Asthma is a chronic lung condition that causes shortness of breath and makes it difficult to breathe. These symptoms happen because the airways in the lungs become inflamed as a result of exposure to toxins or allergens or because of a reaction to exercise or stimulation. When they become inflamed, your airways constrict and get larger, making it harder for oxygen to pass to your lungs.
Asthma in children is the same as asthma in adults. The main difference, however, is that if you start a treatment plan as a child, you can control asthma as an adult and not allow it to affect you adversely. Additionally, because asthma attacks can be dangerous and life-threatening, it is important to know how to handle attacks to protect your children.
Currently, bronchodilators are one of the most popular medications for treating asthma in children and adults alike. Bronchodilators, such as theophylline and albuterol, are drugs that relax the muscles that line the airways in your lungs. This keeps them from constricting and makes it easier to breathe. Bronchodilators are commonly used for emergency relief as well as ongoing asthma control.
In addition to bronchodilators, steroids are another great medication for controlling asthma attacks. Steroids, such as prednisone and cortisone, are more powerful than bronchodilators and sometimes get used in conjunction with bronchodilators. In the short term, steroids can get inhaled, but they can also get injected if you need more powerful relief.
In severe cases where steroids and bronchodilators are not strong enough to treat asthma, your child might need biologics. Biologics, such as mepolizumab and reslizumab, are medications that attack specific molecules and receptors involved in asthmatic attacks.
By attacking these molecules and receptors, it may be possible to mitigate asthma attacks that do not respond to other medications. Additional testing may be necessary to determine which biologic is most effective for your child’s condition.
Leukotrienes are inflammatory molecules that are active causes of asthma. Therefore, your child might need leukotriene modifiers to block these molecules and prevent attacks from happening. Leukotriene modifiers include zileuton and montelukast and are helpful in preventing asthma symptoms and attacks stemming from allergens and contaminants.
The key to controlling asthma in children is to receive a diagnosis and undergo further testing to determine what triggers your child’s attacks. Once you know what causes flare-ups and asthma attacks, you can avoid those triggers to keep them from happening. Common triggers include dust, pollen, mould, exercise, and many more.
If your child has asthma, occasional attacks are inevitable, especially if you do not know what causes their attacks. In general, the best way to manage an asthma attack is with an inhaler that injects corticosteroids into the lungs. This quickly reduces inflammation in the airways and makes it easier to breathe. Once the attack is under control, you should take your child to a doctor to receive a concrete diagnosis so you can prevent future attacks.
While most forms of asthma are fairly minor and not life-threatening, it can turn life-threatening if your child does not receive a proper diagnosis and treatment. Therefore, if you suspect that your child has asthma, you should take them to a doctor for further testing. They can prescribe the proper medication and treatment plan to help manage attacks and save your child’s life should they have an attack.