Infant Asthma
Identifying and Treating Infant Asthma
The onset of asthma at any age is frightening but in the case of infant asthma, the challenge is that for young children they are unable to tell you about having trouble breathing. Although asthma in extremely young children is uncommon, it does occur. Because of this, it is important that all parents understand the symptoms so they can be watchful and if anything were noticed, medical diagnosis and treatment should be immediate.
Before we get into the symptoms and treatments used for infant asthma, we felt it is important to let parents know that with proper diagnosis and following the doctor’s orders for treatment, asthma is controllable. Although this disease is very serious, when managed a person can live a normal life with few, if any restrictions. Therefore, if you have a small child diagnosed with infant asthma, you need to know this disease does not have to be a life sentence of misery and health risk.
Typically, asthma in children would be identified between the ages of five and twelve years of age but in rare cases, infant asthma can develop. Asthma is a serious disease of the lungs, which causes air passageways to narrow. When this happens, breathing becomes difficult. If an attack is not treated immediately, air is cut off completely, which puts the child in a life-threatening situation.
One aspect of asthma that most do not understand is that the problem is not getting air in. Instead, during an asthma attack, the individual has trouble exhaling. Not to scare parents but if asthma is not treated and controlled, it can be fatal so when it comes to infant asthma, being aware of symptoms so treatment could be started is imperative. Interestingly, some experts now believe that infant asthma is linked to being on antibiotics within the first year of life.
For infant asthma, the most common triggers include smoke (fireplace or tobacco), cold air, pet dander, paint aroma, stuffed animals with soft fur, mold, flour left open in the kitchen, allergies, hyperactivity, and some chemicals. Regarding symptoms associated with infant asthma, when around or exposed to any of these triggers, the child would have long spells of coughing. It would also be likely that the child would wheeze when breathing. For some children, a complaint of the chest hurting might be raised, which would be tightness associated with asthma. If you were to notice one or both of these symptoms, seek medical attention right away.
The treatment of infant asthma focuses on two things – prevention and controlling an attack. The most common types of treatment include administering medication such as oral liquid steroids, inhalers, and inhibitors. Additionally, for very small children with infant asthma, a breathing machine is highly beneficial. For this, medication is added to a small compartment and water in another. Steam is produced, which mixes with the medication for the child to breathe. Usually, a breathing treatment will stop an attack from becoming full-blown.
In addition to the various medications and treatments used for infant asthma, you should also consider possible triggers in the home to remove them. This might mean getting rid of a cat or dog, having any mold professionally removed, putting in hardwood floors instead of carpeting, using organic cleaners instead of chemicals, keeping the child’s activity as calm as possible, and maintaining temperature in the home so it is consistent in that frequent climate changes can also spur an attack.