According to the Asthma Society of Ireland, asthma affects about 15% of children in Ireland. Childhood asthma is very often linked to allergies. It is also more common where there is a family history of asthma and where parents suffer from allergies such as eczema, hives and rhinitis. Smoking during pregnancy also increases the risk of asthma in babies and children.
Many children will outgrow their asthma as they get older with most free of it by the early teens.
Symptoms of Asthma in Children
The symptoms of asthma in children are similar to those for adults, with night time cough and restlessness and insomnia at night being the most common.
Trigger Factors for Childhood Asthma
If you suspect that your child may have asthma it is important to visit the GP and discuss the pattern of symptoms and possible triggers. It is helpful to keep a diary of symptoms and environmental factors which the child may have been exposed to. This will help your doctor in the diagnosis and help you to identify trigger factors.
Common Asthma Trigger Factors in Children Include:
Pollen - this is often a problem in summer when pollen counts may be high. Children with asthma should also not play in barns and near hay bales and should not be around when grass is mowed.
Pets - these should preferably be kept outside. If they are indoors they should not be allowed in carpeted rooms, especially the bedroom.
Dust mite - these tiny creatures live in bedding, curtains, soft toys, carpets etc. These items should be washed/vacuumed regularly and the bedroom kept as dust free as possible
Damp - hanging washing in the house can add moisture to the air
Cigarette smoke - if adults in the family smoke this should be strictly confined to outdoors.If you are a parent of an asthmatic child you should consider smoking cessation.
Exercise - exercise induced asthma can usually be controlled by administration of a bronchodilator inhaler about half and hour before sport.
Treatment of Asthma in Children
Treatment for asthma in children is similar to that used for adults with “preventer” and “reliever“ inhalers being the most common medications prescribed.
Children under 7 years may find it hard to use these, but this problem can be overcome with the use of a spacer device. These can even be used for asthma in babies.
Children who suffer with asthma should have a written asthma action plan which should be made available to all carers. Although most only experience mild exacerbation of their asthma, a severe asthma attack can be very frightening for both child and parent. It is important to keep calm and reassure the child who should be kept in a sitting position leaning slightly forwards. Administer the prescribed medications and follow your child's asthma action plan.
From time to time we run asthma information days in store. If you would like to be informed of these please speak to staff, or follow us on facebook.
Asthma Attack Video
The following video describes asthma and what happens during an asthma attack. Children and adults give their descriptions of an asthma attack. We have assembled more videos on asthma on the LucanPharmacy Youtube channel.
Asthma Video Lucan Pharmacy