Childhood Asthma

In the condition namely childhood asthma, inflammation of airway and lungs occur easily from the surrounding triggers in the environment like pollens, cold air or some respiratory viruses.

Symptoms

Symptoms of this disease include:

Frequently coughing of child
Tightness of chest
Wheezing or whistling on exhalation
Breathing difficulty
Troubled sleeping pattern
Bouts of coughing which worsen when child is suffering from cold
Recovery become delayed after infection of respiratory tract
Poor sleeping pattern causes fatigue

Causes

Some of the major causes involved in the development of childhood asthma are:

Genetical tendency to develop allergy
Hereditary factor involves if parents have asthma
Infection of upper airway at very young age
Through environmental factors like air pollution
Trigger for allergic reaction due to overactive immune system results are viral infections, airpollutants like tobacco smoke, physical activity, seasonal allergies.

Complications

Some concerning complications are as follows:

Asthma attack
Lung functions permanently declined
Poor sleep and permanent fatigue
Daily routine become distorted

Diagnosis

Diagnosis of this condition requires complete general physical examination of patient and detailed medical history. Other conditions can mimic childhood asthma such as rhinitis, GERD, sinusitis, abnormalities of airway, upper respiratory tract infection. Other investigations include:

Spirometry which is a lung function tests.
Exhaled nitric oxide test
Allergy skin test for asthma triggers

Treatment

Treatment options include:

Medications are prescribed like inhaled corticosteroids, leukotriene modifiers [ montelukast (Singulair), zafirlukast (Accolate) and zileuton (Zyflo)], combination inhalers, theophylline, immunomodulatory agents, quick acting beta agonists.
Asthma action plan are also deviced as a part of treatment.

Home Remedies

Use dehumidifier at home to reduce the humidity
Indoor area cleaning should be done
Reduce the exposure to pet danders
Reduce the exposure of cold air of child.

Childhood Asthma