How to tell 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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Asthma in Children | Johns Hopkins Medicine

What is asthma in children?

Asthma is a long-term (chronic) lung disease that causes your child’s airways to become sensitive to certain things (triggers). Several things happen to the airways when a child is exposed to triggers:

The lining of the airways swells.
The muscles around the airways tighten.
The airways make more thick mucus than normal.

All of these things will cause the airways to narrow. This makes it difficult for air to go in and out of your child’s lungs, and leads to the symptoms of asthma.

Asthma Causes in Children

The exact cause of asthma is not known. Researchers think it is partially passed down through families. But it can also be caused by many other things such as the environment, infections and other exposures, like tobacco smoke.

Which children are at risk for asthma?

A child is more likely to be diagnosed with asthma if he or she:

Is age 5 to 17 years old (though for many, symptoms start sooner)
Has family members with asthma
Has food allergies, eczema or nasal allergies
Is around tobacco smoke
Is around air pollution
Has another health problem, such as being overweight

Asthma Symptoms in Children

Symptoms can occur a bit differently in each child. Many children with asthma have times when they have few, if any symptoms. They also have times when symptoms flare up. Symptoms may include:

Cough (daytime, nighttime or both)
Wheezing or whistling sound that is heard while your child is breathing
Trouble breathing or shortness of breath while your child is active
Chest tightness

The symptoms of asthma can be like other health conditions. Make sure your child sees his or her health care provider for a diagnosis.

Asthma Diagnosis in Children

Asthma is a clinical diagnosis. However, there are some tests that can be used to help support a diagnosis of asthma, depending on the age of the child and the clinical situation. To diagnose asthma, your child’s health care provider may recommend these tests:

Spirometry. A spirometer is a device used to check lung function. It can typically be done starting around age 5.
Peak flow monitoring. A peak flow meter is used to measure the amount of air a child can blow out of the lungs. This measurement can be helpful in some, particularly older, children.
Chest X-rays. This diagnostic test uses invisible energy beams to make images of internal tissues, bones and organs on film. This can help rule out other conditions that appear similar to asthma, but may appear normal if the child has asthma.
Allergy tests. Allergy tests can help identify triggers for asthma, but are not themselves diagnostic of asthma.

Asthma Treatments for Children

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

Your child’s health care 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 allergist. Both of these specialties have expertise in treating asthma. Your child’s treatment is based on how severe his or her symptoms are and how well they are controlled. Treatment includes finding triggers and ways to avoid them. It will also include medicines. Asthma medicines include:

Medications for quick relief of symptoms:

Bronchodilators (beta agonists). These medicines are used for quick relief to help open the narrowed airways. They help relieve coughing, wheezing, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing. The most commonly used asthma medication, albuterol, is a bronchodilator.
Combination inhalers with inhaled steroids and a certain long-acting bronchodilator (formoterol). Sometimes, in specific cases, these medications may also be used for quick relief.
Steroids (oral or injectable forms). These are sometimes needed for short-term treatment of significant asthma flare-ups.

Asthma control medications to help control and prevent symptoms and reduce the frequency and severity of exacerbations:

Inhaled steroids. These medicines help decrease inflammation in the airways, and reduce asthma symptom frequency and severity of exacerbations (flare-ups). They can be given via inhaler or nebulizer.
Combination inhalers with inhaled steroids and long-acting bronchodilator. These are similar to inhaled steroids, but have a longer-acting bronchodilator (beta agonist).
Long-acting muscarinic antagonists. This medication may be used as an add-on therapy for children whose symptoms are not controlled on first-line medications. It targets another receptor in the lungs to help open up the airways.
Anti-leukotrienes. These medicines are anti-inflammatory, and target a specific pathway that is involved in asthma. These are usually given by mouth.
Asthma biologics. These medications target specific molecules that are involved in asthma, including inflammatory molecules and cell receptors, to disrupt inflammatory pathways involved in asthma. They are typically given by injection.
Immunotherapy. Immunotherapy that is targeted against specific allergens in children who are allergic to them and exposed to them are helpful in some patients.

Asthma Complications in Children

Asthma that is not well controlled may cause:

Severe asthma attacks
Lasting damage to the airways
Increased time in the hospital or the emergency department
Missed school or other activities

Asthma Prevention for Children

Asthma can’t be completely prevented. There are steps you can take to reduce the chance of your child developing asthma. They include:

Avoiding secondhand smoke
Avoiding air pollution

In most children, asthma flare-ups can be prevented by:

Avoiding known triggers
Carefully managing symptoms
Taking medicines as instructed

How can I help my child live with asthma?

You can help manage your child’s asthma by:

Finding out your child’s 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 (typically albuterol) and paperwork on file with his or her school.

Work with your child’s health care provider to find the best way to take care of your child’s 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.

When should I call my child’s healthcare provider?

Call your child’s health care provider if your child’s symptoms are not well controlled. For example, if your child is waking at night with symptoms or is having trouble with daily activities.

Call your child’s health care provider or get medical help right away if your child has severe symptoms. These severe symptoms can include trouble:

Breathing
Sleeping
Walking
Talking

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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.

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.

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.

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%).

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.

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,
tachycardia.

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).

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).
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.

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.
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.
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.

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.
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.
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.

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.

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