Asthma is a chronic lung condition and the most common chronic respiratory disease of children. It is most common in childhood and occurs in approximately seven to 10 percent of children. It accounts for the majority of school absenteeism as well as the majority of childhood E.R. visits and hospitalizations. It is characterized by difficulty breathing and can affect children in varying degrees.
In children with asthma, the airways that run from the child’s nose to the lungs are overly sensitive. Children with asthma have hyper-responsive airways that react by narrowing or obstructing when they become irritated. This narrowing or obstruction is caused by airway inflammation. Airway means the airways in the lungs become red, swollen and narrow. Bronchoconstriction is when the muscles that encircle the airways tighten or go into spasm and mucous plugging means more mucus is made and plugs the airways. This narrowing makes it difficult for the air to move in and out. It eventually causes wheezing, coughing, shortness of breath, and chest tightness.
Children with asthma may be able to breathe normally most of the time. When they encounter a trigger, however, an asthma attack can occur. Some of the more common asthma triggers include: cigarette smoke, dust, pollen, exercise, viral infections (such as the common cold or flu), animal hair or dander and mold. Children’s airways are narrower than those of adults. This means that triggers that may cause only a slight response in an adult can be much more serious in children. In children, it can appear suddenly with severe symptoms. For this reason, it is important that asthma be diagnosed and treated correctly. For some children, this may mean taking daily medication even during times when the child is not having symptoms of asthma.
There are now worldwide guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of childhood asthma. Treatment of asthma now includes medicines which improve each of the factors which cause the airway inflammation, bronchoconstriction and mucous plugging. With proper treatment and a team approach to managing asthma, every affected child should live a normal life. It is important for families to work together with their pediatrician to develop a treatment plan for the child with asthma in order to ensure proper treatment and to minimize the impact of this chronic lung condition.
For more information, please call Santa Clarita Pediatrics at 661- 253-9009.