In recent years, the morbidity and mortality of asthma has been on the rise globally year by year, becoming a public health issue of global concern. 2000 Global Initiative for Asthma Control Committee estimated that there are 300 million asthma patients worldwide, and the current prevalence of childhood asthma in developed countries worldwide has reached more than 10%. There are nearly 30 million asthma patients in China, including about 10 million children with the disease. About 1/3 to 1/2 of moderate to severe childhood asthma can migrate to adults.
There are various factors affecting the development of asthma in children, the most relevant ones being changes in the living environment, increased allergen exposure and genetic susceptibility. However, genetics is by no means the only cause of asthma and does not explain the marked increase in asthma prevalence in recent years. If we compare “genetics” as the basis for the development of asthma, then environmental issues are the “catalyst”. With the industrialization of society, the global air, water and soil pollution are becoming more and more serious, and there are more and more chemicals in food and daily necessities, which are extremely unfavorable for asthma-prone children and can easily cause airway hyperresponsiveness and eventually the development of asthma in children.
We can reduce acute asthma attacks in children through reasonable and necessary avoidance measures and medication to achieve the goal of preventing and controlling asthma, greatly improving the quality of life of children and their families, and significantly reducing social medical expenses.
Asthma Management Steps Asthma Management Steps are designed to help you understand how to effectively manage your asthma and to serve as a guide when discussing it with your doctor.
Step one.
Diagnose Please tell your child’s doctor about the symptoms of breathing difficulty When your doctor thinks your child has asthma, perform relevant tests to learn about asthma, such as what it is and how to manage it.
Step two.
Triggers Identify factors that make asthma worse by keeping a diary and checking for allergens Once you know what allergic and non-allergic factors trigger your asthma, you learn how to avoid them.
Step three.
Your doctor will prescribe medications to control your child’s asthma Know what the medications are for and how to use them appropriately Know how to control your asthma with a written asthma control plan Step 4: Ongoing control Even if your child is feeling well, discuss your child’s asthma with your doctor every 1-3 months Keep an asthma diary Check your child’s use of inhalers Have annual pulmonary function tests to determine if asthma is Tell someone other than your child’s asthma doctor that your child has asthma Step 5: Asthma education Ask your doctor as many questions as possible and learn as much as you can about asthma.
The goal of asthma treatment is to “achieve and maintain clinical control of asthma” including.
1. no (or ≤2/week) daytime symptoms.
2. absence of daily activities, including limitation of exercise.
3. no nocturnal symptoms or awakening due to asthma.
4. no (or ≤2/week) need for palliative medication.
5, normal or near-normal lung function.
6, no acute exacerbation of asthma.
Frequently Asked Questions.
What is asthma?
Asthma is a chronic inflammatory disease of the respiratory tract. The inflammation referred to here is a “metabolic inflammation”, which is tissue damage caused by the body’s immune response.
Swelling and inflammation are a major part of the problem, but not the whole story. As the swelling of the airways increases, the lining of the airways becomes very sensitive and the tiny muscles surrounding the airways begin to tighten. This is called “bronchospasm”.
Symptoms of asthma include coughing, wheezing, shortness of breath, tightness in the chest, and difficulty breathing, most often at night and/or in the early morning. Asthma attacks are most common in spring and fall and in changing climates. They can be recurrent and can be triggered by environmental factors, exercise, and upper respiratory infections.
The majority of first wheezing episodes in children occur before the age of 3 years, and more than 3 episodes are considered to be typical asthma. Some children with “cough variant asthma” only have a chronic cough without typical wheezing.
What are the causes of asthma?
Family and personal history If your parents or close relatives have allergic diseases/asthma, you are more likely to develop asthma If you have 1) allergic rhinitis 2) allergic skin diseases such as eczema Triggers Allergic triggers: dust mites, food, mold, pollen, animal dander, etc. Non-allergic triggers: exercise, viral infections, cold air, smoke, air pollution, exposure to “second-hand” smoke, etc. Air pollution, “second-hand” smoke (i.e., being in a smoking environment).
What are the signs of allergy in babies with aspirin and other drugs?
1. Cough, runny nose, sneezing in the morning.
2.Habitual action of rubbing eyes and nose.
3.Have milk fungus or eczema as a child.
4.Parents or siblings suffer from allergic asthma or rhinitis.
5.A rash will appear when eating seafood.
6.Easy to red eyes and runny nose in spring.
7.The body is often itchy and unbearable.
Is inhaled glucocorticosteroid safe for children who have suffered from hives?
Regarding the long-term safety implications of using inhaled glucocorticosteroids in children, the available studies suggest that this drug is safe. Because of the low levels of inhaled hormones, most physicians recommend them for children with asthma because the benefits of long-term asthma control outweigh the risks of using inhaled glucocorticosteroids.
Inhaled medications act directly on the airways to eliminate inflammation in the airways and do not cause systemic side effects.
Inhaled glucocorticosteroids are a more effective and safe treatment option for asthma.
Can children with asthma participate in sports?
Because exercise may trigger an asthma attack, children are reluctant to participate in sports for fear of asthma attacks, and parents are wrong to prevent their children from seeing sports for fear of injury.
It is true that exercise may cause an asthma attack, but proper exercise can improve his lung function and make the airway more tolerable, which in turn reduces the likelihood of an asthma attack.
In fact, children with asthma can participate in sports as long as they are prepared to use asthma control medications regularly to achieve and maintain asthma control, then your child is perfectly capable of participating in moderate sports.
Consult your doctor about the need for medication and adequate warm-up before exercise.
Allow the body to cool down slowly after exercise, rather than quickly.
In winter, during pollen season and when the air is polluted, it is better to exercise indoors.
When you have a cold, take rest and limit exercise appropriately.
How to control the home environment for children with asthma?
Open windows frequently for ventilation.
Keep the home environment clean and vacuum frequently to remove dust mites and molds.
Do not keep pets at home.
Do not smoke in the room.
Use fragrance-free soaps and deodorants, no perfumes, hair and body sprays.
Replace carpet with wood or tile floors, as carpet is a good breeding ground for dust mites and mold.
Clean his stuffed animals often, the proper way is to freeze them for 24 hours and then wash them in cold water.
Use a wet mop or rag when cleaning the room to avoid raising dust as much as possible.
It is best not to use cloth furniture, but to use furniture with wipable surfaces instead.
Also do not use fabric curtains, you can use blinds that open up and down.
Take anything with a strong smell out of the room.
Cover mattresses and pillows with dust mite covers with zippers.
Do not use pillow or mattress cores made of buckwheat.
Wash all bedding weekly in hot water at 60°C and put them in the sun to dry after washing.
Monitor indoor humidity with a hygrometer to keep it below 50%, as too much humidity is likely to aggravate asthma.
What should children with asthma look for in their diet?
If a certain food is found by serological allergen testing or skin prick test to really trigger the onset of bronchial asthma in patients, it should be avoided, e.g. mangoes should be banned in some children who are allergic to mangoes.
Allergic individuals are advised to eat less heterogeneous protein foods and increase plant-based soy protein, such as beans and soy products, as appropriate.
Diet should be light, less stimulating, not too full, too salty, too sweet, avoid raw, cold, spicy and other stimulating foods.
The diet should ensure the adequacy and balance of various nutrients, especially antioxidant nutrients such as β-carotene, vitamin C, E and trace elements of selenium. β-carotene, vitamin C, E are abundant in fresh vegetables and fruits, and trace elements of selenium are abundant in kelp, jellyfish and garlic.
Eating edible mushrooms regularly can regulate immune function, such as shiitake mushroom and mushroom containing mushroom polysaccharide and mushroom polysaccharide, which can enhance human resistance and reduce the attack of bronchial asthma.
It is also important to prevent respiratory tract infections and regulate immune function. Attention should be paid to seasonal warmth and infants should be breastfed, as breast milk contains secretory immune protein (SIgA) antibodies that increase respiratory resistance.