Asthma is a condition in which an overly sensitive immune system causes the airway to contract. Asthma is particularly serious in children because they have smaller airways than adults, thus, a reaction that would create little or no breathing difficulty in adults can be very dangerous for children.
Asthma Attack
Although asthma is a chronic condition, it is often punctuated by sudden acute cases of respiratory problems, which are known as asthma episodes or asthma attacks. According to the American Lung Association, an asthma attack is a sudden narrowing of the airways due to a series of events. These include swelling of the lining of the bronchioles, increased mucus secretion in the airway and tightening of the muscles in the chest. The overall effect is that it becomes more difficult to breath due to the narrow airway.
Causes
Asthma is caused by an immune system that is unusually sensitive and has a strong reaction to normally harmless substances that serve as triggers for asthma. Common triggers include changes in the weather, mold, pollen, secondhand smoke, viral infections, dust and exercise, according to Medline Plus. Other triggers include exposure to animal hair or dander, strong emotions, and some medications, including aspirin. In children with asthma, these triggers set off a powerful inflammatory response in the airway that can lead to an asthma attack.
Symptoms
An asthma attack is usually characterized by sudden difficulty breathing. Children suffering from an acute asthmatic episode may also experience tightness in their chest and wheezing, as well as coughing, according to the Mayo Clinic. Other signs of childhood asthma include problems with sleeping as a result of coughing or breathing difficulty and fatigue and respiratory problems during physical activity. Asthma also can be triggered by respiratory infections, so children who have a hard time recovering from respiratory infections and have bouts of coughing and wheezing post-infection should be tested for asthma.
Diagnosis
Asthma is usually diagnosed using spirometry, which is a series of tests that measure lung function. These tests can measure how quickly a child can exhale as well as how much air moves during exhalation. This kind of testing can be done in children over the age of 6; children younger than this often cannot receive spirometry testing. In these cases, a diagnosis may be made by asking parents about their child's symptoms.
Treatment
A number of different treatments can be used to treat pediatric asthma. Short-term relief is usually managed using inhaled medications, such as albuterol and ipratropium, which work to lower inflammation and relax the airways during an acute attack. The number of asthma episodes can also be reduced by using inhaled corticosteroids and other long-acting medications. Theophylline and leukotriene inhibitors are two medications that can be taken orally to reduce inflammation in the airways of asthmatic children.
