Did you know that close to 25 million Americans have asthma? That is almost 10% of the entire population. Considering how common asthma is, it should not come as a surprise to you if you start to see signs of asthma in kids in your family.
Of course, most people do not have an encyclopedic knowledge of what the signs of asthma in kids are. However, this is important knowledge that will help you detect asthma in your children if they start to develop it.
So what exactly are the symptoms and signs of asthma in kids? Read on to learn all about how to identify designs and manage asthma!
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What Exactly Is Asthma?
Asthma is a lung disease that generally lasts for a lifetime. It leads to inflamed airways. As airways start to swell up, less air is able to pass through them, making it difficult to breathe.
Asthma is extremely common in the United States and around the world. As a result, there is a lot of knowledge about how to detect asthma and manage it.
What Are the Symptoms of Asthma?
The most concerning symptom of asthma is that you cannot properly breathe. Your airway has become so narrow that you practically have to force air through it in order to get in the oxygen. Unfortunately, this leads to a vicious cycle.
Forcing air through a tight airway can make the problem even worse. But that does not mean you can do anything else. You still have to breathe, so you just have to keep forcing air through the airway even if it does make things worse.
On top of that, the flow of tight and compressed air can lead to greater inflammation. This can make it even harder and more painful to breathe.
Inflammation is the second major symptom of asthma. You can have inflammation both along the airway as well as around the bronchial tubes in the lungs.
This means that there is inflammation throughout the entire breathing process. Even as the air is finally getting through a narrow airway to enter the lungs, the tubes of the lungs themselves are also hard to force air through.
The last symptom of asthma is sensitivity. The airway will generally be open and clear. However, it does not take very much to cause it to start constricting and becoming inflamed.
Together, these problems create a pattern of frequent coughing and wheezing. People with asthma can even wheeze so hard that they create a distinct whistling sound as they breathe.
On top of that, these symptoms can lead to shortness of breath and pain or tightness in the chest. They can also lead to insomnia. After all, it can be difficult to sleep if you are dealing with any of these problems.
When Do These Symptoms Manifest?
S people with asthma are more sensitive than others. Some people do not suffer asthma attacks at all unless they subject their breathing system to unusual stress.
For example, somebody might only have asthma attacks if they try to perform heavy exercise. Other people might even be able to exercise normally, but they will still suffer asthma attacks if they are suffering from a cold or other illness.
On the other hand, some people are so sensitive that their asthma attacks can be triggered by psychological stress. If they are in a difficult confrontation, their airway might start to restrict. The same thing might happen if they are simply dealing with a lot of stress in their life.
Signs of a Serious Asthma Attack:
Sometimes, asthma attacks are extremely serious. You can tell when this is happening when the blood starts to drain from the face or fingertips. This will make them look either blue or pale.
You can also detect the signs of a serious asthma attack around your ribs. If the skin around the ribs pulls in as someone breathes, they might be suffering an extreme asthma attack.
Many people with asthma carry an inhaler to help manage their symptoms. But if the inhaler is failing and some of these serious symptoms are manifesting, it can be extremely important to call a doctor.
Different Kinds of Asthma:
Status asthmaticus is a type of asthma that cannot be treated with inhalers. Instead, people who suffer from it often have to go to the hospital when they have an attack.
Allergic asthma is triggered by allergies. That means that they might need to avoid things like dust or pet dander. They might also have to avoid pollen in the spring.
Non-allergic asthma is more about environmental conditions. Hot or cold weather might trigger it. Alternatively, it can be triggered by sickness or stress.
Some people suffer from occupational asthma. They develop asthma because they work around chemicals or other irritants.
The more that you understand the signs and symptoms of asthma, the more you might start to notice certain signs of asthma in children in your family. In particular, you might notice the symptoms of developing asthma that has not yet developed fully.
Once you have seen the signs of asthma attacks manifesting in your child, it is important to learn more about living with asthma. Even if you are just paying attention to the early signs of asthma, it is still valuable to know what you might deal with later down the road.
Understand the Most Important Signs of Asthma in Kids:
We hope learning more about the signs of asthma in kids has been helpful for you. Many people do not know what to think when they see one of the signs of asthma manifesting in their own child. Being able to recognize the signs for what they are can provide a lot of peace of mind.
It can also help you to make the correct decisions to look after the health of your child. The better you understand how asthma works, the better you will be able to detect and manage it. To learn more about how to take care of your health and the health of your family, check out our other articles!
