Most of us know someone affected with asthma. Adults, teens, and even our little ones are all prone to the ever-present asthma. This is a common condition that affects more than 3 million Americans every year. With so many different types of asthma conditions that may be triggered by an allergy, mucus, and other triggers, it is important to know the facts about asthma and the best way to treat it. Talking to your doctor is the first step of treating this condition and finding out whether or not your child is able to outgrow it is a question many parents and individuals ask.
What is asthma?
Let us begin with defining what asthma is and knowing the symptoms and treatments. According to the Mayo Clinic, Asthma can last years or even remain life long. It is treatable by a medical professional, requires a medical diagnosis, and lab tests or imaging. Asthma occurs when your airways become narrow and swell and produce extra mucus. This can make it difficult to breathe and can trigger coughing, wheezing, and shortness of breath. For some individuals, asthma can be a major problem and interfere with daily activities and can lead to a life-threatening asthma attack, while for others it may just be a minor nuisance. Although asthma cannot be cured the symptoms can be controlled.
Symptoms of Asthma
Although it varies from person to person, asthma symptoms can happen at certain times. Some of the symptoms of asthma include:
- Chest tightness or chest pain
- Shortness of breath
- Trouble sleeping due to shortness of breath or coughing or wheezing
- A wheezing or whistling sound when breathing
- When getting a cold or the flu, coughing or wheezing attacks are worse
Sometimes, asthma signs and symptoms become more prominent and flare up at certain times, such as when exercising, exposed to chemical fumes, gases or dust, or with allergy induced with pollen, pets, mold spores, cockroach waste or particles of skin. There are different asthma triggers that parents need to be aware of when their child has asthma. Once consulting a doctor and monitoring you or your child’s breathing, some treatments include inhalers, long term asthma control medications, leukotriene modifiers, allergy medications, and bronchial thermoplasty depending on your asthma action plan.
Can you or your child outgrow asthma?
There is a lot of back and forth with this question. According to Premier Health, experts have looked into this condition and studied it enough to know that we do not outgrow asthma, but instead, the symptoms can go away temporarily and return later on. Even if you never had asthma as a child you may still develop it later on in life, however, most people that have asthma were born with the tendencies towards this condition. Once your airways have been developed sensitive, your respiratory tract tends to remain sensitive to asthma triggers throughout your life. This does not mean that you will always be bothered by this condition. Instead, you may experience these symptoms into your adulthood and you will not outgrow this.
Facts about Asthma
It is important to be aware of your child’s sensitivity to airway irritants because this may develop into new triggers that may cause symptoms to appear at any given time. Here are some asthma facts to be aware of according to the Allergist:
- Asthma tends to be hereditary
- Weathers that are extremely dry, wet, or windy can make asthma conditions worse
- Allergists are the medical specialists that have the most expertise in treating asthma and can find the source of your problems and stop it
- Asthma is relatively higher in children than in adults
- Asthma symptoms can be triggered to exposure to allergens like ragweed, animal dander, dust mites, pollen
If you have allergies it is important to see an expert in this field like Kathryn Edwards MD, a board-certified allergist in Princeton & Robbinsville, NJ. An expert in allergies and immunology, Dr. Edwards s dedicated to helping out each and every individual patient find their relief. Though tests and examinations, she’ll figure out your triggers and provide treatment plans so that an improved quality of life is attainable.
Regardless of whether or not your child can outgrow asthma, it is important to meet with your doctor on a regular basis and get their expert feedback, especially an allergist. An Asthma action plan is also very important and will outline what medications are needed based on symptoms. Including a list of triggers and steps that need to be taken to avoid them is also very important an essential part of treating asthma. The best thing you can do for your child is to be supportive and informed of what you can do to guide them to a better more controlled health.
Anna Marikar, mum of four and seasoned blogger, has spent over a decade sharing her parenting journey and passion for kid-friendly crafts and free printables.
Her easy-to-follow craft ideas and practical parenting advice have transformed In The Playroom into a cherished resource for parents.