Health Guide / Asthma in Children

Asthma in Children

Asthma in Children

Asthma is a chronic inflammatory disease of the airways. It causes clinical findings such as difficulty in breathing, cough, wheezing, chest tightness associated with airway narrowing. The most important feature of the disease is that it progresses with attacks. During these attacks, there may be narrowing of the airways of different severity.

Foods, drugs, dust mites, pollen, fungal spores, animal dander, specific ones such as cockroaches, infections, non-specific triggers such as indoor (cigarette) outside (smoke, etc.) air pollution or exercise can cause asthma symptoms to occur and aggravate. .

Viral infections are the most important cause of asthma attacks in children and adults. Again, inflammatory and immunological events caused by the allergic child's encounter with the allergen to which he or she is sensitive is one of the risk factors that lead to the development of an asthma attack. In addition, cold weather, exercise, emotional stress, increases bronchospasm and triggers asthma attacks. Many substances present in cigarette smoke trigger both bronchospasm and inflammation and initiate attacks.

Starting the treatment at an early stage before the severity of the attack worsens is the first condition of success. Educating the patient about the disease and giving a written action plan about the drugs to be used during the attack ensures that the treatment can be started early.

Patients should be advised to use an inhaled short-acting B2 receptor agonist immediately when the frequency and severity of the symptoms, which are mild when asthma symptoms begin, should be recommended. In moderate and severe attacks, a good response is obtained with systemic corticosteroid therapy, which is started early and under the control of a doctor in a short time. Patients at risk of death due to asthma should be determined by a detailed history and physical examination, and their treatment should be planned in hospital and, if necessary, under intensive care conditions.