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Asthma treatment
asthma treatment (72)
Asthma is the No. 1 cause of hospitalizations among children, but with proper management, children can have full participation in school and sporting events.
Experts estimate nearly 20 million Americans have asthma, ranging from 7 percent to 12 percent of children. Among African-Americans the rate of asthma is even higher.H. James Wedner, M.D., professor of medicine at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis and chief of the Division of Allergy and Immunology, says how asthma will affect a child throughout his/her lifetime varies, depending on the child.
“For some children, asthma improves during the teenage years, while others have symptoms that become more severe over time,” Wedner says. “About half of the children who have asthma at a young age appear to ‘outgrow’ it, although the asthma symptoms may reappear later in life.”
Asthma is a chronic, inflammatory disease in which the airways become sensitive to allergens (any substance that triggers an allergic reaction). When the airways are exposed to certain triggers, the lining of the airways become swollen and inflamed, the muscles that surround the airways tighten, and the production of mucus increases. All of these factors will cause the airways to narrow, making it difficult for air to go in and out of the lungs, causing the symptoms of asthma.
Although there are common symptoms of asthma, each child may experience symptoms differently. Symptoms may include:
• coughing (either constant or intermittently)
• wheezing (this is a whistling sound that may be heard while breathing)
• trouble breathing or shortness of breath while exercising
• chest tightness
• fatigue
• nighttime cough
• noisy breathing
The symptoms of asthma may resemble other problems or medical conditions. Always consult your child’s pediatrician for a diagnosis.
Exercise, such as running, may trigger an asthma attack in the majority of children with asthma. However, with proper management, a child with asthma can maintain full participation in most sports, Wedner says. Aerobic exercise actually improves airway function by strengthening breathing muscles. Some tips for exercising with asthma include the following:
• Have your child stretch before and after exercising, breathing through the nose and not the mouth to warm and humidify the air before it enters the airways.
• Give your child asthma medication before exercising, as recommended by your child’s physician.
• Have your child carry a “reliever” or “reserve” medication, just in case of an asthma attack.
• During cold weather, have your child wear a scarf over the mouth and nose, so that the air breathed in is warm and easier to inhale.
Some children with asthma may need to take their medications during school hours, says Anne Borgmeyer, an allergy/pulmonary nurse practitioner at St. Louis Children’s Hospital, an affiliate of Washington University School of Medicine.
“It is important that the child, family, physician and school staff all work together toward meeting the child’s asthma treatment goals,” Borgmeyer says. “To ensure optimal asthma care for your child at school, the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology recommends meeting with teachers, the school nurse and other relevant school staff to inform them about your child’s condition and special needs. Educate with school personnel on your child’s asthma medications and how to assist during an asthma attack, and ask school staff to treat your child ‘normally’ when the asthma is under control. “
In addition, Borgmeyer says before starting a physical education class, talk with that teacher or coach on exercise-induced asthma, and take steps to prevent asthma symptoms from starting that could hamper your child’s energy level. Ensure your child’s emotional well-being by reassuring him/her that asthma does not have to slow him/her down or make him/her different from the other children.
Washington University School of Medicine’s full-time and volunteer faculty physicians also are the medical staff of Barnes-Jewish and St. Louis Children’s hospitals. The School of Medicine is one of the leading medical research, teaching and patient care institutions in the nation, currently ranked fourth in the nation by U.S. News & World Report. Through its affiliations with Barnes-Jewish and St. Louis Children’s hospitals, the School of Medicine is linked to BJC HealthCare.
90. Macon Telegraph, The GA – September 23, 2002 ASTHMA THE FASTEST-GROWING CHRONIC DISEASE IN THE U.S. Imagine the first gasp, that struggle for breath, the closing in of your lungs as they pant for air that seems not to be there: Asthma.Listen to Daniel Lage, 13, talk about what it feels like: ”It’s like your lungs are getting smaller and smaller and you can’t get enough air and you can’t breathe and you can’t stay standing up.” Daniel, an eighth-grader in Coral Gables, Fla., has had… , of 1294 words 90. Times, The NY – September 19, 2002 Environment Rich in Germs May Reduce Risk of Asthma Children from extremely clean may be more likely to develop asthma and hay fever than those who grow up on farms or in families that allow a bit of dirt in the house, researchers are reporting. Dirt and manure may be beneficial because they are swarming with bacteria, which can help an infant’s immune system to mature and develop tolerance — instead of allergies — to environmental substances like pollen and animal dander.|Study published in New England Journal of… , of 9 words 90. Virginian-Pilot, The Norfolk, VA – January 29, 2002 ASTHMA STUDY SEEMS TO BE REDUCING HOSPITAL VISITS, EDUCATION, SUPPORT HELP PARENTS MANAGE DISEASE IN PRESCHOOLERS Doctors have known for years that preschoolers are more likely than any other age group to land in the hospital for asthma.They are more susceptible to serious attacks because their airways are smaller. They are less able to tell their parents when they feel an attack coming on, sometimes describing it as a stomachache. And they are more likely to catch colds and viruses, which can trigger an attack. But what Dr. Cynthia Kelly wanted to know was this: Could working directly with… , of 1555 words 90. Knight-Ridder/Tribune Business News – January 17, 2002 Tucson, Arizona Respiratory Center Gets $7 Million Grant for Asthma Research Jan. 17–A $7 million federal grant will help the UA’s Arizona Respiratory Center pinpoint genetic processes that cause asthma — research that may lead to a vaccine to prevent the disease. How soon could this happen? We are more advanced than people think, said Dr. Fernando Martinez, a pediatrician and director of the Arizona Respiratory Center. I would say not further than 10 to 15 years from now we will see a vaccine developed in the field… , of 671 words 90. *- November 15, 2001 Exercise-induced asthma can be treated Dear Dr. Gott: I have been diagnosed with exercise-induced asthma. What is this disorder? Can it be fatal? Dear Reader: Asthma can be fatal. In fact, specialists are concerned about the increasing number of unnecessary deaths nationwide due to this common lung condition.Asthma is a chronic, cyclic pulmonary disorder, marked by excess mucus secretions and bronchospasm, narrowing of the breathing passages. This impairs respiration and leads to wheezing, coughing, breathlessness and… , of 11 words 90. Times, The NY – August 13, 2001 Asthma and the Athlete’s Challenge When people talk about the tragic death of Rashidi Wheeler, the Northwestern football player who died of an asthma attack during practice this month, I can hear the disbelief in their voices: He was killed by asthma? My heart goes out to his family. The sad and hard-to-accept truth is that the tragedy that has struck them plays out 5,500 times every year in the United States. Asthma is killing people at alarming rates. I could easily have been one of them.|Jackie Joyner-Kersee Op-Ed… , of 625 words 90. Boston Globe, The MA – May 27, 2001 CAMBRIDGE AND SOMERVILLE TACKLE ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS OF ASTHMA SOMERVILLE – Cristian Mendoza was only 2 when he was diagnosed with asthma three years ago. He couldn’t breathe. He couldn’t sleep. One day, he was so sick we had to rush him to the emergency room at Somerville Hospital, his mother, Maria Mendoza, recalled through a Spanish interpreter last week. Though doctors put the boy on an inhaler, a nebulizer and medications, asthma continued to wear him down.His parents searched desperately for… , of 15 words 90. *- May 7, 2001 ALLERGY SEASON TRIGGERS ATTACKS ASTHMA TAKES ITS TOLL Experts estimate that more than people die and more than 3,000 people are hospitalized in the St.
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Asthma treatment
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