Bronchial asthma in children is an inflammatory disease of the respiratory tract that is chronic. With this disease, a strong response to various stimuli occurs. Signs of asthma in children are prolonged attacks of shortness of breath, prolonged cough. Asthma attacks are sometimes possible.
Symptoms
The most striking symptoms of asthma in children:
1. Dry cough with asthma is long lasting, it torments the child and does not stop. It manifests itself especially strongly during sleep, after inhaling cold air, any irritants and after physically active action. You can relieve it by calming down and taking an upright position.
2. Shortness of breath, in which exhalation is especially difficult. In some cases, fear is not possible to exhale at all, then the child may begin to panic.
3. Whistles and wheezing from the chest, which are clearly audible even from a distance. They occur due to the fact that the airways are greatly narrowed and do not allow air to freely enter the lungs and leave them.
4. Choking is not always the case, but it can be, especially after physical activity and nervous tension. In this case, it is recommended to breathe through the mouth, helping the muscles of the shoulders, neck and chest.
I would like to note the peculiarity of our breathing. Muscles and the whole body are arranged in such a way that they are trained to breathe only in one direction, namely, to breathe air. And the exhalation is already carried out passively, automatically. That is why patients with bronchial asthma experience difficulty in exhaling.
Also, children older than a year may have asthma symptoms such as severe chest pressure or itching, skin rashes, and tears.
Treatment methods
To recognize asthma, parents need to be alert and alert. It is imperative to listen to the child’s complaints and respond if the baby talks about chest pain or heavy breathing.
If you are sure that the baby is suffering from bronchial asthma (or there have already been attacks), then you need to take a number of measures:
1. If there is an inhaler in the house, then you need to get it and apply it.
2. If this happened for the first time, then you should definitely consult a doctor.
3. If the inhaler does not help, then you need to urgently hospitalize the patient.
Unfortunately, the treatment of bronchial asthma in children is now not possible, you can only alleviate the condition of the child, that is, stop the attack and destroy the allergen that has entered the body.
All drugs are divided into two groups: symptomatic and basic. The first is needed to relieve spasm from the respiratory tract and facilitate the passage of air. They are also used as an emergency aid if a sick child suffocates. But for prevention, such funds should in no case be taken.
The second are designed to eliminate the allergen and relieve inflammation in the body. They are intended for continuous use: treatment and prevention. These medicines do not relieve suffocation, but reduce the number of asthma attacks over time. They are taken for a long time and constantly, and the result can only appear after a few weeks. How to treat asthma, which drugs to use – only the doctor decides, you can never choose drugs on your own.
A number of preventive actions
So that the child does not get asthma, a number of preventive actions can be taken from birth:
- breastfeed or choose a good mixture with the help of a doctor;
- introduce complementary foods with the permission of the pediatrician and only certain products;
- exclude dust collectors at home: carpets, thick curtains, etc.;
- try not to have pets or limit their presence as much as possible in the room where the child is;
- the bedding set must have a hypoallergenic filler;
- cleaners and detergents should also be hypoallergenic;
- often ventilate rooms;
- do wet cleaning every day without any means;
- temper the child.