Bronchial asthma is a chronic inflammatory disease of the airways involving multiple cells and cellular components. Childhood asthma is defined as bronchial asthma in patients with an age of onset between 0 and 14 years. The prevalence of childhood asthma in China has reached 2-7%, which has doubled compared to 10 years ago, yet 50% of the children are diagnosed 3 years after the onset of the disease and only 5% of the diagnosed children receive regular treatment.
The current state of asthma control in China is far from the long-term asthma management goals mentioned in the GINA programme (Global Initiative for Asthma Control). Asthma in children is unique and differs significantly from adult asthma in some ways. Children are in the process of continuous physical, immune and psychological growth and development, with dynamic characteristics of continuous development and improvement, so early, regular and active prevention and treatment can achieve clinical cure and prevent childhood asthma from developing into severe asthma with airway remodeling. In our clinical work, we found that many parents have been treating their children, visiting many hospitals, seeing many doctors, using a lot of Chinese and Western medicines for their children, and spending a lot of financial resources, but the efficacy is not satisfactory, and their children still have frequent asthma attacks.
Summarized a few reasons.
1. Not recognizing the nature of asthma, always imagining a short-term “cure”, thinking that the child is “cured” if he does not wheeze anymore, and not using the medicine according to the doctor’s advice.
2. Not recognizing the causes of asthma, not finding allergens as early as possible, and not taking measures to keep children away from allergens.
3.Limited level of medical unit, missed diagnosis, misdiagnosis, repeated abuse of antibiotics to treat children’s asthma, aggravating the child’s condition.
4. “Inhaled glucocorticoids are the basic measure for long-term asthma control” and “Specific immunotherapy (desensitization) is the only allopathic treatment that can change the immune mechanism” are not known or not accepted.
Not all children with asthma present with asthma from the beginning.
If your child has any of the following conditions, he or she should also be seen by an asthma clinic or allergist as soon as possible.
1. Recurrent cough for more than one month, mainly in the morning and at night, often with an irritating dry cough, for which the application of antibiotics is ineffective.
2. Allergy to certain irritating odors, sneezing and coughing, allergy to seafood, certain tropical fruits, and some medications.
3. Irritating dry cough and chest tightness easily appear after exercise, cold, inhalation of cold air or consumption of cold drinks.
4. Have frequent sneezing, runny nose, nasal congestion, itchy nose, itchy eyes, etc., with obvious morning attacks or obvious seasonality.
5.Have obvious history of eczema.
6.Have a family history of allergic diseases.
There are two main causes of asthma in children.
1.Related to exposure to allergens.
2, induced by viruses and other infections. According to statistics, 60-80% of children’s asthma is caused by allergies, and about 80% of children with allergic asthma are caused by house dust mite allergy. Therefore, it is especially important to find allergens as early as possible to remove the child from the allergenic environment. Currently, there are two types of allergen detection methods: in vivo and in vitro tests. In vivo tests include skin tests and excitation tests. The skin test is an elicitation test using allergens on the skin, which includes patch, scratch, intradermal and prick tests. The excitation test is performed by intranasal, bronchial or gastrointestinal administration of the allergen, and the results are judged by observing local and systemic reactions, so there is a certain degree of risk. In vitro testing involves drawing blood to detect antibodies to an allergen in the blood, i.e. measuring specific IgE in the blood, but an approved laboratory method such as the ImmunoCAP system should be used. Long-term control therapy is the key to treating asthma.
Criteria for long-term asthma control.
1. minimal or no symptoms, including nocturnal symptoms.
2. minimal asthma attacks.
3. normal or near normal lung function.
4. no restriction of physical activity and exercise
5. minimal use of reliever medications.
6. no emergency room visits for asthma
7. minimal or no adverse drug reactions.
Long-term inhaled glucocorticosteroids as directed by a physician are an important treatment for childhood asthma, and specific immunotherapy (desensitization) is the only treatment that can affect the underlying mechanisms of allergic disease and thus alter its natural course. The side effects of inhaled hormone therapy have always been a major concern for parents of children with asthma, and some parents of children even fear that inhaled hormones may affect their children’s development and are resistant to inhaled hormone therapy. However, clinically speaking, inhaled glucocorticosteroids act directly on the local airways, and the dose of the drug is very small, so that it can be absorbed into the circulatory system even more minimally. Successful specific immunotherapy will enable the child to get rid of the drugs and get long-term clinical remission.
For the best treatment program for children with asthma.
1. good patient and parent education.
2.Early and correct diagnosis and avoidance of allergen exposure.
3. correct and standardized medication (mainly inhaled glucocorticoids.
4, specific immunotherapy (desensitization).
If your child does the above four points, he or she will definitely be able to get rid of asthma and breathe freely.