Asthma In Toddlers And Children

Asthma In Toddlers And Children
By Sven Ullmann

The worse thing than childhood is in toddlers.
Most children who have developed the disease while they
were still toddlers. With a reported 5 million American children
suffering from asthma, 173 thousand of them hospitalized for
severe symptoms and 864 thousand receiving emergency treatment
annually, it is important that your toddler be evaluated for
asthma as early as possible. 

Since it is more difficult to diagnose among infants and
toddlers, it would be best to look for signs or symptoms that
characterize the disease. Many cases of deaths were due
to the parents' failure to recognize the severity of the
toddler's condition. Common colds and respiratory diseases such
as bronchitis can exhibit asthma-like symptoms. But this does
not mean you should ignore your child especially when he has
difficulty in breathing or a wheezing cough. 

When your toddler is diagnosed with asthma, it does not mean he
will be forever afflicted with the disease. On the contrary,
there are lots of documented cases where the toddler's no
longer persisted into adulthood. It can also be deduced from
this observation that toddlers are more susceptible to asthma
triggers but develops immunity as they grow older. 

A toddler with will have persistent cough that is
hacking and congested. Sometimes the toddler may have wheezing
cough and sometimes have none. In addition to this symptom, your
toddler will display muscle retractions and flaring nostrils. He
would also experience difficulty in breathing making feedings
impossible. You will also observe your toddler rapidly breathing
even while he sleeps. If you think, your toddler is breathing
too rapidly, you should take him to the nearest hospital. 

Another sign you should watch out for is your toddler's lack of
stamina and enthusiasm during playtime. This may be because he
is associating physical activities with breathing difficulties
and naturally gets discouraged to join other children. Having
him checked by your pediatrician can determine if your toddler
has asthma. 

Asthma in toddlers may be more difficult to manage. The best
way to do this is to enlist the help of your care provider or
his teachers. You can prepare some detailed instructions so they
would know what to do in case of an episode. Your
toddler's

pediatrician can help you prepare this set of
instructions. 

You should never take your toddler to a smoky place since
cigarette smoke can easily trigger an attack. Your
pediatrician can test your child's sensitivity to dust mite
protein. Sometimes, parents overlook the fact that stuffed toys
are hosts to these dust mites. During falls and spring seasons
when levels of pollen are high, you should limit your toddler's
outdoor activities. 

Emotional stress is also considered to be a trigger factor. Not
only does it cause an attack but it could also worsen
asthma symptoms. Anxiety or panic attacks should be dealt with
reasonable calm to help relax your child. The moment your
toddler calms down you can administer treatment such as
bronchodilator medication. 

Keep your children safe and protect them from elements that can
lead to long-term damage. These kinds of problems can haunt them
through adulthood, so take caution when it comes to your young
loved ones.

About the Author: Article provided by Sven Ullmann, who runs
http://www.deservedhealth.com - a site dedicated to different
health related articles. Read more about the
http://www.deservedhealth.com/asthma-in-toddlers-and-children/

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