Asthma is one of the most common chronic diseases worldwide, and more than half of asthma attacks are concentrated in the first half of the year between April and May. In this year’s “World Asthma Day” publicity reporter learned that China, in the past 20 years, the prevalence of asthma has increased, only children with asthma up to 10 million. Most people lack scientific knowledge about asthma and there are many misunderstandings. Some people treat asthma as other diseases, while others treat other diseases as asthma and delay the treatment.
Lack of scientific knowledge about asthma and irregular treatment have led to many cases being delayed
The incidence of asthma is increasing year by year, almost doubling every 10 years, due to the influence of air and atmospheric pollution and the increase of chemical composition food and other factors. According to incomplete statistics, there are 300 million asthma patients worldwide, and there are as many as 10 million children with asthma in China alone. However, because of the lack of scientific knowledge about asthma and irregular treatment, many cases are always delayed.
Four major misconceptions
1.Mistaking milk-induced asthma for fire
The number of recurrent asthma cases caused by milk, egg and soy milk allergies in children under the age of 1 is increasing, and more than 60% of recurrent asthma is caused by milk allergy. If a milk-fed child has frequent vomiting and diarrhea, recurrent asthma attacks, eczema, atopic dermatitis and other symptoms, milk allergy should be highly suspected and parents should take the child to the hospital for milk-specific IgE testing to determine if it is a milk allergy.
2.Mistaking asthma for a cold
Asthma can coexist with allergic rhinitis. The first symptoms of asthma in some infants and children are runny nose, recurrent or persistent cough, or wheezing during respiratory infections, which can easily be misdiagnosed as bronchitis or pneumonia. Therefore, if a child has repeated “colds” that develop each time into lower respiratory tract, breathing difficulties, chest tightness and cough, or has allergic eczema or allergic rhinitis, and has a history of allergies such as asthma in parents or family, the possibility of asthma should be considered, and antibiotics and cold medicines should not be used endlessly as simple respiratory infections. Children with eczema are prone to allergic rhinitis (i.e., allergic rhinitis), which can then lead to asthma. Therefore, when children have recurrent eczema must be vigilant.
3. Misconception that children who are not exposed to viruses are not prone to asthma
Children from large families, those who entered nursery school early and those who had been infected with tuberculosis and measles had significantly lower rates of asthma and allergic diseases than children from small families, those who entered nursery school late and those who had never been infected with tuberculosis and measles. Currently, many children suffer from asthma because they have not had multiple “exposures” or infections to viruses and bacteria, such as colds and gastroenteritis, before the age of 2. In fact, each exposure to viruses and germs causes the child’s body to regulate, which allows the immune system to develop in a balanced and mature manner, reducing the chance of developing asthma later in life.
The incidence of asthma in children is increasing year by year and is closely related to environmental factors in addition to genetic factors. The high incidence of asthma in children is mainly related to three major environmental causes: first, the home environment is extravagant, carpets, curtains, draperies and other items make the living room crowded, warm, breeding mites; second, the hygiene is too good, reducing bacterial infections, coupled with the overuse of antibiotics, so that children grow up with increased chances of variant diseases; third, physical exercise is reduced, and more and more obese children.
4.Mistakenly believe that all asthma will “wheeze”
Asthma symptoms do not have to have wheezing to be called asthma, there is a kind of asthma called “cough variant asthma”, only cough, no wheezing, dry cough mainly, night and early morning attacks are obvious, antibiotics are not effective. There is also “exercise asthma”, which is usually asymptomatic and only occurs after strenuous exercise when coughing and shortness of breath or wheezing occur. This atypical form of asthma is not uncommon in young people and children. “For example, some students run with their classmates, and when they run, they can’t run anymore and feel tightness in their chest when they stop. In other children, crying suddenly stops and turns into a non-stop cough. Both of these phenomena, if they occur frequently, may also be asthma.”
Asthma has a relationship with heredity
Asthma has a genetic link, and allergic diseases often run in families, and it is common for children with asthma to have a family history of asthma. Studies show that if both parents have asthma, their children’s chances of developing asthma can be as high as 60-70%; if one parent has asthma, the children’s chances drop to 20%; and if neither parent has asthma, the children’s chances of developing asthma are only about 6%. At the same time, the more asthmatic people in close relatives, the more likely the next generation is to suffer from asthma. This suggests on the one hand that asthma may be genetically related, and on the other hand, it does not exclude that parents and children live in the same environment as the families of patients without asthma.
A Swedish study of 1000 twin pairs found that the incidence of asthma was much higher in monozygotic twins than in dizygotic twins, which means that asthma does have a considerable genetic relationship.
Asthma in children can affect lung function for life
Some parents think that the occasional cough and shortness of breath in children with asthma is not serious. In fact, occasional coughs and asthma can be life-threatening in a single attack if not taken seriously. Globally, 180,000 people die from asthma each year, and a significant number of them are young adults. The reason for this is that patients delay diagnosis and treatment.
If left untreated, asthma in children will affect their lifelong lung function once irreversible damage to the airway wall structure occurs, i.e., airway remodeling. Some children with asthma will experience varying degrees of relief as they grow and develop, but some of them will still have relapses as adults. Therefore, children with asthma should be treated early – early detection, early diagnosis, early treatment and early prevention.
Regular treatment can control symptoms
Asthma can be controlled with regular treatment, and can be kept free of attacks for a long time. The best way to control asthma is to use a small amount of glucocorticoid nebulizer for a long time. It is incorrect for a few parents to assume that their child is well when their asthma symptoms have disappeared and they no longer use medication. In addition, it is important to remember that antibiotics are not effective for asthma except in cases of asthma co-infection.
If you suspect that your child has cough variant asthma, you should consult a doctor promptly, confirm the diagnosis early, and actively look for allergens (commonly inhalation of certain plant pollen, house dust, mites, fungal spores, animal dander, fish and shrimp in food or contact with paints and dyes, etc.), and carefully observe what factors exist before each coughing attack to find the allergens and avoid them to prevent re-exposure.
Proper diet can reduce asthma
In daily life, asthma patients can also be reduced by paying attention to their diet.
1, eat more vitamin-rich foods. Such as foods rich in vitamins A, C and E, to prevent the development of asthma has a protective effect.
2, calcium food, calcium in addition to the role of promoting bone growth and development, but also has anti-allergy and other functions. Therefore, asthma patients can eat more food containing high calcium.
3, eat more food containing magnesium. Asthma attack with hypomagnesemia, may be related to insufficient intake of magnesium. Magnesium sulfate can effectively reduce the tension of the bronchial smooth muscle when the asthma attack, with antispasmodic, sedative and other effects.
4, drink more water. Asthma patients drink more water is very important, drinking water not only replenishes water, but also can dilute the phlegm, which is conducive to the discharge of sticky phlegm.