Asthma Health Center

Medical Reference Related to Asthma

101. Topic Overview
     

     Asthma is the most common long-lasting (chronic) disease of childhood. It usually develops before age 5. 1 Many children who have allergies get asthma,but not all. And not every child with asthma has allergies. In most cases of persistent asthma,the first symptoms (such as wheezing ) start in the first years of life. One study notes that about 25% of children with persistent asthma began ...

102. Asthma: Using an Asthma Action Plan
     

     When you or your child has asthma, you need to treat the underlying inflammation to avoid long - term lung damage, and you need to know how to quickly treat a sudden increase in your asthma symptoms (asthma attack). You do this through daily treatment and action plans.A daily asthma treatment plan says in writing how you are to treat the daily inflammation in the lungs. It helps prevent or slow th

103. Asthma: Educating Yourself and Your Child - Topic Overview
     

     Educating yourself and your family about asthma is essential for you and your child to have control of the disease. If you understand asthma,you will have an easier time following the different aspects of treatment,such as avoiding substances that cause symptoms (triggers) and knowing what to do during an asthma attack. Educate yourself or your child about: Asthma. Learn all that you can ...

104. Asthma Action Plan: Red Zone - Topic Overview
     

     An asthma action plan is a written plan of what to do if you have an asthma attack. You are in the red zone of your asthma action plan if you have severe asthma symptoms. Symptoms include: Peak expiratory flow less than 50% of your personal best measurement. To find 50% of your personal best,multiply your personal best measurement by 0.50. For example,if your personal best flow is 400,then ...

105. Asthma in Children - What Increases Your Risk
     

     Many factors may increase the risk of a child developing asthma. Some of these are not within your control; others you can control.Asthma risk factors that you cannot controlGender. Among children, boys have asthma more often than girls (until the teen years, when prevalence is even). In young adults, women have asthma more often than men.Race. Asthma is more common in black children than in ...

106. Anticholinergics for Asthma
     

     Drug details for Anticholinergics for asthma.

107. Asthma in Children - Prevention
     

     While there is no certain way to prevent asthma, you can take steps to reduce your child's airway inflammation and the likelihood of asthma attacks.One study has found that feeding an infant breast milk exclusively in the first 9 months of life may reduce the child's risk of developing asthma.9 However, other studies indicate that there is no protective effect and that breast - feeding may increas

108. Classification of Asthma - Topic Overview
     

     The National Asthma Education and Prevention Program has classified asthma as: Intermittent. Mild persistent. Moderate persistent. Severe persistent. These classifications are based on severity,which is determined by symptoms and lung function tests. You should be assigned to the most severe category in which any feature occurs. 1 Classification is based on symptoms before treatment. ...

109. Asthma in Children - Frequently Asked Questions
     

     Learning about asthma:What is asthma?What causes asthma?Can I prevent asthma or asthma attacks?What are the symptoms of asthma?What happens in asthma?What increases my child's risk of having asthma?How is the severity of asthma classified?What is exercise - induced asthma?Who is affected?Being diagnosed:Who can diagnose asthma?How is asthma diagnosed?How does my child measure peak expiratory ...

110. Asthma in Children - When to Call a Doctor
     

     If your child has been diagnosed with asthma and has an asthma action plan (which tells you what medications to take during an asthma attack), do the following. Callor other emergency services immediately if your child has severe asthma symptoms (in the red zone of the asthma action plan) and you have followed the plan, but:Your child is still having severe difficulty breathing.20 to 30 minutes ..

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