Asthma

Asthma is a lung disease that causes your airways to swell and narrow, making it very hard to breathe. If asthma isn’t well controlled, it can cause a variety of issues and complications. It can cause your child to miss school and even end up in the hospital. It’s important to have an asthma action plan to help manage your child’s condition. What is childhood asthma? Asthma is a long-term (chronic) lung disease that affects your airways. Your airways are the tubes that carry air in and out of your lungs. When you have asthma, you can’t get air into your lungs because your airways swell and get too narrow. Like a pinched straw, this makes it hard for you to breathe, which can cause wheezing, coughing and chest tightness. Certain triggers can set off or worsen these symptoms, causing an asthma attack. Attacks can come on fast or develop slowly, and they may be life-threatening. Asthma can begin at any age, but it most often starts during childhood when your child’s immune system is still developing. Most children who get asthma have their first symptom by age 5. Asthma can cause your child to miss school and even end up in the hospital. It’s important to have an asthma treatment plan to help manage your child’s condition. How common is asthma in childhood? Asthma is the leading cause of chronic illness in children. It affects about 7.5 million children in the United States. The rate of the condition in children is steadily increasing. It’s also one of the main causes of missed school for children and missed work for parents. Why are more children getting asthma? Researchers believe several factors may be leading to more and more children developing asthma. These factors include: Exposure to more allergens such as dust, air pollution and secondhand smoke. Not enough exposure to childhood illnesses that build up their immune systems. Lower rates of breastfeeding (chestfeeding), which prevent babies from receiving important immune system substances. What are the symptoms of asthma in children? Not all children have the same asthma symptoms. And symptoms can vary from episode to episode in the same child. Childhood asthma symptoms may include: Frequent coughing spells. Coughing fits may occur while your child is playing or laughing. They may also occur at night or right after your child wakes up. Coughing may be their only symptom. Less energy during play. Rapid breathing or shortness of breath (dyspnea). Complaining of chest tightness or their chest “hurting.” A whistling sound (wheezing) when your child breathes in or out. Retractions. When the area between your child’s ribs and neck area sinks in when they try to exhale. Retractions are a sign your child is working hard to breathe. Feelings of weakness or tiredness. Irritability. Trouble feeding (sucking or eating). When your child has an asthma attack (asthma exacerbation), their symptoms may get much worse. The attacks may come on slowly or quickly. Sometimes, they can be life-threatening (status asthmaticus). If your child has any of the following warning signs of a severe attack, you should get medical help right away: Severe coughing. Rapid worsening of shortness of breath or wheezing. Serious breathing problems. Increase in respiratory rate at rest. Turning pale or bluish in their face, lips and/or fingernails. Trouble speaking, inability to speak in sentences or not being able to speak at all.