About 10 percent of children in the U.S. are diagnosed with asthma, an immune reaction in the airways that treats normally harmless substances as irritants and releases inflammatory chemicals that trigger the body’s response. While allergic responses are similar, they take place in a different part of the body. With allergic rhinitis, for example, the response starts in the upper airways, while asthma strikes in the bronchial tubes and lungs.
“Children with asthma are especially prone to allergies,” Dr. Abramson reports. “Although only about 50 percent of adults with asthma have allergies, 80 percent of children with asthma are allergic to one or more substances.”
Inhaled airborne substances are most likely to trigger asthma in a child. Cigarette smoke and smoke residue, as well as emotional situations, can contribute to asthma attacks. Dust mites can elicit both asthma and allergic rhinitis.
Symptoms of asthma include wheezing, coughing and shortness of breath. Older children may complain of chest tightness or pain.
At the first sign of an asthma attack, a child requires immediate attention. Patients and their families should work with their health care provider to create a written asthma action plan to help them deal with worsening asthma. While families often handle middle symptoms, for more severe episodes they many need to make same-day visits to the pediatrician or the emergency room for safe, timely treatment.
Inhaled steroids usually are prescribed to treat asthma. For ongoing asthma that is not well controlled, the pediatrician may refer the child to an asthma specialist.
“Allergic asthma and rhinitis symptoms, such as sneezing, itching and wheezing, can be reduced by placing the child in an air-conditioned environment that cools and dries the air and reduces airborne allergen exposure,” says Dr. Abramson. “While it is not possible to completely prevent allergies and asthma in young children, genetic and cellular research holds the promise of greater prevention and treatment options in the future.”
