Things to Know about Child Asthma

Nobody is safe from the smoke that is filling up our environment. Not even children. In India alone, people inhale smoke coming from coal and kerosene, biomass, kerosene stoves, stoves that burn wood, crop residues, along with carbon monoxide, sulphur oxides, nitrous oxide, and many such fatal things.
These fatal gases enter the smaller airways of children between the ages 5-11, constricting them when exposed to dust, pollen, mites, pollutants, weather changes, and more of such gases, making a chronic disorder like asthma one of the most common problems with children.

What is Asthma?
Inflammation of the bronchi (the airways that lead to the lungs) gives birth to asthma. Once inflamed, the airways tighten and narrow down, blocking the free flow of air, making it harder to breathe for the patient. The inflammation also makes the airways very sensitive, thus reducing the amount of air going into the lungs. Therefore things like exercising, exposure to cold air, allergens, smoke, or even a viral infection can trigger asthma.
Although it can begin at any age, it is estimated that more than 300 million people are asthmatics worldwide, with 1/10th of them residing in India.

Symptoms of Asthma in children
While a blood test from a reputed and reliable pathology lab near you can help determine whether your child is suffering from asthma or not, few symptoms to watch out for are:
  • Frequent coughing spells (while playing, laughing, crying, etc.)
  • Chronic coughing
  • Low on energy
  • Rapid breathing (intermittently)
  • Complaint of chest tightness
  • Wheezing (whistling sound when breathing in or out)
  • Retractions (see-saw motions in the chest from laboured breathing)
  • Shortness of breath
  • Loss of breath

These symptoms can vary from child to child and episode to episode.

Asthma triggers you must know about
Certain events trigger asthma more than the others. Avoiding them altogether for your child might help to keep him/her stable and healthy. These are:
  • Respiratory infections such as cold
  • Exposure to allergens and airborne irritants (such as dust, pet dander, cigarette smoke, or pollen)
  • Vigorous physical activity
  • Exercising
  • Feeding in infants
  • Emotional reactions, such as crying or laughing
  • Gastrointestinal reflux
  • Extreme changes in the weather

Laboratory tests that help diagnose and monitor asthma in young children
Doctors mostly dig into family history to know the root cause of asthma in young children, and can also order:
  • Blood tests to measure the levels of certain white blood cells
  • Chest X-ray to see the changes in the lung when asthma is moderate to severe
  • Allergy test to indicate if the child is allergic to a suspected or likely allergen

The good news is that proper diagnosis and care early-on can help children outgrow asthma. With the growing number of children complaining of such symptoms, it is imperative that you as a parent do not delay a medical examination for your young one.

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