Asthma is a disease characterized by inflammation of the airway passages. Because the airway passages are inflamed, you may experience any of the following: wheezing, coughing, chest pain, chest tightness, difficulty breathing, and shortness of breath. These should be noted carefully for child care.
Any age group can have asthma. Babies can have asthma and so can elderly people. When babies get sick, diagnosing a disease can be a challenge because the babies cannot articulate what they are feeling. Usually, the parents start worrying if their babies keep on crying and the parents have no clue at all as to what is bothering them. Taking care of babies when they are sick is really a challenge among parents.
Asthma is a chronic disease among children and infants. Truth is, one in every ten babies has asthma today. What are the symptoms of asthma in babies?
The common symptoms of asthma in babies are wheezing, coughing, chest tightness, and shortness of breath. Asthma symptoms in babies also vary. This is why it is important for you to closely observe your baby and to establish the patterns of his or her symptoms.
For example, coughing is one of the symptoms of asthma in babies. Some babies may cough all night but no asthma symptom is apparent during the day. On the other hand, other babies may cough the entire day in intermittent patterns.
Or your babies may manifest wheezing which is also one of the asthma symptoms in babies. Remember that coughing and wheezing do not only mean an asthma attack. Other diseases can have the same symptoms.
In order to establish if these are symptoms of asthma in babies, your pediatrician will look for patterns of symptom manifestation. First, you will be asked if you have observed coughing (most especially at night), wheezing, and fast or difficult breathing.
Next, the pediatrician will check the family’s medical history. Then, the pediatrician will check if the symptoms of asthma in babies are worsened by any of the following: viral infection, exposure to smoke or cigarettes, active play, contact with allergens (pollen, pets, and dust), weather changes, and laughing or crying.
Furthermore, in order for the pediatrician to establish if these are asthma symptoms in babies, he or she will have to rule out the other diseases that can cause the same symptoms. Observation of the symptoms of asthma in babies is vital in making the proper diagnosis since tests for asthma, like spirometry, cannot be performed in babies.
Once the pediatrician has ruled out other possible diseases, he or she can now give the diagnosis of asthma symptoms in babies.
As a parent, you must always remember to consult with your pediatrician whenever your baby is not feeling well. Symptoms of asthma in babies are very easy to manage. The pediatrician can prescribe medications and environmental adjustments to prevent the asthma symptoms in babies to recur.
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