ambulance.

Remember that with a severe attack of childhood bronchial asthma, urgent hospitalization is indicated.

Diagnosis of childhood bronchial asthma

Before starting asthma treatment in a child, it is necessary to conduct an accurate diagnosis. A specialized doctor can prescribe the following research methods:

Examination using special equipment - this includes spirography, X-ray of the respiratory system, peak flowmetry, bicycle ergometry.
Taking tests for laboratory research - blood, urine, sputum are examined, skin allergy tests are taken. Also during such an examination, general and specific IgE (immunoglobulin E) is determined. nine0034

When diagnosing childhood bronchial asthma, it is very important to exclude other serious pathologies of the respiratory system (eg, cystic fibrosis, obstructive bronchitis, etc.). For this reason, the examination of the baby should not be limited to just a trip to an allergist-immunologist. It is also necessary to visit a pediatrician and a pulmonologist.

What can be the treatment?

Treatment of asthma in children involves a comprehensive approach to the problem. It is implemented in the following areas:

Drug therapy - its main task is to reduce the number of exacerbations, as well as relief asthma attacks. The following groups of drugs are usually prescribed: glucocorticoids, bronchodilators, inhalations, combination medicines.
Eliminating all contact with allergens is not an easy, but essential measure. It is important to ensure that the child always breathes clean fresh air, as he is the main friend of asthmatics. nine0180 It is quite possible to create such conditions at home thanks to the supply ventilation from TION. If your child is asthmatic, then be sure to get a breather. This is a unique device that provides fresh, allergen-free air into the room. and other contaminants. It has a powerful filtration system. It provides maximum cleansing air streams.
If you purchase a breather in the 4S model, then the room air will be cleaned of contaminants in the recirculation mode. nine0034
Non-drug therapy - this may include a special diet, physical activity, the implementation of the complex breathing exercises, hardening of the child, folk methods in the form of decoctions and tinctures from medicinal herbs with anti-inflammatory effect.

Preventive measures

Immediately after the birth of the baby, measures should be taken to minimize the likelihood of developing bronchial asthma. This is especially true for children at risk. nine0003

Prevention against childhood asthma comes down to the following recommendations:

the baby on the mixture provokes the development of food allergies in him, which in turn can cause asthma.
Quit smoking. In the case of cohabitation, the child will inevitably inhale tobacco smoke, Therefore, it is better to get rid of this bad habit. nine0034
Minimize the amount of dust in your home. To do this, you should regularly do wet cleaning, wipe the shelves, if possible, take out unnecessary things that accumulate a lot of dust from the house.
Pay attention to the quality of the air in your home. It must be free of allergens, exhaust fumes and other pollution. The easiest way to solve this problem is to purchase a breather. This device will help maintain a healthy microclimate in the house 24/7. nine0034
Review your child's daily diet. It is better to reduce the number of allergenic products, and if there is a reaction from the body, then completely eliminate it.
If the child's breathing is whistling or wheezing, a pulmonologist should examine the child. If necessary, he will prescribe appropriate diagnostic methods and draw up a treatment program.
If you have planned repairs in the apartment, then it is better to send the baby to grandparents or relatives. Inhalation of building dust is extremely undesirable for a growing organism. nine0034

What is the forecast?

Almost 60-80% of children diagnosed with this pathology remain with it for life. Over time, asthma can worsen or, on the contrary, go into a mild form until it disappears completely.