Asthma in kids

Children who have allergic asthma cough, wheeze, and get short of breath when they breathe in pollen, mold, or other allergy triggers. It's important to treat the condition so it doesn't lead to other serious health problems. Kids can avoid their triggers, but they can also take medicines to prevent asthma and allergy symptoms. Asthma Medicines If your child has symptoms of allergic asthma, see their pediatrician, an allergist, or a pulmonologist, a doctor who specializes in asthma treatment. The doctor will write up an asthma action plan. This plan describes which medicines your child should take, how often they should take them, and what to do during an asthma attack. Children can take most of the same medicines as adults, though they sometimes take lower doses. Doctors prescribe two types of medicines to manage children's asthma symptoms: • Quick-relief medicines widen the airways to stop asthma attacks when they happen. Some kids use these medicines before they exercise. Albuterol (ProAir HFA, Proventil HFA, Ventolin HFA) is the most common quick-relief medicine. • Long-term controller medicines prevent asthma attacks before they start. They're for kids who get asthma symptoms more than twice a week, nighttime symptoms more than twice a month, or those who’ve been to the hospital for asthma recently. They include budesonide (Pulmicort), fluticasone (Flovent), montelukast (Singulair), and salmeterol (Advair). Many kids use both types of medicine. They take long-term con...

If you have asthma, even a mild cold can lead to wheezing and tightness in your chest. Colds and the flu are among the most common causes of asthma flare-ups, especially in young children. Regular asthma medications may fail to relieve asthma symptoms associated with a cold or the flu. Also, asthma symptoms caused by a respiratory infection may last for several days to weeks. Take these steps to help avoid getting sick: • Get an annual flu vaccine unless your health care provider recommends against it. Most adults and children older than 6 months of age should get a flu vaccination every year. • Ask your health care provider if you need a pneumonia vaccination. Having asthma increases your risk of developing pneumonia after getting the flu. • Stay away from anyone who's sick. Germs that cause respiratory infections are easily passed from person to person. • Wash your hands often. This kills the germs that can cause respiratory infections. Carry a bottle of hand sanitizer to kill germs while you're on the go. • Don't touch your eyes, nose and mouth. These are the points where germs enter your body. • Don't share your inhaler or other breathing equipment with others. Germs can spread on surfaces. Despite your best intentions to stay healthy, an occasional cold or case of the flu is inevitable, especially in children. These steps may help: • Call your health care provider if your asthma begins to flare up when you're sick. If you have the flu, early treatment with an antivira...

View Gallery: See New York skies, sunsets affected by Canadian wildfires Air you can see is dangerous air. The curtain of Canadian-fire smoke that has enveloped the East has people grabbing their N-95's and cutting back on outdoor activities. And it has Dr. Sankaran Krishnan’s phone ringing off the hook at Maria Fareri Children’s Hospital in Valhalla, Westchester County. Krishnan is chief of pediatric pulmonology and allergy at Fareri and at Boston Children’s Health Physicians. He said the Air Quality Index, which measures particulates suspended in the air, hasn't been this bad in metro New York in two generations. "I don't remember ever, in the last 50-plus years, when New York City has had an AQI of over 200," Krishnan said. "Possibly during the Industrial Revolution, when everything was spewing smoke and gas." Got questions about the air quality in New York this week? Fill out More: Wildfire and smoke map: Anxious days for asthma parents "This is particularly scary for a parent of young children who have respiratory illnesses pre-existing," he said. He counsels common sense. Children with asthma are at heightened risk, he said, but they also have an asthma control plan, which they should stick to. "Each of our patients has a customized tool for their kid to follow," Krishnan said. "They should call us if there's any worsening or seek medical attention if there's anything worsening. Thus far, we have not seen an uptick in hospitalizations, but this is just starting." Mor...

What are the symptoms of asthma? If your child has asthma, they may: • Be short of breath (with or without activity) • Have a tight feeling (or pain) in their chest • Have difficulty sleeping (because asthma symptoms are worse at night, when you are lying down) • Have a noticeable wheezing sound as they breathe • Have a persistent cough The more frequent the symptoms, the more serious the disease. What causes asthma? No one knows what causes asthma. However, we know plenty about what triggers an asthma attack. People with asthma are commonly sensitive to: • Pets • Tobacco smoke • Smoke from burning wood • Dust mites • • Mold • Cockroaches • Some foods • Certain medicines Other triggers include: • Physical exercise • Upper respiratory viruses • • • Sinus infection • Weather (changing temperatures, muggy conditions, rain) • Stress • Becoming overly excited Newer research suggests that asthma is tied to How is asthma diagnosed? Your doctor will perform a physical exam on your child. They will look at your child’s medical history and perform a breathing test called spirometry. Spirometry measures how much air you breathe out after taking a deep breath. It is painless and can be done in the doctor’s office. Your doctor will give your child a disposable mouthpiece that attaches to a tube. That tube attaches to a machine that records their breathing. There is usually an image on the machine’s screen, such as birthday candles or a wall of bricks. As your child exhales, the candles...