Childhood Asthma
What is Childhood Asthma ?
Childhood Asthma is a chronic condition in children with symptoms that may include cough, wheezing, chest tightness or pain, and/or difficulty breathing. These symptoms occur periodically, usually related to specific triggering events. The small airways of people with asthma narrow during these episodes; the narrowing is partially or completely reversible with asthma treatments. In addition, the airways in patients with asthma react to a variety of stimuli, which may include viral illnesses (eg, the common cold), exercise, inhalant or food allergens to which the patient is allergic, or environmental conditions.
What causes Asthma in children ?
The exact cause of asthma is not known. Most research suggests that the cause of asthma is multifactorial. Asthma is known to run in families hence genetics play an important role. But there are other factors known to increase the risk of developing asthma like exposure to tobacco smoke, recurrent respiratory infections and allergens in the environment.
What are the typical symptom patterns of Childhood Asthma ?
Children with chronic asthma may have one of several distinct patterns of symptoms, and the asthma pattern may change over time:
- Intermittent asthma attacks with no symptoms between attacks
- Chronic symptoms with intermittent worsening
- Attacks that become more severe or frequent over time
- Morning “dipping,” when symptoms worsen in the morning and improve as the day progresses
- Symptoms that begin during upper respiratory tract infections (eg, colds) and linger for several weeks after, with resolution during warmer weather when respiratory infections are typically less common