Asthma is a chronic (long-lasting) inflammatory disease of the airways. When asthma begins in childhood, it often does so in a child who is likely, for genetic reasons, to become sensitized to common allergens in the environment (atopic person). Children are more vulnerable to develop asthma as their immune system does not have enough protective antibodies. Meanwhile, children spend more time indoors and are exposed to more and more dust, air pollution, and secondhand smoke. You may improve your symptoms by following your asthma care plan written up by your doctors and review it regularly, though it is an incurable illness.
Wheezing and coughing are common symptoms of asthma. Coughing is most likely to happen:
- At night
- During the early hours of the morning
- In cool weather
- During exercise.
Asthma tends to run in families. It is also associated with other conditions such as eczema, hayfever and allergies. Asthma is triggered by different things for different children. Some common triggers are:
- Colds
- Changes in the weather
- Cigarette smoke
- Dust and dust mites
- Pollen
- Some animals.
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Asthma can be well controlled with the appropriate medication in almost all children. With treatment and proper management, almost all children with asthma can play sports, enjoy leisure activities and lead active lives. The medicines work by either opening the narrow airways or preventing them from narrowing in the first place. The two common types are:
- Relievers - quick acting and used during an attack to open the airways (such as Bricanyl, Respolin and Ventolin).
- Preventers - slow acting and used to prevent an attack from occurring (such as Becotide, Intal and Pulmicort).
