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7-steps-to-control-childhood-asthma
By David Kane
Asthma is the most common chronic (long-term) childhood disease. In
America about nine million children are diagnosed with asthma. Up to
ten per cent of children in Europe are also suffering from
symptoms. Unfortunately parents of these children are often uninformed
about the various ways to control childhood asthma.
If you suspect your child has the first priority is correct
diagnosis. However, be aware that symptoms can vary from episode to
episode and not all wheezing and coughing is caused by asthma.
Asthma-like symptoms in children younger than five are usually due to a
virus or bacterial infection of the airways. However if your child is
experiencing breathing difficulties it is best to get them to a doctor
whatever the cause.
About eighty per cent of children who develop do so before the
age of five. Studies show that children living in rural areas have
lower rates of than those who live in cities, particularly if
they spent their first five years in a rural area. For children living
in inner cities the cockroach allergen seems to worsen symptoms
more than dust mite or pet allergens. Therefore another important step
in the control of your child's is to ensure that general
cleaning and maintenance routines are followed to ensure cockroaches
are not encouraged into the home. Levels of cockroach allergens have
been found to be highest in high-rise apartments.
Another factor that has been linked to the development of in
children is exposure to smoke. A study in Norway showed that almost ten
per cent of adult patients had experienced passive smoking
during early childhood. Therefore another step to take at home is to
ensure that your child is not exposed to tobacco smoke.
If your doctor recommends the use of medication the next step is to
encourage your child to take the medicine. is one of the main
causes for emergency room visits by children. Yet studies have shown
that up to half of these hospitalizations may be preventable if
children, particularly teenagers, followed their medication schedule
correctly, avoided their triggers and made regular visits to the
doctor.
Perhaps fear of side effects or dependency, or an impression that it is
uncool to be seen taking medicines is preventing children taking their
medication as regularly as they should. Perhaps intermittent
symptoms persuade children and their parents that it is not important
to take medication if there are no symptoms. This is a mistake. Even
when there are no obvious symptoms an asthmatic’s lungs will be
inflamed to some degree.
The fact that the condition seems to run in families with a history of
asthma or allergies suggests that certain people are born with a
predisposition to asthma. Some may believe you are born with the
condition and there is nothing you can do. However a child’s
environment can also play an important role. Studies have found that
exposure to potential allergens like pets and pollen in the first six
months of life may reduce the chance of developing later.
However exposure beyond six months of age has the opposite effect.
Being born into a family that already has siblings also seems to reduce
the chance of developing asthma.
It is known that children are more susceptible to viral and allergic
triggers than adults. An important step in controlling your child's
asthma is identifying the triggers
and teaching your child how to
recognize their triggers and avoid them. One possible trigger is
ibuprofen, with over 100,000 children susceptible to symptoms
brought on by the drug.
Children tend to spend more time outside during the summer vacation. If
pollen or high levels of ozone trigger your child’s you need to
monitor these. Physical exercise is a common trigger of childhood
asthma. Teach your child to take medication if necessary, and do warm
up exercises before strenuous activity and wind down exercises after.
If your child is going away to camp during the vacation make sure those
in charge are aware of your child’s management and action plans.
There are camps designed specifically for sufferers in the U.S.
and Canada.
It is essential to have a written action plan that clearly states what
medication to take and when, as well as how to respond to an
attack. You or your child may not remember what to do at a time when it
may be difficult for them to breathe, so it is essential to have the
important details in writing.
It is important you and your child remain calm during an attack as
panic can produce more breathing difficulties. A parent’s instinct may
be to cuddle their child, but that would constrict the chest further.
If is diagnosed your next step is to inform your child’s school.
Every school should allow access to medication and some allow
children to carry and self-administer their medication if
certain requirements are met.
Whilst we’re talking about schools here’s one often overlooked
childhood trigger. School buses are major sources of pollution,
and studies show children who ride them are exposed to five to fifteen
times as much triggering particulates inside the buses compared
to outside. New Jersey recently passed a law requiring retrofitting of
school buses and municipal vehicles to clean up tailpipe emissions. Is
your state doing the same?
Remember, if is confirmed you need to educate yourself.
According to the experts knowledge is the best prescription. To stop
the disease affecting your child’s life you need to know how to monitor
and manage asthma. This will mean knowing how to use medications
correctly, whether your child’s attacks are triggered by allergens and
if so how to reduce exposure to them, and the lifestyle changes that
will help your child prevent attacks.
Despite being a widespread disease there are still plenty of myths
about asthma. One of the most damaging of these for children is the
belief that the condition will improve every seven years or can even
disappear completely. Unfortunately, any apparent improvement is
probably due to hormonal changes as the child’s immune system matures.
The underlying condition does not go away and not managing it can lead
to long-term lung damage. Article Source: http://www.upublish.info About the Author:
David Kane
David Kane is the author of ‘Stop Now’. He has produced a number of resources to help parents of asthmatic children and is giving away copies of his ‘Guide to Allergy Relief’. To get your copy visit the Stop Now - Relief Book site while the offer lasts.
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