Millions of American children suffer from asthma. Because children have smaller airways than adults, asthma is a far more critical issue for them.
Types
There are many types of things that can cause children to get asthma. Sometimes asthma is hereditary, but many times children can acquire asthma from their environment and a multitude of other factors. Some common causes of asthma include the weather (cold weather and sudden weather changes), strenuous exercise, infections like the common cold and flu, irritants like smoking and air pollution and allergens like pollen and animals.
Expert Insight
It is vital to learn control a child's asthma. Learning about the triggers of the child's asthma is one particularly good way to help the problem (for example, vigorous exercise or pollen). However, the more severe the asthma, obviously, the more difficult it is to get under control. It is necessary for the child to see a lung or allergy specialist and receive an evaluation. Skin testing for allergens might also be required. There are also various asthma medications, as well as shots.
Warning
There are certain warnings that are a strong indication a child has asthma. Some of the earlier warning signals include nighttime coughing, a frightened look, restlessness during sleep, flared nostrils, breathing through pursed lips, fatigue, breathlessness, vomiting and fast breathing. There are also many audible warnings for asthma, including light or heavy wheezing, frequent throat clearing, irregular breathing and coughing without having a cold. It is important to watch for all of these signs.
Considerations
One thing to consider when determining whether a child has asthma is the possibility of "hidden asthma." Hidden asthma is a form of asthma that has so few obvious symptoms that it often goes undiagnosed and undetected. Some of the subtle signs of hidden asthma include limited ability for physical activities. A good way to determine whether a child has hidden asthma is to have the child undergo pulmonary function testing.
Prevention/Solution
One fun way to help children with asthma is to send them to an asthma camp, such as The Consortium on Children's Asthma Camps. Not only can asthmatic children be surrounded by others with their same problem, they can learn more about the illness at these camps (located all over the country) and discover ways to combat and take care of it.
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