Childhood Asthma PDF

What Is Childhood Asthma? Childhood asthma is the same lung disease that adults get, but kids often have different symptoms. Doctors may also call this pediatric asthma. You may need to use a spacer to help your child take their inhaler medicine. It can help them breathe the medicine in at their ow...

What Is Childhood Asthma? Childhood asthma is the same lung disease that adults get, but kids often have different symptoms. Doctors may also call this pediatric asthma. You may need to use a spacer to help your child take their inhaler medicine. It can help them breathe the medicine in at their own pace. If your child has asthma, their lungs and airways may get easily inflamed when they have a cold or are around things such as pollen. The symptoms may make it hard for your child to do everyday activities or sleep. Sometimes, an asthma attack can result in a trip to the hospital. There’s no cure for asthma in children, but you can work with your child’s doctor to treat it and prevent damage to their growing lungs. Signs and Symptoms of Childhood Asthma When your child has an asthma attack, the tubes that carry air to their lungs (bronchial tubes) become swollen and make extra mucus. This makes it harder for them to breathe, which leads to the following signs and symptoms: A cough that doesn’t go away Coughing spells that happen often, especially during play or exercise, at night, in cold air, or while laughing or crying (young kids may say that they "cough all the time") A cough that gets worse after a viral infection, such as a cold or the flu Less energy during play, and stopping to catch their breath during activities  Avoiding sports or social activities Trouble sleeping because of coughing or breathing problems Rapid breathing Chest tightness or pain (young kids may say their chest "hurts" or "feels funny") Wheezing, a whistling sound when breathing in or out Seesaw motions in their chest (retractions) Shortness of breath Tight neck and chest muscles Feeling weak or tired Trouble eating, or grunting while eating (in infants) Causes and Triggers of Childhood Asthma Common triggers include: Airway infections: These include colds, COVID-19, flu, pneumonia, and sinus infections. Allergens: Your child might be allergic to things such as cockroaches, dust mites, mold, pet dander, and pollen. Irritants: Things such as air pollution, chemicals, cold air, odors, or smoke can bother their airways. Exercise: It can lead to wheezing, coughing, and a tight chest. Stress: It can make your child short of breath and worsen their symptoms. Childhood Asthma Risk Factors Asthma is the leading cause of long-term illness in children. It affects about 7 million kids in the U.S. Those numbers have been going up, and experts aren’t sure why. Most children have their first symptoms by age 5. But asthma can begin at any age. Things that can make a child more likely to have asthma include:  Nasal allergies (hay fever) or eczema (allergic skin rash) A family history of asthma or allergies Frequent respiratory infections Low birth weight Exposure to secondhand tobacco smoke before or after birth African-American or Puerto Rican descent Being raised in a low-income environment Childhood Asthma Diagnosis Your child’s asthma symptoms may be gone by the time you get to the doctor’s office. You have an important role in helping your doctor understand what’s going on. A diagnosis will include: Questions about medical history and symptoms. Your doctor will ask about any breathing problems your child may have had, as well as any family history of asthma, allergies, eczema, or other lung disease. Describe your child's symptoms in detail, including when and how often they happen. Physical exam. Your doctor will listen to your child's heart and lungs and look in their nose or eyes for signs of allergies. Tests. Your child might get a chest X-ray. If they’re 6 or older, they may have a simple lung test called spirometry. It measures the amount of air in your child’s lungs and how fast they can blow it out. This helps the doctor find out how severe their asthma is. Other tests can help find asthma triggers. They may include allergy skin testing, blood tests such as immunoglobulin E (IgE) test or radioallergosorbent test (RAST), and X-rays. These tests can help your doctor check if sinus infections or gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) are making asthma worse. A test that measures the level of nitric oxide (eNO) in your child’s breath can also point to inflamed airways. There are two main types of asthma medications: Quick-relief medications help with sudden symptoms. Your child will take them for fast help during an asthma attack. They need to keep this medicine with them all the time and use it when they have symptoms. Common reliever medicines include: Inhaled corticosteroids, which reduce swelling in their airways. Inhaled short-acting beta2-agonists (SABAs), which open their airways so air can flow through more easily. These can have side effects, such as tremors and rapid heart rate. Short-acting anticholinergics, which open their airways quickly. These may not work as well as  SABAs, but they are used in people who have trouble with side effects. Long-acting medications prevent airway inflammation and keep asthma under control. Your child will probably take them every day. Common controller medicines include: Corticosteroids by mouth (oral steroids) to reduce inflammation throughout their body. Inhaled long-acting bronchodilators, such as long- acting beta2-agonists (LABAs) or long-acting muscarinic antagonists (LAMAs), which help prevent their airways from narrowing. Leukotriene modifiers, which reduce swelling and help keep their airways open. This is usually an oral medicine rather than an inhaler. Inhaled mast cell stabilizers, which help prevent swelling in their airways when they need to be around allergens or other things that trigger their asthma. Biologic medicines, which help control asthma that's hard to control. These are generally injections. Allergy shots (also called subcutaneous immunotherapy), which help turn down their response to allergens so they don't have as many asthma attacks. If an infant or older child has symptoms of asthma that require treatment with a bronchodilator medication more than twice a week during the day or more than twice a month at night, most doctors recommend daily anti-inflammatory drugs. Many asthma medications contain steroids, which could have side effects. They can irritate your child’s mouth and throat. Some research shows that over time, they might result in slow growth, bone problems, and cataracts. After your child takes them, their body might not be able to make as many natural steroids. But without treatment, asthma can lead to health problems and hospital visits. Kids with asthma need to get a flu shot every fall because flu can make their asthma symptoms worse How do I give my child asthma medication? Your child's doctor will tell you how often to give your child breathing treatments, based on how severe their asthma is. You may give your child (usually for children under 4) asthma medications using a home nebulizer, also known as a breathing machine. A nebulizer delivers asthma drugs, usually bronchodilators, by changing them from a liquid to a mist. Your child gets the drug by breathing it in through a face mask. These breathing treatments usually take about 10-15 minutes and are given several times a day.