Asthma
Asthma is a disorder of the bronchial tubes, causing difficulty in breathing. Most asthmatic attacks are mild, but the condition is a chronic one, and if it remains untreated, the consequences can be serious.
Basically, there are two major causes of asthma. The first is an infection of the nose, sinuses, bronchi (tubes leading to the lungs) or lungs, such as bronchitis. The second, and more common, type of asthma is caused by an allergic reaction that is usually inherited.
In allergic asthma, the individual may be sensitive to pollen, house dust, animal hairs, molds, insecticides, certain foods, drugs or other chemicals. When he comes in contact with them, the substance histamine is released in his system, triggering the allergic reaction. Infection and allergy can both produce asthma in the same person. In either case, the membrane lining the bronchial passage swell, narrowing the airways and making it difficult to breath.
In a typical asthma attack, the individual feels tightness in his chest; he wheezes, coughs, and has difficulty in breathing. His face may turn blue, and there may be a feeling of suffocation. It can be extremely frightening but is not generally dangerous. Towards the end o the acute attack, a thick mucus is coughed up and there is a feeling o relief.
Treatment of asthma consists in bringing any infection under control, generally with antibiotics. A course of injections may be prescribed to reduce sensitivity. Breathing exercises, under the supervision from a physiotherapist, may help.
To bring an asthmatic attack under control, an inhaler of isoprenaline, adrenaline or salbutamol may be used. In severe cases of asthma a doctor may inject hydrocortisone into a vein. Many children do get better as they grow older.
Your doctor will help you to chart out a management plan, explaining when to use the preventer and reliever, and what steps to take if your child's asthma symptoms get worse. If you notice wheezing and coughing in your child early in the morning, or increased asthma symptoms after exercise exertion, waking at night with a cough or a wheeze, or see your child using the reliever very often, you must consult your doctor.
Keep your emergency plan ready, and at hand, for any asthma attack can be life threatening. At the start of the attack, give your child his usual reliever. Wait for about 10 minutes, and I he does not get relief, send for an ambulance. Repeat the treatment until breathing improves or help arrives. If your doctor has prescribed steroid tablets, then give him one. Let your child be in an upright position till he gets into a hospital.
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