Asthma in Children

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A lot of children get asthma. It’s the most common chronic condition in children. Asthma cuts down the air flow in the lungs. This makes it hard to breathe.

Symptoms

• Chronic coughing
• Trouble breathing
• Tight feeling in the chest
• Wheezing

(Note: Other things can cause wheezing, too. Something may be stuck in the throat or there may be an infection. Always tell the doctor if your child is wheezing.)

Asthma symptoms come and go. An asthma “attack” can be big or small. Asthma can get worse when your child is upset or worried. But it’s a real physical problem. Asthma runs in families. Children who have eczema or hay fever often have asthma, too. Asthma may be more common in children who live in houses with pets and tobacco smoke.

Asthma attacks can be triggered by:

• Colds, flu, and other infections in the throat and lungs
• Breathing pollen from plants, mold, animal dander, dust, or smoke
• Sulfites, which are substances added to some foods
• Taking some medicines, like aspirin
• Breathing cold air
• Exercising too hard
• Getting upset, angry, or “stressed out”

Treatment

A doctor should treat asthma.

The right asthma treatment depends on how bad the attacks are. It’s hard to treat asthma with medicines you buy without a prescription. Work with your doctor to develop an asthma action plan to take medications safely, avoid asthma triggers and monitor symptoms. The doctor may prescribe one or more medicines for your child’s asthma. Some kinds of medicines are to take during an asthma attack. These are called reliever or rescue medications. Other kinds are taken daily or as prescribed to help prevent asthma attacks. These are called maintenance medications. Combining maintenance and relieving medications into one inhaler can provide better asthma control and less need for emergency medical treatment.

Medicines include:

• Bronchodilators and steroids. These drugs open up the airways in the body for quick relief. They come either as a spray you inhale or something you swallow.
• Longer-acting drugs to decrease chronic swelling of the airways to help reduce symptom frequency and severity. They come either as a spray, or as pills you swallow.
• Peak flow meter. This is a device to monitor your child’s asthma at home.