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Asthma and Children: Critical Information
By Kim Archer | February 8, 2010
While asthma is far from unheard of in the United States, it affects the most vulnerable of us, our children. Asthma as a whole affects nearly 20 million people, and nine million of those people are children. Due to the smaller airways in children, asthma becomes a very scary but real respiratory disease, sometimes fatal. Children with asthma experience coughing, chest tightness, trouble breathing, and wheezing; the symptoms are most notable early in the morning or at night before bed. Childhood asthma is a very serious condition that can cause a number of complications for your child, unless you have the right information on how to treat and manage asthma.
Those with a family history of asthma, allergies, eczema, or any other type of lung disease should be aware of the risks and symptoms of asthma. It is important to note and describe any type of symptoms to a health care provider. Specifically, the duration and how often the symptoms have been occurring should be monitored closely and reported to the doctor.
The risk factors for childhood asthma include low birth weight, frequent respiratory infections, family history of asthma and/or allergies, any allergies, and exposure to tobacco smoke at any time during development. Other contributing factors include being male or an African American, being raised in a low-income environment and not being able to afford healthcare, or a disorder of the immune system in which the body fails to make enough antibodies.
Because pollen, certain tree, plants, or pet hair can cause asthma in toddlers and infants, a skin prick test might be recommended that will tell you which animals and plants are dangerous for your child. Your asthma clinic physician should then be able to give you the right medication to fit your child’s needs and symptoms.
Children with asthma should be using medications to regulate their asthmatic symptoms. When asthma gets worse there should be a health care pediatrician available for the child, and it is important to have a plan in place in order to prevent fatal attacks. If the daily medication prescribed by the physician doesn’t seem to work, your child may have to have shots or stronger medication that can only be administered in an asthma clinic.
Did you know that asthma affects millions of people around the world? If you’re one of them, visit Asthma Treatments to learn more about what causes the condition, how to prevent it, and how to treat asthma attacks.
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