Asthma is a disease of the respiratory system, which causes swelling and narrowing of the airways.
This article discusses asthma in children, also called pediatric asthma. For a more general discussion about the disease, please see asthma.
Pediatric asthma; Asthma - pediatric
Asthma is caused by swelling and inflammation in the airways. When an asthma attack occurs, the muscles surrounding the airways become tight and the lining of the air passages swells. This reduces the amount of air that can pass by.
Asthma is commonly seen in children. It is a leading cause of hospital stays and school absences. Asthma and allergies often occur together. The allergic response plays a strong role in childhood asthma.
Common asthma triggers include:
Breathing problems are common. They can include:
When breathing gets very difficult, the skin of your chest and neck may suck inward.
Other symptoms of asthma in children include:
The type and pattern of your child's asthma symptoms may vary. They may be occur often or only when certain triggers are present. Some children are more likely to have asthma symptoms at night.
The doctor will to listen to the child's lungs. Asthma-related sounds may be heard. However, lung sounds are often normal between asthma episodes.
The doctor will have your child breathe into a device called a peak flow meter. Peak flow meters can tell you and your doctor how well the child can blow air out of the lungs. If the airways are narrow and blocked due to asthma, peak flow values drop.
You and your child will learn to measure peak flow at home.
Tests may include:
You and your child's pediatrician or allergist should work together as a team to create and carry out an asthma action plan.
This plan should outline how to
The plan should also tell you when to call the nurse or doctor.
You should also have an emergency plan that outlines what to do when your child's asthma flares up. If your child is in school, make sure teachers, school nurses, physical education teachers, and coaches know about your child's need to take asthma medicine. Find out what you need to do to let your child take his medicine during school hours. (You may need to sign a consent form.) Make sure the school has a copy of your child's asthma action plan. See: Asthma and school
There are two basic kinds of medication for the treatment of asthma:
Long-term control medications are taken every day to prevent asthma symptoms, even when your child does not have symptoms. Some children may need more than one long-term control medication.
Types of long-term control medications include:
See also: Long-term asthma medicines in children
Quick relief, or rescue, medications are used during an attack. Children who not have symptoms very often (mild asthma) may only need quick relief medication as needed. Examples of quick relief medications include: Proventil, Ventolin, Xopenex, and others.
USING AN INHALER
A number of your child's asthma medicines can be taken using an inhaler.
It is important to know what things make your child's asthma worse. These are called asthma "triggers." Avoiding them is the first step toward helping your child feeling better.
If possible, keep pets outdoors, or at least away from the child's bedroom.
No one should smoke in a house or around a child with asthma. Eliminating tobacco smoke from the home is the single most important thing a family can do to help a child with asthma. Smoking outside the house is not enough. Family members and visitors who smoke carry smoke residue in and on their clothes and hair -- this can trigger asthma symptoms.
Keeping humidity levels low and fixing leaks can reduce growth of organisms such as mold. Keep the house clean and keep food in containers and out of bedrooms -- this helps reduce the possibility of cockroaches, which can trigger asthma attacks. 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.
KEEPING AN EYE ON YOUR CHILD'S ASTHMA
A peak flow meter is a simple device that you and your child can use at home to tell you if an attack is coming, maybe before there are any symptoms. Checking "peak flow" is one of the best ways to control asthma. It can help you keep your child's asthma from getting worse. Asthma attacks do NOT usually come on without warning.
Children under age 5 may not be able to use a peak flow meter well enough to make the numbers useful. An adult should always watch carefully for a child's asthma symptoms. It's a good idea to start using peak flow meters before age 5 to get the child used to them.
With proper treatment and a team approach to managing asthma, almost all children with asthma can live a normal life. However, poorly controlled asthma may lead to missed school, problems playing sports, missed work for parents, and multiple visits to the doctor's office and emergency room.
Many times, asthma symptoms occur much less often or disappear as the child gets get older. However, if the child’s asthma is not well controlled, it can lead to permanent changes in lung function.
Asthma can rarely be a life-threatening disease. It is important for families to work together with health care professionals to develop a plan to properly care for the child.
The complications of asthma can be severe. Some include:
Call your health care provider if you think that a child has new symptoms of asthma. If your child has been diagnosed with asthma, call the doctor:
If your child is having trouble breathing or having an asthma attack, seek medical attention immediately.
Emergency symptoms include:
A child who is having a severe asthma may need to stay in the hospital, and may be given oxygen and medicines through a vein (an intravenous line (IV).
There is no known method to prevent asthma attacks. The best way to reduce the number of attacks is to avoid triggers (especially cigarette smoke) and follow the asthma plan that you develop with your doctor.
National Asthma Education and Prevention Program Expert Panel Report 3: Guidelines for the Diagnosis and Management of Asthma. Rockville, MD. National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, US Dept of Health and Human Services; 2007. NIH publications 08-4051.
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Bush A, Saglani S. Management of severe asthma in children. Lancet. 2010 Sep 4;376(9743):814-25.
Brozek JL, Bousquet J, Baena-Cagnani CE, Bonini S, Canonica GW, Casale TB, et al. Allergic Rhinitis and its Impact on Asthma (ARIA) guidelines: 2010 revision. J Allergy Clin Immunol. 2010 Sep;126(3):466-76.