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Childhood asthma has become more widespread in recent decades. As the most common chronic illness in children, childhood asthma causes more missed school and places more limits on activity than any other disease,according to experts.

"Childhood asthma and adult asthma have the same underlying cause — continuous inflammation of the airways leading to the lungs. This inflammation makes the airways overly sensitive and prone to tightening and constricting when irritated. Fortunately, childhood asthma is treatable. With the right medications and action plan, a child with asthma can enjoy normal activities with few disruptions."Said mayoclinic.com.

Signs and symptoms

The most common signs and symptoms of childhood asthma are:

Coughing

Wheezing

Shortness of breath

Chest congestion

Chest tightness

Additional signs and symptoms of asthma in infants include:

Rattly cough

Recurrent bronchitis with croup, bronchiolitis or pneumonia

While wheezing is most commonly associated with asthma, not all children with asthma wheeze. Likewise, not all children who have wheezing episodes have asthma. Your child may have only one sign or symptom, such as a lingering cough or chest congestion. Because symptoms of asthma can be related to other disorders and illnesses, your doctor will consider frequency of the symptoms along with other factors before making a diagnosis.

Causes

Explaining further, it says, in children with asthma, the airways leading to the lungs are chronically inflamed and often swollen. This makes the airway muscles sensitive and reactive. Asthma triggers, such as smoke or allergens, can make the airway muscles tighten and constrict and may cause asthma symptoms. Triggers are different for everyone. The most common triggers include:

Irritants

Tobacco smoke

Exercise

Weather changes or cold air

Environmental pollutants

Allergens

Dust mites

Pet dander

Pollen

Mold

Other factors

Upper respiratory infections

Rhinitis or sinusitis

Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), a condition in which stomach acids back up into the esophagus

Risk factors

Both genetic and environmental factors can increase your child’s chances of having asthma. Children with a family history of asthma are at greater risk of developing the disease. Other environmental factors that may increase your child’s chances of developing asthma include:

Previous allergic reactions (stuffy nose or skin rash) to environmental allergens

Exposure to tobacco smoke

Living in a large urban area with increased exposure to environmental air pollutants

Family history of asthma, allergic rhinitis (hay fever), hives or eczema

Low birth weight

Obesity

When to seek medical advice

If you suspect your child may have asthma,mayoclinic.com suggests that it is important that your child be evaluated by a doctor as soon as possible. Make an appointment if you notice:

Coughing that’s constant, intermittent or associated with physical activity

Wheezing or whistling sounds when your child exhales

Shortness of breath or rapid breathing that may or may not be associated with exercise

Complaints of chest tightness

Repeated respiratory infections such as pneumonia or bronchitis

Pay attention to cues from an older child, who may say, "My chest feels funny" or "I’m always coughing." Asthma can be worse at night, so listen for coughing during sleep or coughing that wakes your child in the night. Coughing and wheezing may also accompany crying, laughing, yelling or strong emotional reactions and stress.

Complications

Treatment for persistent asthma includes inhaled corticosteroids, which reduce the chronic inflammation in the airways. High doses of these medications have been associated with slightly slowed growth in children, but research has shown that the effect is minor and possibly reversible. Nevertheless, your child’s doctor should monitor growth and consider dosage or medication changes if any measurements are concerning, it adds.

Treatment

The goal of asthma treatment is to get the asthma under control. Well-controlled asthma means that your child has:

Minimal or no symptoms

Few or no attacks

No limitations on physical activities or exercise

Minimal use of fast-acting inhalers

Few or no side effects from medications

Treating asthma involves both preventing asthma symptoms and treating an asthma attack in progress. Preventive medications reduce the inflammation in your child’s airways that can lead to symptoms. "Relief" medications quickly open airways that are swollen and limiting breathing. If your child has symptoms more than twice a week before starting treatment, the doctor will probably prescribe a combination of long-term anti-inflammatory drugs and a fast-acting bronchodilator.

Prevention

Careful planning and steering clear of asthma triggers are the best ways to prevent asthma attacks, it advises, therefore:

Avoid triggers. As much as possible, avoid the allergens and irritants that your child’s doctor has identified as asthma triggers.

Ban smoking around your child. Exposure to tobacco smoke during infancy is a strong risk factor for childhood asthma, as well as a common trigger of asthma attacks.

Encourage your child to be active. As long as your child’s asthma is well controlled, regular physical activity can condition the lungs to work more efficiently.

Use a peak flow meter. This tool can detect decreases in lung function before your child feels any symptoms, giving you important information on how to treat your child’s asthma from day to day.

Culled from mayoclinic.com