Pediatric Asthma
The reasons and symptoms of pediatric asthma are not so different from one in an adult. As stated in other pages pediatric asthma is also caused by the narrowing of the respiratory tract.
The passage from the lungs to the nose is narrowed resulting into difficulties in breathing. Changes in the environmental factors, allergens such as dust mites, molds, and respiratory infections are the major causes of development of this disease in children. Pediatric asthma is chronic in nature.
Causes, incidence, and risk factors
This disease is very common in children. Asthma is considered to be a major disturbing factor in the children. It hampers their life routines badly.
They more often need to be hospitalized on the onset of an attack leading the absenteeism in schools. Being chronic in nature, the pediatric asthma proves to be a major factor in providing a diseaseful life to the children.
A patient of asthma has over sensitive airways that quickly tend to respond the allergens which leads to the manifestation asthmatic symptoms. Dust in the air cause inflammation of the airways leading to respiratory problems. So much so that it becomes a reasons for other kinds of infections in the children.
In cases of severe attacks the lung's function is highly affected leading to permanent narrowness in the airways. The major factors causing asthma in children are:
- tobacco smoke
- dust
- pollen
- exercise
- viral infections, such as the common cold
- animals (hair or dander)
- chemicals in the air or in food
- mold
- changes in weather (most often cold weather)
- strong emotions
- aspirin and other medications
Recent years have seen a rapid growth of asthma in children. Reasons to be mentioned are not different from the factors mentioned above. Not only outdoor but indoor triggers also are very much responsible for an attack of asthma.
The triggers to which an adult responds very slightly prove to be highly dangerous to children as the their airways are much more narrower than that of an adult. Therefore, serious consequences of may occur if a child is exposed to asthma triggering agents.
And it becomes indispensable to get the pediatric asthma as early as possible. Diagnosing asthma in children is quite difficult sometimes yet a proper and correct treatment is essential.
Symptoms
Difficulty in breathing is one of the prime symptoms one can observe during an asthma attack. Even in position of rest the child feels shortness of breath. Wheezing and coughing are also the signs of an asthma attack. The child suffering from asthma uses his muscle around his or her chest o breath properly. Coughing in the night is very persistent in case pediatric asthma.
Signs and tests
To diagnose asthma ad doctor usually inspect the the sound coming out from patient's lung using a spirometer. Patient suffering from a heavy attack of asthma certainly shows the symptom of heavy inflow and outflow of air into lungs. An asthmatic patient is typically advised to have a device called "peak flow meter" to monitor his or her breathing ability.
Treatment
The most effective treatment of asthma is to eliminate the triggers causing asthma. Hence, to remove the risk of asthma in the children, the pediatrician, families and allergist need to work together to plan on the ways of getting rid of major asthma causing agents. This is the only way parents can keep their children intact from this chronic and deadly pediatric asthma.
However, to treat asthma correctly, typically two types of medication are prescribed:
1.
Long-term control medications
These are the medication used daily to prevent frequent attack. One is not supposed to use it during the attack.
- inhaled steroids
- leukotriene inhibitors
- long-acting bronchodilators
- cromolyn sodium (Intal) or nedocromil sodium
- aminophylline or theophylline
- combination of anti-inflammatory and bronchodilator
2.
Quick relief (rescue) medications
They provide relief during the attack.
- short-acting bronchodilators
- oral or intravenous corticosteroids stabilize severe episodes
In case of a child suffering from infrequent attack, quick relief medication works good but for a patient with severe very frequent attack long term medication is advised to be on safer side.
In case of severe attack, a pediatric asthma patient may need to be hospitalized an given oxygen and intravenous medications.
The medications mentioned above are useful for both adults and children. However, special inhalers and dosages are there for children. You can typically observe an asthmatic child using nebulizer to take medicine. They prefer nebulizer to an inhaler because of easiness in using it.
Families play a very important role in the control of asthma by helping get rid of the indoor triggers that worsen asthma. For example, it is extremely important to eliminate tobacco smoke from the home.
This is the single most important thing that a family can do to help a child with asthma. Just having people smoke "not in the house" is not enough, as family members and visitors can bring residual smoke in on their clothes and in their hair.
Keeping low levels of humidity and fixing leaks can reduce growth of organisms such as molds. Exposure to cockroaches can be reduced by cleaning and by keeping food in containers and out of bedrooms.
Bedding can be covered with "allergy proof" polyurethane-coated casings to reduce exposure to dust mites. Detergents and cleaning agents in the home should be unscented.
All of these efforts can make a significant difference to the child with asthma, even though it may not be obvious right away. Your allergist can assist you with a plan for reducing the asthma triggers in your home.
A peak flow meter, a simple device to measure lung volume, can be used at home to help you "see an attack coming" and take the appropriate action, sometimes even before any symptoms appear.
If you are not monitoring asthma on a regular basis, an attack can take you by surprise. Peak flow measurements can help show when medication is needed, or other action needs to be taken. Peak flow values of 50-80% of the child's personal best indicate a moderate asthma attack, while values below 50% indicate a severe attack.
