Childhood asthma affects many children in Anguilla. The recent passage of the Sahara dust has exacerbated the condition in many children on the island. Childhood asthma is a common cause of visits to the emergency room at the hospital, and sometimes leads to hospitalizations and many days off from school. Childhood asthma cannot be cured, but with the right treatment many children can keep symptoms under control and prevent damage to the lungs.
What is childhood asthma?
Asthma is a chronic, inflammatory disease in which the airways become sensitive to allergens (any substance that triggers an allergic reaction). When a child is exposed to certain triggers, several things occur: the lining of the airways becomes swollen and inflamed, muscles in the lungs, that surround the airways, tighten – and production of mucus is increased, leading to mucus plugs.
All of these factors will cause the airways to narrow, thus making it difficult for air to go in and out of the child’s lungs, causing the symptoms of asthma.
What are some symptoms of childhood asthma?
The following are the most common symptoms of asthma. However, each child may experience symptoms differently. Symptoms may include:
• Coughing (either constant or intermittently)
• Wheezing (this is a whistling sound that may be heard while your child is breathing)
• Trouble breathing or shortness of breath while your child is playing or exercising
• Chest tightness (your child may say his/her chest hurts or does not feel good)
• Fatigue
• Nighttime cough
• Noisy breathing
The symptoms of asthma may resemble other problems or medical conditions. 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.
What causes childhood asthma?
The causes of childhood asthma are not fully understood even after many years of clinical research. 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
Treatment
Specific treatments for asthma are based on:
• The child’s age, overall health and medical history
• Extent of the disease
• The child’s tolerance for specific medications, procedures or therapies
• Expectations for the course of the disease
• Parents opinion or preference
As of yet, there is no cure for asthma. However, asthma can be controlled with prescription medications that may help to prevent or relieve symptoms, and by learning ways to manage episodes.
Can children grow out of asthma?
How asthma will affect a child throughout his/her lifetime varies, depending on the child. For some children, asthma improves during the teenage years, while others have symptoms that become more severe over time. About half of the children who have asthma at a young age appear to outgrow it, although the asthma symptoms may reappear later in life.
Can childhood asthma be prevented?
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.
• Do not 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 regularly. Do not 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.
Conclusion
Asthma is a chronic disease. It has to be cared for all the time – not just when symptoms are present. Childhood asthma is not a different disease from asthma in adults, but children face unique challenges. 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. Various studies have shown that children with asthma can learn to identify and avoid the things that trigger an episode, and educate themselves about medications and other asthma management strategies. Many children can have their asthma under control and continue to live a healthy and productive life.
Ask Your Dr is a health education column and is not a substitute for medical advice from your physician. The reader should consult his or her physician for specific information concerning specific medical conditions. While all reasonable efforts have been made to ensure that all information presented is accurate, as research and development in the medical field are ongoing, it is possible that new findings may supersede some data presented.
Dr Brett Hodge MB BS DGO MRCOG is an obstetrician/Gynaecologist and Family Doctor with over thirty-eight years in clinical practice. Dr Brett Hodge has a medical practice in The Johnson Building in The Valley (Tel: 264 497 5828).
