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Asthma, otherwise known as "reactive airways disease," is very common in the pediatric population. Approximately fifteen percent of all children will experience an asthma "attack" most commonly characterized by chest wheezing during the childhood years. Asthma accounts for more missed school days as well as more missed work days for parents than any other medical condition. With proper medical treatment, much of the discomfort to patients and alteration in lifestyles of families can be avoided. Asthma is characterized by airways ( breathing tubes) that are "extra-twitchy" and easily inflammable. In response to certain triggers, the airways tighten and can fill up with mucous which leads to difficulty breathing. The most common trigger in the pediatric population is upper respiratory tract infection, or the "common cold". Other potential triggers include exercise, smoke inhalation, and, for some patients environmental allergies. The symptoms of childhood asthma are variable. Although wheezing is the most commonly discussed symptom, many children with asthma never wheeze. Other common symptoms include cough especially at night, cough with exercise and limitation of exercise capacity. Often, the presenting complaint will be " my child can't keep up with her classmates" or " she gets tired more easily than my other children did." If there is no other obvious reason for these symptoms, your child may have asthma and these issues should be discussed with your child's doctor. Most of the significant complications of childhood asthma are avoidable with proper therapy. These complications include emergency room visits, hospitalizations, limitation of exercise capacity and missed school and work days. One of the most helpful innovations in therapy has been the development of inhaled medication which is directly breathed into the lungs, thereby providing immediate relief without the potential side effects of taking a pill or a syrup. This route of therapy also prevents the need for painful injections. There are two major groups of medications for asthma therapy; treatment and preventive. Bronchodilators (most common being Albuterol, Ventolin or Proventil) are strictly treatment medicine in that they only treat symptoms of wheezing or cough, but they have no preventive value. In other words, they do nothing to prevent the underlying airway sensitivity. If your child is using only bronchodilators to control her symptoms, especially on a daily basis, this should be discussed with your doctor. Preventive medicines include inhaled Intal, Tilade and Corticosteroids. These medications work very well at preventing all asthma symptoms, and allow reduction in the usage of bronchodilators. Proper use of these medications may dramatically improve your child's lifestyle, and avoid complications of childhood asthma. Because of extensive progress in therapy, you together with your child's
doctor, should be able to control asthma symptoms and provide a normal
lifestyle with normal activity for your child. |
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