Some parents left us a message saying that their child was diagnosed with cough variant asthma and the doctor prescribed cisplatin as a treatment drug. Is the hormone used for children’s asthma the “bad guy” or not? Today, I will take you to know more about “hormones” and their role in the treatment of asthma in children. As the saying goes, “if you know yourself and your enemy, you will never lose a hundred battles.” Only by understanding the nature of asthma can you target and win. Asthma is a common chronic inflammatory disease of the airways, which is completely different from bacterial infections and persists, and is not only ineffective with antibiotics, but also difficult to eliminate. Proper understanding of glucocorticosteroids is a large family. Glucocorticosteroids are actually a large family, and not only are there many different types, but also different routes of administration. In brief, they can be divided into systemic glucocorticoids and inhaled glucocorticoids. Systemic glucocorticoids are administered orally, intramuscularly and intravenously, and are distributed throughout the body with blood circulation, while only a small portion of the drug reaches the bronchi and lungs, which requires larger doses to achieve their effects. Inhaled hormones, on the other hand, require only a small dose to reach the bronchial tubes and lungs, because the inhalation device allows the drug to reach the bronchial tubes and lungs directly. The dose used is only a few tenths to a few hundredths of the dose of oral medication or injectable medication, and it is rarely distributed to other parts of the body, making it safer to use in infancy and early childhood. The role of glucocorticoids in the treatment of asthma Both pediatric and adult patients can effectively improve cough and wheezing symptoms with regular use of inhaled glucocorticoids, reduce the number of asthma attacks, and quickly return to normal school and life conditions. In addition, this anti-inflammatory effect of glucocorticosteroids is also effective for another airway inflammatory disease, allergic rhinitis. For this reason, nasal glucocorticosteroids are recognized as the most effective first-line clinical agents for the treatment of allergic rhinitis. Inhaled glucocorticosteroids are delivered through an inhalation device directly to the bronchial tubes and lungs where treatment is needed, so that only a small dose is needed to achieve good efficacy. The doses used are only a few tenths to a few hundredths of the doses used in oral and injectable medications, and they are rarely distributed to other parts of the body, making them safer to use in infancy and early childhood. Parents’ misconceptions about “hormones” The airway inflammation of asthma exists all the time when there are no symptoms. Some parents worry about the side effects of “hormones” and reduce the dose of medication or even stop taking it after seeing their child’s asthma and cough reduced. This will aggravate the inflammation, make the child’s condition recurrent and the symptoms will become more and more serious, and finally cause deterioration of lung function and affect the child’s growth and development due to poor asthma control, which will endanger the child’s life. Therefore, even if the symptoms of asthma attacks disappear, children should continue to use inhaled glucocorticosteroids for control treatment. The specific dose and course of medication should be evaluated at a regular medical institution and then listen to the doctor’s advice, and adjust the intensity of medication gradually, and do not reduce or stop the medication without permission. Many parents are afraid of using hormones. In fact, inhaled corticosteroids, as long as they are administered in regular doses, will not have a significant impact on physical development. On the contrary, it is more harmful if the medication is used and stopped, and asthma attacks occur all the time. Long-term clinical practice has confirmed that long-term low-dose use of inhaled glucocorticoids for asthma is safe and effective. Some studies have shown that even after 7-11 years of use, there is no significant effect on children’s height, weight, intelligence and other growth and development. In addition, there is no relevant evidence that long-term inhaled glucocorticosteroid treatment is significantly correlated with the occurrence of obesity and hormone dependence. Therefore, as long as you follow the doctor’s instructions and adhere to regular treatment, there is no need to worry too much!