Contents
Due to environmental degradation and a significant increase in respiratory infections, children’s immunity is significantly reduced. Because of this, childhood bronchial asthma and a variety of allergic reactions are becoming more common.
Asthma is a chronic disease caused by inflammation of the airways and, as a result, spasm of the bronchi, which begin to secrete a large amount of mucus. This interferes with the normal passage of air through the respiratory tract. Bronchial asthma is divided into two types:
atopic (allergenic);
non-atopic (non-allergenic).
The first type of asthma can be caused by exposure to allergen particles: dust, pollen, certain foods, cat or dog hair, perfume, and so on. In children, in 90% of cases, it is the atopic form of the disease that occurs. Non-atopic is quite rare and manifests itself only if the child’s body is overly sensitive to infectious allergens.
Bronchial asthma has three forms of disease severity:
lung;
moderate severity;
heavy.
Depending on how severe and how often the seizures occur, you need to use certain means aimed at stopping them. In most cases, children suffering from a disease such as bronchial asthma had this disease in their genes from birth. For every 100 asthmatics, at least 60 have a relative with the same disease. In addition to heredity, a poor environment also aggravates health, which negatively affects the genes of the child.
Signs and symptoms of asthma in children
In children, it is quite difficult to make a correct diagnosis in time, bronchial asthma. This is due to the fact that quite often the disease has the same symptoms as the common cold, viral diseases of the respiratory tract. Often parents do not realize that some symptoms indicate a much more serious illness than a simple cold.
However, with bronchial asthma in children, the temperature does not rise, even if the cough is very frequent and dry, without sputum. Before the onset of the actual symptoms or signs of asthma, there are usually warning signs a few days before. Their duration is different for each child. At this time, children are often irritated, frightened, in constant agitation, and do not sleep well.
Harbingers proceed as follows:
initially, after a night’s sleep, watery mucus begins to stand out from the nose of the baby, because of which the child often sneezes, rubs his nose;
after a few hours, a slight dry cough begins;
after lunch or after a daytime sleep, the cough becomes noticeably stronger, but already a little wet (in children over 5 years old, the cough becomes more wet by the end of an asthmatic attack);
the symptoms themselves appear only after 1-2 days, when the cough is paroxysmal.
After the precursors are over, the symptoms of an attack appear.
The main signs of bronchial asthma in children of the first year of life:
strong dry cough, most often occurs paroxysmal immediately after sleep or before it;
the cough may decrease if the child is placed upright or seated. When you return to a horizontal position, the cough becomes intense again;
shortly before the attack, the baby can be very naughty, cry because of the onset of nasal congestion;
shortness of breath appears;
breathing becomes intermittent, and the breaths are frequent and short. Inhaled and exhaled air is accompanied by whistling and noise.
Children older than a year, in addition to the above signs, also have the following symptoms:
strong pressure in the chest, the inability to take a full breath;
when you try to breathe through your mouth, a strong dry cough appears;
prolonged dry cough without sputum;
itching, skin rashes or watery eyes are not typical symptoms of asthma;
coughing attacks begin under the same conditions (a pet is nearby, the use of any paints, on the street or immediately upon arrival home, a visit to the library, the presence of a fresh bouquet of flowers at home, etc.).
Causes of Asthma in Children
The most important reason why asthma attacks occur is the hyperreactivity of the bronchi in children, they react too sharply to a variety of stimuli, especially of an allergenic nature.
All the reasons why the disease develops are divided into several groups.
According to internal factors at the genetic level and health status:
Gender. Among children, boys are more likely to develop bronchial asthma. This is due to the structural features of the respiratory system and bronchi. The lumen of the bronchial tree in boys is much narrower than in girls;
Overweight child or obesity. Asthma develops in such children more often due to the higher position of the diaphragm, lung ventilation with this arrangement is insufficient for normal and free breathing. Therefore, overweight children are more likely to suffer from shortness of breath and asthma;
Наследственность. If a child in the family or one of the relatives suffers from asthma attacks or allergies, then the risk of manifestation of such an ailment in the child increases significantly.
Impact of external factors:
Food. These are mainly nuts, dairy products, citrus fruits, chocolate, honey and fish;
Mold or dampness on the walls of the apartment;
wool of pets;
Allergens that cause an asthma attack when library or house dust enters the bronchi;
Pollen. Inhalation of particles of flowering flowers or trees, more often such asthma is seasonal;
Some medicines. Certain antibiotics, aspirin.
Triggers – the reasons why bronchospasm occurs:
traffic fumes;
excessively cold or dry air;
strong physical exertion, causing shortness of breath;
viral infections, colds;
cleaning products, household chemicals;
strong perfume.
Child with asthma attack
It is very important for parents to recognize an attack of bronchial asthma in their child in time and stop it as quickly as possible. To do it right, you need to take the following important steps.
Listen to your child:
Be sure to respond to any complaint about breathing problems or chest pain. Older children who have already experienced similar attacks can tell you when it becomes difficult for them to breathe or just sigh;
If your child complains of chest pain, don’t ignore it. During an asthma attack, children may feel a tightness in their chest. Soreness of the chest is the result of air obstruction in the airways and increased pressure in the lungs;
Always remember that young children or those who have never experienced asthma attacks will not always be able to tell you about shortness of breath or pain. The child may be frightened and withdrawn, hide from you that something is wrong with him, be ashamed of not being able to explain new sensations. Listen to your children, what they are telling you or what they are trying to say.
Analyze the child’s breathing:
Pay attention to the breathing rate, at rest it is about 20 breaths in 60 seconds. If the child breathes more often, ask if it is difficult for him to breathe, if there are any problems with breathing;
See if the child has to make any effort to inhale while breathing. With normal breathing, the child’s shoulders should not rise, and other muscles should not be involved. Pay attention also to the position of the child, he tries to take the most comfortable position for breathing (slouching, resting his hands on the table in front of him, spreading his elbows in different directions);
Pay attention when the child takes a breath, if he has muscle contractions just below the ribs. Such “retractions” occur with a short breath, when the amount of air that has entered them cannot fill the necessary space;
During an attack, when inhaling, the child’s nostrils expand greatly in order to inhale as much air as possible. Most often, this symptom occurs in children under one year old, who cannot tell their mother what exactly worries them;
Listen for wheezing when the child breathes. During an asthma attack, there is a whistling or hissing sound accompanied by a slight vibration. Wheezing can occur on exhalation and inhalation with mild and moderate attacks. With severe – only on exhalation;
The presence of a dry cough also indicates an attack of bronchial asthma. It creates pressure in the bronchi, due to which the airways open a little, allowing for some time to breathe more or less normally. If frequent coughing prevails at night, this indicates a mild attack. While a prolonged cough indicates a protracted attack.
Evaluate the appearance of the baby:
During an asthma attack, most children look the same as during a cold, sickly. Therefore, when you see the poor condition of the child, pay attention to it and listen to what your maternal instinct tells you;
With asthma, all the forces of the body are aimed at restoring breathing, so the skin at this time can become sticky from sweat and pale. This is due to insufficient oxygen saturation of the blood;
In a severe attack, the skin around the mouth and nose of the child may become bluish in color. This, in turn, indicates a severe lack of oxygen, such a condition of the child requires immediate emergency medical care.
Help the child:
If an attack of bronchial asthma is not the first, then at home there must be inhalers, the action of which is aimed at stopping the attack. There must be a person with the child who will help to use the drug or call adults who can do this;
At the first attack, be sure to contact your doctor so that he examines the child and prescribes the necessary medications;
If the seizures are severe, then hospitalization and drug treatment are necessary.
Treatment of asthma in children
Chronic bronchial asthma in a child can not currently be cured by any medications. Despite the constant development of medicine, there is no cure. There are only drugs that can stop the attack, destroy the allergen in the body. Moreover, drugs are prescribed for taking in several stages, with a gradual increase in the dosage of the active substance. The amount of the drug taken depends on the severity of the asthma attacks.
Any treatment should take place under the strict supervision of the attending physician. He decides to reduce or increase the dosage of drugs.
Asthma medications
Modern drugs for the treatment of this disease are divided into several groups:
symptomatic;
basic.
The first group is designed to relieve bronchospasm and free passage of air through the respiratory tract (bronchodilators). These include drugs that are taken as emergency care for an asthmatic attack to enable a person to breathe normally. Drugs are used only as needed, but not as a prophylaxis.
The second group of drugs is designed to relieve inflammation, remove the allergen from the body (cromones, anticholinergic and antileukotriene drugs, glucocorticoid hormones). These funds are intended for the permanent treatment or prevention of asthma attacks. Unlike the first group, they do not have an instant effect on relieving bronchospasm and do not relieve suffocation. Basic drugs are aimed at minimizing inflammation in the bronchi, suppressing it, as well as reducing the number of asthma attacks or their complete cessation.
Anti-inflammatory drugs are usually taken for a fairly long period of time. The result from taking basic drugs does not appear immediately, but only after 2-3 weeks of continuous treatment.
Glucocorticoid hormones, no matter in what form they are taken (tablets or injections), have many undesirable side effects:
a set of extra pounds;
low immunity;
violation of the hormonal background;
gastrointestinal diseases, ulcers, gastritis, etc.
However, modern technologies make it possible to create more and more new drugs that have an effective effect on the disease, while the side effects from them are minimal, practically reduced to zero. Inhaled glucocorticoids are by far the best topical preparations. This is a fairly large group of drugs that are made from synthetic materials and come in the form of inhalers or nebulizers.
In the treatment of bronchial asthma, inhaled glucocorticoids have taken a really good step forward. They are well tolerated by almost all children, do not have a large list of side effects, do not cause an allergic reaction, and do a good job of treating asthma. They can be used not only by children, but also by adults.
In addition to aerosols, there are also other methods of treating asthma:
special physical training;
breathing exercises using special equipment;
acupuncture, electropuncture and other methods of reflexology;
various salt mines, gala chambers and the like.
Specialized schools are organized that children suffering from asthma attacks must attend during treatment. In these institutions, the child will be told about measures to prevent seizures, show the correct breathing techniques, help them learn about the drugs that are necessary for the treatment and relief of seizures, and also help them choose the right and most effective treatment and diet.
Prevention of asthma in children
In order to make asthma attacks as rare as possible, in addition to direct treatment, prevention of the disease is also necessary. This refers to increasing immunity and improving the general condition of the child. Prevention will be a mandatory measure in cases where the child has a predisposition to asthma at the gene level.
What you need to do to prevent the disease:
Breastfeeding children from the first days of life and at least up to 1 year. If the mother cannot breastfeed or is forced to stop, then the mixture for feeding must be chosen carefully, in consultation with the pediatrician;
Complementary foods should be introduced only when the doctor allows it. Start introducing new foods in strict sequence with the pediatrician’s instructions, avoid allergenic foods (chocolate, honey, citrus fruits, nuts);
Try to get rid of unnecessary “dust collectors” in the house: carpets, thick curtains, tapestries. Try to keep books in a glazed bookcase, and not on open shelves;
Do not have pets to rule out allergies to pet hair. Try to refuse even seemingly harmless aquarium fish, because the dry food that should be fed to them may contain strong allergenic substances;
Blankets and pillows should be with hypoallergenic fillers;
Use only hypoallergenic detergents and cleaning products at home;
Ventilate the rooms as often as possible in calm weather;
Do wet cleaning daily without auxiliary cleaning products;
Hardening is a good way to boost immunity and improve health.
In addition, a warm and favorable atmosphere in the family is very important for the child. It is important for children to feel care and support from their parents, because of this, diseases will attack much less often.
Author of the article: Sokolova Praskovya Fedorovna, pediatrician