Get the Facts on Childhood Asthma
Your child wheezes when he exercises. He’s prone to chest colds. And sometimes coughing keeps him up at night. Is it simply a childhood vulnerability to viruses, or does he have asthma?
If you have concerns about your child’s respiratory health, share them with your pediatrician as soon as possible. Although only a doctor can make a diagnosis, you should know that asthma is considered the most common chronic disorder affecting children in the U.S. — currently an estimated 6.8 million — with up to 80% of those kids developing their symptoms before age five.
According to the American Lung Association, asthma is an excessive sensitivity of the lungs to various triggers, including viral infections, allergens, irritating gases and particles in the air, among other substances. To diagnose the condition, pediatricians rely heavily on parents’ observations to help them identify the root cause of the child’s respiratory problems. Here are the top questions you should be prepared to answer.
- Does your child cough, wheeze (a whistling sound when breathing) or have chest tightness or shortness of breath?
- Do colds go right to your child’s chest and last much longer than sibling’s colds?
- Does your child cough or wheeze with exercise, play and laughter or during temper tantrums?
- Is there a family history of asthma or allergies?
- Do you know what triggers your child’s symptoms: contact with animals, for example, or exercise?
- How often are the symptoms present and how bad are they?
- Is your child missing school because of his or her symptoms?
- Is coughing or wheezing keeping you and your child up at night?
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