•  Allergies and Hay Fever (Child) •  Asthma (Teenagers) •  Asthma Center •  Asthma: How to Use an Inhaler (for Children) •  How to Help Your Child Breathe Easier •  Preventing Asthma Attacks in Kids

Most people associate asthma with sudden fits of coughing and wheezing, but the condition is a round-the-clock disease. If your child has asthma, the tubes that carry air to her lungs are inflamed and may be swollen and clogged with mucus. This state may not impair her breathing, but it does set the stage for asthma attacks. The inflamed airway is extra sensitive, and something as seemingly harmless as dust, cold air, or exercise can cause the muscles lining the airway to suddenly squeeze tight, leaving little room for air to pass.

About 9 million Americans under the age of 18 have been diagnosed with asthma, and the number is rising. It can strike at almost any age, but the first symptoms usually appear early in life, most often when kids are in grade school. The good news is that 50 to 70 percent of youngsters with the disease are free of symptoms by adulthood.

Childhood asthma can be hard to spot. Coughing and wheezing (especially at night) are the most common symptoms in children, but not every kid with asthma has them. Some simply suffer from congestion and tightness in their chests or rapid, raspy breathing.

One clue is allergies: Most children with asthma also have allergies. So if your child suffers from hay fever, eczema, or other allergic reactions, take any sign of asthma seriously. Also, since colds and other upper respiratory infections often lead to attacks, you should suspect asthma if your child is still coughing more than seven to 10 days after getting what appears to be a cold.

Doctors primarily use two kinds of medications. Corticosteroids and similar drugs are inhaled, injected, or taken as pills; these drugs can ease the inflammation in your child's airways and make her less likely to have attacks. Most doctors prescribe corticosteroids only for children who suffer two or more attacks a week.

The more familiar asthma medications are called bronchodilators. Taken through an inhaler, these drugs make breathing easier by relaxing the muscles that squeeze the airway during an asthma attack. If your child is still struggling to breathe after using the inhaler, call 911 or get her to an emergency room immediately.

For children over 5, doctors usually prescribe a peak-flow meter, which you can use to measure the strength of your child's breathing. Taking a reading every morning over a period of months will give you an idea of how much air is getting to your child's lungs and how well the treatments are working. Daily airflow measurement can also alert you and your child to problems that are about to arise, because the peak-flow reading will fall before the child shows symptoms of an asthma attack.

Don't limit your child's physical activity just because she has asthma. Children with asthma can play sports and be athletic as long as they monitor their condition. Instead of restricting your child's play or exercise, try to protect her from the irritants that commonly trigger attacks. Keep her away from cigarette smoke, vacuum your home regularly, and clear her room of major dust collectors such as potted plants, stuffed animals, and shag carpeting. If she's allergic to your pets, consult your allergist for advice. Meanwhile, keep them outside or at least out of her room. If she has asthma attacks only in spring or fall, pollen may be the problem. Try keeping the windows closed and installing filters in your air conditioner.

It doesn't have to. Asthma can be deadly if left untreated, but almost all asthmatic children who take their medications and control the asthma triggers in their environment lead normal lives. You can help your child cope by getting involved. Make sure her teachers understand the disease and accept inhalers in the classroom, in gym class, and during other physical activities, and don't keep your child home from school unless it's necessary. Reassure her that her friends can't "catch" her asthma, and let her know that she's in control of the condition and not the other way around. Most of all, try to relax: A recent survey found that childhood asthma gives rise to far more anxiety in parents than in kids. Manage the disease calmly, and your child will follow suit.

-- Chris Woolston, M.S., is a health and medical writer with a master's degree in biology. He is a contributing editor at Consumer Health Interactive, and was the staff writer at Hippocrates, a magazine for physicians. He has also covered science issues for Time Inc. Health, WebMD, and the Chronicle of Higher Education. His reporting on occupational health earned him an award from the northern California Society of Professional Journalists.

Further Resources

The American Lung Association, which you can contact at (800) 586-4872 or http://www.lungusa.org , has more tips to help both of you cope.

References

First published August 9, 1999
Last updated September 10, 2007
Copyright © 1999 Consumer Health Interactive

• If your child frequently coughs, wheezes, or suffers from chest congestion and tightness even if she doesn't have a cold, suspect asthma and talk to your pediatrician right away. • If your child is over 5 and has been diagnosed with asthma, be sure to keep up with his peak-flow meter readings, which measure the strength of his breathing. If the meter values start to fall, it may be a sign of an impending asthma attack. • Allow your child to play and exercise as normal, but take special steps to protect him from asthma triggers in the environment. Make sure your child has immediate access to his inhaler and other medication at school. • Ensure your child takes her medication and uses her nebulizer or inhaler as directed by the doctor.

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