Common misconceptions about allergic asthma in children

  Epidemiological surveys show that the incidence of asthma continues to increase in China. The treatment of asthma is valuable to adhere to, and at the same time the treatment must be standardized, but there are still many misconceptions among parents about the diagnosis and treatment of asthma in children.  1. Before asthma treatment, a clear diagnosis must be made. Many parents of children with recurrent wheezing do not realize that it may be asthma or often do not want to admit that it is asthma, thus delaying the valuable time for early diagnosis and early treatment. For children with recurrent coughing and wheezing, it is best to choose to visit a respiratory specialist clinic in a regular hospital for a clear diagnosis.  2. Many parents use hormone medication for a long time, will it have any effect on the growth and development of their children? At present, the international asthma community agrees that inhaled hormones are the most effective drugs for controlling recurrent asthma attacks. Inhaled medication can directly reach the target cells in the airway, with rapid onset of action and little systemic absorption. A large number of long-term clinical studies have shown that low-dose inhaled hormones have no inhibitory effect on the development of children and peaceful coexistence.  3. Attention should be paid to regular follow-up visits to the hospital, preferably once every three months, and the medication must be reasonably reduced and stopped under the guidance of the doctor. Some parents stop their children’s medication when they see that the symptoms have been reduced, which can easily lead to a relapse of asthma. Asthma is a chronic inflammation of the airways, and inhaled hormones should be considered for slow reduction only after 3-6 months of symptom control, until the lowest dose is maintained for at least one year without recurrence of symptoms and normal lung function before stopping the medication. During the period of inhaled hormone therapy, parents should cooperate to keep a good asthma diary and monitor the peak flow rate well to provide a reference basis for the next treatment.  4. Emphasize the treatment of combined diseases, especially pay attention to the treatment of allergic rhinitis in children. Some parents attach importance to asthma and not to rhinitis. In fact, allergic asthma and allergic rhinitis belong to the “same airway, same disease”, and allergic rhinitis can also trigger asthma attacks.  5, pay attention to the “hidden asthma” that is cough variant asthma. What is cough variant asthma? It is a special type of asthma in which the only symptom is coughing. The child has a persistent or recurrent cough for more than a month, mostly at night, in the early morning and after activity, with no clinical symptoms of infection or ineffective antibiotic treatment and effective bronchodilator treatment. Children often have a personal history of allergies i.e. with eczema, urticaria, allergic rhinitis, etc. A family history of allergies can also be identified.  Asthma in children is easily confused with bronchitis. If a child has a recurrent cough that is not relieved by symptomatic or antibiotic treatment, and if the child is allergic, then parents should consider that this may not be a common inflammatory condition, but may be related to allergies. Also whether the child is prone to an irritating dry cough after exercise or inhalation of cold air; whether the child has repeatedly developed dyspnea with wheezing sounds, heavier at night. If parents are unable to identify this, they must take their child to the doctor promptly and not use medication without permission.