According to statistics, one in ten children has asthma . Such statistics scare doctors, but they claim that these figures do not reflect the true picture. Because it is not possible to diagnose asthma correctly in every case. After all, a cough accompanied by wheezing can not always be a sign of asthma. So a child can cough with bronchitis. Because of this, the diagnosis of asthma is often made only in the later stages of the disease.
Asthma is a disease accompanied by asthma attacks. The causes of its occurrence are inflammation of the mucous membrane of the bronchi, which become very sensitive and begin to swell and taper under the influence of various allergens and irritating substances. Difficult air access to the lungs, the cells of the respiratory tract begin to produce more mucus, which also contributes to the narrowing of the lumen of the respiratory tract. In children under one year of age, food and drug allergens are most often the culprits of asthma; in a child aged one to three years, domestic and fungal allergens, as well as allergies to animals and birds.
In children older than three years, asthma is manifested as an allergy to pollen from plants, and cross-reactions with food allergens are also possible. Most often, asthma occurs in boys, as well as adult men. Female sex hormones to some extent impede the development of this disease. If in the family someone was sick or has asthma, then you need to carefully monitor the health of the child and, at the first sign of severe cough, consult a doctor. Even if the child does not have a hereditary predisposition to this disease, in the case when the child does not cough for three weeks after suffering an ARVI, especially at night, or when the baby suffers from chronic bronchitis, it is imperative to consult a doctor and be checked, nor the manifestation whether it is asthma. The following symptoms specific to asthma should be of concern to parents:
– coughing fit and lack of air;
– persistent cough, which intensifies at night and prevents sleep;
– a feeling of stuffiness and constriction in the chest area;
– labored, rapid, and loud breathing;
– shortness of breath during sleep or physical activity.
Today you can buy a simple device for self-monitoring of bronchial asthma at home. This device is called peak flowmeter. He measures the exhalation rate, which in a patient with asthma is very different from the norm. Normally, the child’s breathing is more rapid than that of an adult. You can measure the respiratory rate using the second hand of the clock, it is best to do this when the baby is sleeping. Pupils consider breathing in babies up to three months to 60 exhalations per minute, in children from three months to one year – 50 or more exhalations per minute, in children from one year to five years – 40 or more per minute.
To alleviate the patient’s condition , drugs that can only be prescribed by a doctor can help. Self-treatment of asthma at home should be aimed at alleviating asthma attacks in a child. For this, it is necessary to identify contacts and substances that provoke irritation and inflammation of the respiratory tract of the child. Sometimes this can be a list of provocateurs of coughing and suffocation attacks. Try to avoid the presence of these substances in your home and contact with them in other places. The most effective way to alleviate the condition of the child is regular breathing exercises, physiotherapy exercises and hardening.
An important factor in the prevention and treatment of asthma is proper nutrition. If possible, eat only natural products; do not give your child canned food, sausages and smoked meats. Avoid sweet chewing sweets, colorful marshmallows, lollipops, canned juices and carbonated drinks. Many children may experience aspirin intolerance to salicylates, which are found in large quantities in berries, fruits and vegetables. Refuse completely from their use, of course, is not necessary, but it is necessary to limit their use during the manifestation of asthma attacks. A very important component of asthma prevention is physical education.
It’s very harmful for asthmatics to have extra pounds. Therefore, do not let a child with asthma gain weight. Strictly control the diet of the child, exclude fatty foods from it. It’s good for an asthma sufferer to eat magnesium-rich foods. These are sprouted wheat, spinach, leaf beets, amaranth and beans. To strengthen immunity, add onion and garlic juice with honey to salads. Fatty fish must be present in the patient’s diet, it reduces asthmatic inflammation of the respiratory tract.
Valuable inorganic substances are found in seaweed – kelp. The use of fish oil and linseed oil, which contain beneficial fatty acids, also help to improve the patient’s condition. Fruits and vegetables contain antioxidants that cleanse the body of free radicals. Eating them for asthma is a must. Mineral water, which contains a lot of magnesium and calcium, is an excellent antiasmatic agent. Magnesium ions are bronchodilators. Under their influence, the lower respiratory tract relaxes and expands, the narrowing of which is the cause of asthma.