Pediatric Asthma

Pediatric asthma is far more common than most people realize. In fact, it's the leading cause of school absenses. The good news is that most children with asthma are diagnosed before they're old enough to enter school. This allows plenty of time to gain control of their asthma before adulthood.

While pediatric asthma is often triggered by viruses in very young children, there are a variety of potential triggers. These can include a number of items that are also allergy-related. For instance:

• Animal dander
• Chemicals in the air or in food
• Dust
• Mold
• Pollen
• Cigarette smoke

But not all triggers are allergy-related. Pediatric asthma can also be triggered by:

• Changes in weather (most often cold weather)
• Exercise
• Strong emotions
• Viral infections, such as the common cold

Because a child's airway is narrower than that of an adult, an asthma attack is often a more serious problem for children. For this reason, it's helpful to diagnose pediatric asthma as early as possible. So the question becomes, what should you be looking for?

Here are some typical symptoms:

• Difficulty breathing
• Rapid breathing
• Shortness of breath
• Tightness in the chest
• A lingering cough (a persistent night time cough is a very common sign of pediatric asthma)

A basic action plan for the treatment of pediatric asthma should include three prongs: avoiding asthma triggers, monitoring your child's symptoms, and taking medications. In addition, you'll want to have an emergency plan for when your child experiences an asthma attack while away from home. Your pediatrician should be able to help you in designing such a plan.

If you'd like to learn more about asthma medications, inhalers, and other treatments, you'll find plenty of resources on this website. Most of these will be as applicable for pediatric asthma as they are for adult asthma.

Asthma can be life-threatening. However, with proper treatment, most children with asthma can live normal, active lives. Just make sure you work closely with your physician or pediatrician to make sure your child gets the proper education and care.

 At A Glance

• Pediatric asthma is far more common than most people realize. In fact, it's the leading cause of school absenses.
• While pediatric asthma is often triggered by viruses in very young children, there are a variety of potential triggers. These can include a number of items that are also allergy-related.
• A basic action plan for the treatment of pediatric asthma should include three prongs: avoiding asthma triggers, monitoring your child's symptoms, and taking medications.