Asthma
in Toddlers and Children
Author:Sven
Ullmann
The worse thing than childhood
asthma is asthma in
toddlers. Most children who have asthma developed the disease while
they were still toddlers. With a reported 5 million American children
suffering from asthma, 173 thousand of them hospitalized for severe
symptoms and 864 thousand receiving emergency treatment annually, it is
important that your toddler be evaluated for asthma as early as
possible.
Since it is more difficult to diagnose asthma among infants and
toddlers, it would be best to look for signs or symptoms that
characterize the disease. Many cases of asthma deaths were due to the
parents' failure to recognize the severity of the toddler's condition.
Common colds and respiratory diseases such as bronchitis can exhibit
asthma-like symptoms. But this does not mean you should ignore your
child especially when he has difficulty in breathing or a wheezing
cough.
When your toddler is diagnosed with asthma, it does not mean he will be
forever afflicted with the disease. On the contrary, there are lots of
documented cases where the toddler's asthma no longer persisted into
adulthood. It can also be deduced from this observation that toddlers
are more susceptible to asthma triggers but develops immunity as they
grow older.
A toddler with asthma will have persistent cough that is hacking and
congested. Sometimes the toddler may have wheezing cough and sometimes
have none. In addition to this symptom, your toddler will display
muscle retractions and flaring nostrils. He would also experience
difficulty in breathing making feedings impossible. You will also
observe your toddler rapidly breathing even while he sleeps. If you
think, your toddler is breathing too rapidly, you should take him to
the nearest hospital.
Another sign you should watch out for is your toddler's lack of stamina
and enthusiasm during playtime. This may be because he is associating
physical activities with breathing difficulties and naturally gets
discouraged to join other children. Having him checked by your
pediatrician can determine if your toddler has asthma.
Asthma in toddlers may be more difficult to manage. The best way to do
this is to enlist the help of your care provider or his teachers. You
can prepare some detailed instructions so they would know what to do in
case of an asthma episode. Your toddler's pediatrician can help you
prepare this set of instructions.
You should never take your toddler to a smoky place since cigarette
smoke can easily trigger an asthma attack. Your pediatrician can test
your child's sensitivity to dust mite protein. Sometimes, parents
overlook the fact that stuffed toys are hosts to these dust mites.
During falls and spring seasons when levels of pollen are high, you
should limit your toddler's outdoor activities.
Emotional stress is also considered to be a trigger factor. Not only
does it cause an asthma attack but it could also worsen asthma
symptoms. Anxiety or panic attacks should be dealt with reasonable calm
to help relax your child. The moment your toddler calms down you can
administer treatment such as bronchodilator medication.
Keep your children safe and protect them from elements that can lead to
long-term damage. These kinds of problems can haunt them through
adulthood, so take caution when it comes to your young loved ones.
Article Source: http://
www.articlesbase.com/diseases-and-conditions-articles/
asthma-in-toddlers-and-children-112505.html
About the Author
Article provided by Sven Ullmann,
who runs Deserved
Health
- a site dedicated to different health related articles. Read more
about the
Asthma
in Toddlers and Children
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