$Unique_ID{PAR00019}
$Pretitle{}
$Title{Medical Advice:  Asthma}
$Subtitle{}
$Author{
Editors of Consumer Guide
Chasnoff, Ira J}
$Subject{Asthma Asthmatic Wheezing breathing Difficulty breath Shortness Cough
coughing air hunger bronchial allergy lung allergies allergic reaction}
$Log{
Asthma in the Lungs*0001901.tif}

Your Child:  A Medical Guide


Asthma


     Quick Reference

     KEY SYMPTOMS
     - Wheezing
     - Difficulty in breathing out

     SYMPTOMS
     - Shortness of breath
     - Cough
     - Sensation of "air hunger"

     HOME CARE
     - Do not attempt to treat the first attack at home.  Contact your doctor
       immediately.
     - If further attacks occur, follow your doctor's prescribed home
       treatment.
     - If an allergy has been identified as the cause of asthma, remove any
       offending substances from your home.

     PRECAUTIONS
     - Not all wheezing indicates asthma.  A doctor must diagnose the cause.
     - Do not use over-the-counter (nonprescription) aerosol medications on
       young children.
     - Avoid rectal medications for asthma.
     - Do not let any asthma attack go untreated.
     - Avoid exposing the child to irritants like smoke, insecticides, and
       paint fumes.


     Asthma is often an allergic reaction of the bronchial tree (the system of
air passages leading into the lungs).  It is a major and potentially dangerous
form of allergy because it causes breathing difficulty.  During an asthma
attack, there are spasms in the smooth muscles of the bronchial tubes, and
thick mucus collects in these tubes.
     Asthma is often caused by an allergy to small particles breathed in from
the air (animal dander, pollens, dust, feathers, molds).  Less commonly,
asthma is caused by an allergy to certain foods, medicines, and insect stings.
Attacks may also be brought on by physical exertion, upper respiratory tract
infections, emotional stress, or exposure to irritants, such as smoke and
chlorine.  The tendency to have allergies runs in families.

SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS

     The major symptoms of asthma are shortness of breath, cough, a sensation
of air hunger, difficulty in breathing out, and wheezing.  Wheezing is a
high-pitched whistling sound heard more when the child is breathing out than
when breathing in.  The child usually does not have a fever.
     Carefully noting when asthma attacks occur may help you and your doctor
find an allergic cause of asthma.  Do attacks begin after the child has been
around a cat, dog, horse, or other animal with fur?  Do attacks come in
certain seasons (such as during tree, grass, or ragweed pollination)?  Be
alert to these and other possible causes of allergies.

HOME CARE

     The first time your child has an attack that might be asthma, do not try
to care for the child at home.  Contact your doctor immediately.  The doctor
will determine if the child has asthma and will select a specific treatment.
     After a doctor has diagnosed asthma, home care is important.  Prescribed
medications should be given as soon as an attack begins.  Medicines are less
effective if an attack is under way.  Rid your home of any identified causes
of asthma allergy--pets, feather pillows and comforters, house dust, and
sources of mold.  Avoid exposing your child to airborne irritants such as
insecticides, smoke, and paint fumes.

PRECAUTIONS

  -  Do not use over-the-counter aerosol medications on children.  They can be
     dangerous and make other medications less effective.
  -  Do not use aminophylline or theophylline given in the form of rectal
     suppositories.  Rectal medications are not reliably absorbed, and the
     child may receive an improper dose (either too little or too much).
  -  Do not let an asthma attack go untreated.  Frequent attacks of asthma
     that are untreated or improperly treated can cause permanent damage to
     the lungs and bronchial tubes.
  -  Not all wheezing is caused by asthma.  Have your doctor check your child
     if you suspect asthma.

MEDICAL TREATMENT

     The treatment for asthma should produce good results.  Your doctor will
begin treatment by taking a detailed medical history and performing a general
physical examination.  A chest x-ray examination may be ordered.  The
diagnosis can be confirmed if asthma medicines relieve the symptoms.
     Medicines to treat asthma may be taken by mouth during an attack or may
be inhaled.  The same drugs may be recommended for daily use to prevent
attacks.
     The doctor may also order a series of skin tests of materials to which
the child may be allergic.  The substances identified as causes of allergic
asthma must be removed from the child's surroundings wherever possible.
Children also may be desensitized to substances that cause allergic reactions.
Desensitization involves giving weekly to monthly injections of increasing
amounts of the irritating substances over a period of one to ten years.
     Severe attacks may require hospitalization for administration of oxygen
and of intravenous medications and fluids.

RELATED TOPICS:  Bronchiolitis; Bronchitis; Croup; Hay fever and other nasal
allergies; Hives; Hyperventilation