Childhood Asthma
Childhood Asthma is a chronic lung disease characterized by tight airways -- a result of airways being too receptive. Our airways are meant to respond to destructive substances in the air. Our airways shrink when we are in a smoky atmosphere, protecting our delicate lung tissues from the noxious ingredients in the smoke. They should go back to normal in fresh air but it does not always work that way with asthmatics.
Allergies will lead to childhood asthma symptoms, not all people suffering from asthma have allergies. Many advanced studies show that childhood asthma attacks are triggered by exposure to allergens such as dust mites, cockroach droppings, animal dander and mold among children sensitive to these allergens. Exposure to fungal and cockroach allergens is more common in inner city homes, leading to more regular sensitization to these allergens, and possibly to greater prevalence of asthma among children in inner cities.
The best advice for a parent who has a daughter or son dealing with childhood asthma is to always be aware of your child’s surroundings. Try taking notice of where and when they experience the problem. Perhaps few changes in their environment will help elevate their symptoms. Also, try to change their sheets and cleaning their bedrooms frequently.
Childhood asthma is scary but it does not need to be a suitable fact. Take the time to try various changes in your life style and see if the symptoms repeal for the better. Speak to others who have had success in dealing with childhood asthma to see what they have tried that was useful in making a differentiation. Childhood asthma is a disease that has been strongly associated with genetic factors and generally involves some aspect of allergies.
If you have children, it is important that you can recognize the symptoms and signs of an asthmatic condition. Understand that the symptoms shown "may" indicate asthma, but could be symptomatic of a wide range of bronchial or pulmonary illnesses.
The most common symptoms of childhood asthma are very similar to bronchitis and other respiratory infections. The symptoms include:
- Coughing: The need to cough is created by mucus, which piles up and needs to be cleared. Some type of infection or irritation basically causes the mucus. Coughing is symptomatic of several childhood and adult illnesses. Notice that although coughing is a symptom, the type of cough plays a vital role in understanding the cause. Just to put, a rattling or lose type cough is very different than a tight or hacking cough and both types can indicate certain illnesses
- Wheezing: It is most commonly associated with asthma, however, all children with asthma do not necessarily wheeze. You can identify this problem as a whistling type sound when your child breathes.
- Chest congestion and tightness in some persons.
- Shortness of breath, often being found in many persons
While these signs and symptoms may indicate childhood asthma, they may point to various illnesses common to kids. As a parent, you cannot be expected to understand how these symptoms interact or be able to accurately diagnose an illness such as asthma.