6 Things To Know About Asthma In Children

Asthma is a common problem in people these days. This condition of the chest and airways tends to affect not just the child but the family as well. That is why most people choose to have the services of a Chest infection specialist Manchester in order to deal with it in the best way.

Asthma affects both adults and children. Asthma is the most common long term childhood medical condition. The presentation and the severity asthma varies whilst there are some children that tend to have mild symptoms, there may be others who suffer from severe problems. For most parents whose children are suffering from asthma, consulting a proper asthma specialist in Manchester would be a be truly recommended strategy.

What Exactly Is Asthma?

In children with asthma, the airways (breathing tubes) tend to become more sensitive than the normal ones. If such a sensitive airway come in contact a wide range of agents (also known as triggers), the airways get inflamed and narrowed down. The airway muscles tighten resulting in a squeeze through which air struggle to pass and the inflammed airways produces sticky phlegm or mucus making the squeeze even worse. All these changes result in breathing becoming difficult and development of some characteristic symptoms:

· Coughing

· Wheezing

· Shortness of breath

· Chest tightening

What Is An Asthma Attack?

An acute and sudden change in asthma status that is often triggered by an exposure to an trigger which leads in airway narrowing and increased mucus production and accompanied by characteristic symptoms is often referred to as an ‘attack’. Although the vast majority of such attacks in children can be managed at home, some children would need to be admitted to the hospital for further management.

Sometimes, these attacks could be life threatening and require admission to the intensive care unit. Asthma is a serious medical condition and consulting an asthma specialist child doctor (in Manchester) is of utmost importance. The aim of proper asthma management is to achieve a normal life style and preventing these debilitating asthma attacks to happen.

What Are The Causes of Asthma?

The precise cause of asthma remains poorly understood. There is no doubt that asthma tends to run in certain families and there is a chance that the child has asthma with parental asthma. In addition, a wide range of asthma triggers are known to have caused asthma. Having an infection in the upper respiratory tract is one of the most common triggers that can cause an asthma attack in the children. Other common triggers include exercising, exposure to cold weather, exposure to smoke and air pollution, allergens, and much more. Asthma has a gender bias with boys being affected more in early childhoodbut with increasing age and puberty, asthma is seen more in girls.

What Is The Treatment of Asthma In Children?

At present, there is no cure for asthma. However, effective and efficient treatment methods to achieve full control is available for most children with asthma. Two main goals of the treatment are:

¾ Relieve asthma symptoms

¾ Prevention of asthma attacks

Proper medications along with a careful asthma management plan along with an action plan for asthma which can help in avoiding the triggers which may cause so.

What Are The Symptoms Of Asthma In Children?

There might be some cases where the symptoms are mild and whilst in others where the symptoms are severe. Nonetheless, it is important for parents to know about these symptoms to bring them to prompt medical attention. In case of an asthma attack, these symptoms may get worse. Some of the common symptoms include:

· Shortness of breath, either at rest or with exertion

· Feeling tightness in the chest, like a band totally tightening around it

· Wheezing, this could be heard as whistling on the chest

· Frequent cough, prominent in the early morning hours

· Sudden onsetwheezing and cough that are triggered by allergen exposure, exercise, and other triggers

Is It Important To Deal With Asthma?

Untreated asthma may have long lasting consequences beyond ill health. It can have an psychological impact and may adversely affect educational achievement and long term adult potential. Children may lag behind their peers in academic and sports related performance and this may be compounded by frequent episodes of asthma attacks needing visits to the GP and hospital. There may be requirement for hospitalization too. Therefore a prompt acceptance of the problem and a full through assessment of the child by a Paediatrician specialising on asthma is strongly recommended.