Sadly, asthma in infants, and children in general, is on the increase. The Communicable Disease Center in Atlanta, GA, studied asthma between 1980 and 1998 and arrived at two alarming conclusions:
* The first is that asthma increased in infants by a whopping 138%
* In the early 1980s, the average age for the first recognition of asthma was the age of three to five years but by 1998, this age had decreased to only one year.
No one is certain why this trend is increasing, although there are numerous ideas that center around such factors as
1. Air quality
2. Exposure to second hand smoke
3. Nutritional deficiencies
But what is undeniable is that infant asthma is on the rise - perhaps a very steep rise.
Diagnosis of Infant Asthma
Obviously, diagnosis is more difficult in an infant asthma patient than any other. The sufferer cannot tell anyone that he is having difficulty breathing and cannot rest at night. Plus, a normal asthma test cannot be administered to a baby, obviously.
In infants and adults, asthma is the same - that is, the lungs are abnormally sensitive to stimuli that cause breathing difficulty. In infants, these "triggers" can be:
* Any kind of cold or respiratory inflammation
* Cold, wintry, freezing air
* Excessive excitement or over-stimulation
* Rapid temperature changes, such as those that occur in spring or autumn
* Classic allergens like pet fur and dander, dust, mold, insects
* Stress, which can be present in any life - even an infant's
* And, especially, exposure to cigarette smoke
* Lack of enough rest
It is the duty of parents to be alert to any sign of infant asthma, although most often this condition is discovered by accident. The concerned parent may take her child to the pediatrician believing that her baby has bronchitis, only to discovered that the true culprit is asthma.
There is good news, though, in the war against asthma in infants and the first positive note is that the child's life doesn't have to change much. Mom & Dad are the ones who will be responsible for regular doctor visits, schedules and any necessary medication.
Another positive note is that asthma deaths are extremely rare among babies. In fact, the older that patient is, the more the death rate increases. However, the death rate from asthma is low at any age. According to the American Lung Association, 154 children below the age of 15 dies in 2003, while 671 adults over the age of 85 died.
Asthma need not be a problem, even for an infant. With proper care and attention, it is a manageable annoyance rather than a crisis.
To learn more about asthma in kids and how you can best protect your tiny loved ones, check out AsthmaAnswersOnline.com which offers asthma facts to understand and control asthma symptoms.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Timothy_H._Jackson
Saturday, December 12, 2009
All About Infant Asthma
Asthma in infants can be caused by family history of asthma disease, mother smoking when pregnant, exposing the infant to air pollution and viral infections. Asthma infant can be a very stressing time to the baby and the parents. Medical attention should be sought immediately any symptoms are detected. These can be wheezing, coughing, and shortness of breath.
Proper medication should be given to the baby to prevent and control the attacks. Due to the rising prevalence of asthma, you will find that asthma infant is also on the rise. As a result of urbanization, many women do not take care of themselves when pregnant and after giving birth. Some smoke when pregnant. This increases the chances of a baby having the condition. Exposing an infant to the weather elements after birth can cause infections to the lungs. These infections can trigger an asthma condition in the baby.
An asthma infant needs special care. The feeding schedule should also be followed keenly. Breast feeding exclusively is the best option. A mother or the guardian should learn the triggers to the asthma attacks. Avoiding such things is necessary. A baby may have allergic reactions too. These can also trigger an attack.
The good this with asthma infant is that it disappears with time. This is with proper medication, treatment and feeding. By the time the infant is five years, the condition can have disappeared completely or the condition is very mild. An infant with this condition needs a lot of care, love and support from the family. This is to make him grow as normally as he can possibly be.
Mercy Maranga Reports on Health and Fitness issues. Visit Her Site here for more information on asthma and its management Asthma - Who Gets It
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Mercy_Maranga
Proper medication should be given to the baby to prevent and control the attacks. Due to the rising prevalence of asthma, you will find that asthma infant is also on the rise. As a result of urbanization, many women do not take care of themselves when pregnant and after giving birth. Some smoke when pregnant. This increases the chances of a baby having the condition. Exposing an infant to the weather elements after birth can cause infections to the lungs. These infections can trigger an asthma condition in the baby.
An asthma infant needs special care. The feeding schedule should also be followed keenly. Breast feeding exclusively is the best option. A mother or the guardian should learn the triggers to the asthma attacks. Avoiding such things is necessary. A baby may have allergic reactions too. These can also trigger an attack.
The good this with asthma infant is that it disappears with time. This is with proper medication, treatment and feeding. By the time the infant is five years, the condition can have disappeared completely or the condition is very mild. An infant with this condition needs a lot of care, love and support from the family. This is to make him grow as normally as he can possibly be.
Mercy Maranga Reports on Health and Fitness issues. Visit Her Site here for more information on asthma and its management Asthma - Who Gets It
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Mercy_Maranga
What Are The Signs Of Infant Asthma
Asthma can be dangerous for adults and children alike. It's very different when we're talking about infants, however. Infant asthma is extremely dangerous.
Because infants have lungs that are less developed and strong when compared to older children, an asthma attack for them is quite deadly. A baby suffering from an asthma attack can quickly have lung failure.
This is scary for any parent. But remember, the more you know about this condition, the better you'll be able to determine whether or not your baby has this condition. And, you'll know what to do.
Observe your infant very closely, especially when he or she gets excited. Watch to see how your baby's breathing changes. Sometimes an small child with this this condition will experiencing wheezing as they breathe. If there is a lot of wheezing and what seems to be shortness of breath, it may be a sign of infant asthma.
If you notice that your baby does a lot of coughing, and if the coughs sound 'tight' or as if he or she can't catch his or her breath, you could be looking at symptoms.
It's urgent that you take your baby to a good doctor who can see if your baby has infant asthma. Babies are more vulnerable to the risks associated with asthma than anyone else. You need to get your baby to the doctor if you think he or she has asthma.
The good news is that there are treatments for this condition. By getting your baby diagnosed and on a treatment plan, you can prevent a tragedy. You can learn about these plans and treatments through your baby's doctor.
So, get your baby to the doctor if he or she experiences any of the signs above. There are some other tips you should follow: Don't wear powerful perfumes that may very well irritate your baby's symptoms, and don't smoke in the house.
Take care of your baby and learn what you can about infant asthma. The more educated you are, the better you are able to handle a baby with asthma.
Sick and tired of dealing with your asthma day in and day out? Come on over to Natural Asthma Cures and find out what you can do today to help prevent asthma attacks and treat your asthma naturally
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Sydney_Jaclyn
Because infants have lungs that are less developed and strong when compared to older children, an asthma attack for them is quite deadly. A baby suffering from an asthma attack can quickly have lung failure.
This is scary for any parent. But remember, the more you know about this condition, the better you'll be able to determine whether or not your baby has this condition. And, you'll know what to do.
Observe your infant very closely, especially when he or she gets excited. Watch to see how your baby's breathing changes. Sometimes an small child with this this condition will experiencing wheezing as they breathe. If there is a lot of wheezing and what seems to be shortness of breath, it may be a sign of infant asthma.
If you notice that your baby does a lot of coughing, and if the coughs sound 'tight' or as if he or she can't catch his or her breath, you could be looking at symptoms.
It's urgent that you take your baby to a good doctor who can see if your baby has infant asthma. Babies are more vulnerable to the risks associated with asthma than anyone else. You need to get your baby to the doctor if you think he or she has asthma.
The good news is that there are treatments for this condition. By getting your baby diagnosed and on a treatment plan, you can prevent a tragedy. You can learn about these plans and treatments through your baby's doctor.
So, get your baby to the doctor if he or she experiences any of the signs above. There are some other tips you should follow: Don't wear powerful perfumes that may very well irritate your baby's symptoms, and don't smoke in the house.
Take care of your baby and learn what you can about infant asthma. The more educated you are, the better you are able to handle a baby with asthma.
Sick and tired of dealing with your asthma day in and day out? Come on over to Natural Asthma Cures and find out what you can do today to help prevent asthma attacks and treat your asthma naturally
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Sydney_Jaclyn
What Is Infant Asthma
Asthma is a very serious and common disease, one that affects millions of people worldwide. Of the estimated 20 million Americans suffering from asthma, there are approximately 9 million cases of childhood asthma. As you can see, child asthma is very common and can actually be more serious than adult asthma.
An Explanation of Child Asthma
When a child breathes, air travels between their mouth and their lungs. When a child takes a breath they take the air that is around them and they make it go down into your lungs. (Actually, they don't h ave to think about this process, their body takes care of that for them.) Between their mouth and their lungs are airways or tubes which is the road that the air travels on to get to where it is going. When your child exhales or breathes out the used air takes the same road to go from their lungs and out their mouth. When this air is in their lungs, their body takes the oxygen it needs from the air and tells their body to get rid of the rest by breathing out.
They don't have to tell their body to keep breathing, it just knows that it has to and they couldn't stop it for very long even if they wanted to. They can try holding their breath, (and sometimes children will) but their body will be fighting to make them breathe again and eventually they will have to give in and take a breath. If they hold their breath too long, their body won't get the oxygen that it needs and they can pass out as a result (not a healthy thing to do) and then their body will start breathing again on its own.
For a child with asthma, the roads or tubes that the air uses to get back and forth from their lungs are constantly swollen and irritated. Normally this is not a big problem, but the fact that the tubes are already irritated makes them very susceptible to things your child might be allergic to or that your child's body just finds irritating. When these tubes do get irritated they get smaller.
It would be like taking a drink through a straw. With a normal sized straw, your child can take a drink without a problem. If they try taking a drink with a very, very small straw, they have to try much harder to get that drink and they will probably get very frustrated because they can't get enough of a drink to satisfy their thirst.
That's what happens to a child with child asthma. When their airways or roads get irritated by some outside factor like maybe a certain food that they are allergic to, these airways start to get smaller and smaller. When that happens, it is like taking a drink through a very small straw. The difference is that with a drink you can just stop trying to take a drink until you find a bigger straw. With breathing you can't do that. Your body will keep trying to breathe even if your tubes become very small. This can become very terrifying for a child with child asthma.
Unfortunately, when something happens to a child with asthma to irritate their airways, it sets off a chain reaction of events that make the airways even smaller, making it harder and harder to breathe. The muscles around the airways tighten up making the airways smaller, inflammation or swelling increases causing the airways to become even smaller, cells in the airways make more mucus which leaves even less room for the air to get through, all of which makes it harder and harder to breathe. When this is happening it is usually called an asthma attack or an asthma episode.
Some asthma attacks are worse than others. If the airways become so small that the lungs can't get enough oxygen from the little bit of air that is getting through, then it becomes a medical emergency. Your child's body has to have oxygen in order to survive. If their body is not getting enough oxygen, their vital organs can cease to function and death can result.
Asthma is a very serious condition and the number of people that have it is actually going up despite the billions being spent on prescription medications.
Bob Hughes has a website devoted to providing easy to understand information about asthma. Lots of information is also provided about the many natural treatments and remedies that are available to cure asthma.
To check out this information please visit my site at: http://www.natural-asthmatreatment.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Bob_Hughes
An Explanation of Child Asthma
When a child breathes, air travels between their mouth and their lungs. When a child takes a breath they take the air that is around them and they make it go down into your lungs. (Actually, they don't h ave to think about this process, their body takes care of that for them.) Between their mouth and their lungs are airways or tubes which is the road that the air travels on to get to where it is going. When your child exhales or breathes out the used air takes the same road to go from their lungs and out their mouth. When this air is in their lungs, their body takes the oxygen it needs from the air and tells their body to get rid of the rest by breathing out.
They don't have to tell their body to keep breathing, it just knows that it has to and they couldn't stop it for very long even if they wanted to. They can try holding their breath, (and sometimes children will) but their body will be fighting to make them breathe again and eventually they will have to give in and take a breath. If they hold their breath too long, their body won't get the oxygen that it needs and they can pass out as a result (not a healthy thing to do) and then their body will start breathing again on its own.
For a child with asthma, the roads or tubes that the air uses to get back and forth from their lungs are constantly swollen and irritated. Normally this is not a big problem, but the fact that the tubes are already irritated makes them very susceptible to things your child might be allergic to or that your child's body just finds irritating. When these tubes do get irritated they get smaller.
It would be like taking a drink through a straw. With a normal sized straw, your child can take a drink without a problem. If they try taking a drink with a very, very small straw, they have to try much harder to get that drink and they will probably get very frustrated because they can't get enough of a drink to satisfy their thirst.
That's what happens to a child with child asthma. When their airways or roads get irritated by some outside factor like maybe a certain food that they are allergic to, these airways start to get smaller and smaller. When that happens, it is like taking a drink through a very small straw. The difference is that with a drink you can just stop trying to take a drink until you find a bigger straw. With breathing you can't do that. Your body will keep trying to breathe even if your tubes become very small. This can become very terrifying for a child with child asthma.
Unfortunately, when something happens to a child with asthma to irritate their airways, it sets off a chain reaction of events that make the airways even smaller, making it harder and harder to breathe. The muscles around the airways tighten up making the airways smaller, inflammation or swelling increases causing the airways to become even smaller, cells in the airways make more mucus which leaves even less room for the air to get through, all of which makes it harder and harder to breathe. When this is happening it is usually called an asthma attack or an asthma episode.
Some asthma attacks are worse than others. If the airways become so small that the lungs can't get enough oxygen from the little bit of air that is getting through, then it becomes a medical emergency. Your child's body has to have oxygen in order to survive. If their body is not getting enough oxygen, their vital organs can cease to function and death can result.
Asthma is a very serious condition and the number of people that have it is actually going up despite the billions being spent on prescription medications.
Bob Hughes has a website devoted to providing easy to understand information about asthma. Lots of information is also provided about the many natural treatments and remedies that are available to cure asthma.
To check out this information please visit my site at: http://www.natural-asthmatreatment.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Bob_Hughes
How To Identify And Treat Infant Asthma
Asthma affects children between the ages of 5 and 12 but can start at infancy. Estimates differ, but between 10 percent and 20 percent of children below the age of 18 are believed to be asthmatic.
The disease is hard to diagnose in infancy. Generally the only symptoms are a persistent cough at night that may subside during the day. Alternatively, the cough may be intermittent throughout the 24 hours. Wheezing is also common with infants, but this does not necessarily point towards asthma. Usually wheezing is the result of a viral respiratory infection to which infants are particularly vulnerable. Another possible symptom might be difficult and rapid breathing. The baby should be closely observed to see if the symptoms follow any pattern.
The disease is more likely to develop in a baby with a family history of asthma and allergies.
It is a chronic lung disease that makes the airways swell up, tighten and produce an excess of mucus. As it is difficult to diagnose in an infant, many doctors prefer to err on the right side and treat a persistent respiratory condition as asthma. This is to preclude damage to the lungs that might result from uncontrolled and persistent asthma. The early use of anti-inflammatory medication generally prevents this.
Here are two simple tips to identify and treat infant asthma:
1. If a cough persists even after the cold subsides, suspect asthma. Observe the symptoms to see if there is a pattern when the cough is at its peak and whether there is any indication of heavy or labored breathing.
2. Follow the medication prescribed by the health care provider. Also ensure the infant is protected from dust, noxious odors, cigarette smoke, pets and anything else that might act as an irritant and trigger an asthmatic attack.
About Author:
Pauline Go is an online leading expert in the medical industry. She also offers top quality articles like :
Incurable Diseases , Allergic Asthma Signs
The disease is hard to diagnose in infancy. Generally the only symptoms are a persistent cough at night that may subside during the day. Alternatively, the cough may be intermittent throughout the 24 hours. Wheezing is also common with infants, but this does not necessarily point towards asthma. Usually wheezing is the result of a viral respiratory infection to which infants are particularly vulnerable. Another possible symptom might be difficult and rapid breathing. The baby should be closely observed to see if the symptoms follow any pattern.
The disease is more likely to develop in a baby with a family history of asthma and allergies.
It is a chronic lung disease that makes the airways swell up, tighten and produce an excess of mucus. As it is difficult to diagnose in an infant, many doctors prefer to err on the right side and treat a persistent respiratory condition as asthma. This is to preclude damage to the lungs that might result from uncontrolled and persistent asthma. The early use of anti-inflammatory medication generally prevents this.
Here are two simple tips to identify and treat infant asthma:
1. If a cough persists even after the cold subsides, suspect asthma. Observe the symptoms to see if there is a pattern when the cough is at its peak and whether there is any indication of heavy or labored breathing.
2. Follow the medication prescribed by the health care provider. Also ensure the infant is protected from dust, noxious odors, cigarette smoke, pets and anything else that might act as an irritant and trigger an asthmatic attack.
About Author:
Pauline Go is an online leading expert in the medical industry. She also offers top quality articles like :
Incurable Diseases , Allergic Asthma Signs
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