Asthma in children is not uncommon. It is estimated that 1 in 10 children in Hong Kong suffers from asthma. If the immediate family members suffer from asthma, the family has a history of allergies, or even suffer from eczema or nasal allergies at a young age, the chances of children suffering from asthma will also be greatly increased.
So what is the difference between childhood and adult asthma? In fact, the symptoms caused are similar. However, since adults may have had asthma for some time, the chances of changing the condition are low. As for children who are still in the growth stage, if the disease can be controlled early, the chances of airway sensitivity or asthma can be reduced when they grow up. In addition, some adult asthma is not necessarily related to allergies, but may be caused by acquired environmental factors, such as air pollution and bacterial infection, which is different from children’s asthma.
At present, there are several types of asthma medicines. Among them, bronchodilators are short-term relief methods, which fail to deal with the fundamental problem of airway sensitivity and inflammation. On the other hand, preventive drugs, such as: long-acting bronchodilators, inhaled steroids, oral steroids, etc., can reduce or control allergic inflammation of the trachea and relax the trachea. In order to more effectively achieve the effect of medicine to cure diseases in different patients, in addition to metered dose inhalers, there are also different types of inhalers such as dry powder and spacer to assist patients in their use.
However, as a parent, you must worry regarding the side effects of drugs. Inhalers have fewer side effects than oral medications. As for the side effects caused by oral steroids, they will only appear following long-term and large doses. It is worth noting that once a child has an asthma attack, no matter where it occurs at home or at school, parents also need to take the initiative to discuss contingency plans with the teacher in advance, with the goal of early control of symptoms.
Tan Yixiang
Pediatric Respiratory Specialist
This column is supported by AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals UK
If you have any questions regarding your treatment, please ask your doctor or pharmacist.
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