ASTHMA
About Asthma
The National Asthma Campaign estimates that 3.4
million of the UK’s population currently have asthma,
1.5 million of whom are children. That translates as one
in every seven children and one in every 25 adults. Asthma
is very common among children of school age and it is estimated
that between 30-50% of under-fives suffer from acute cough
and wheeze.
What is asthma?
Asthma is a complex and puzzling condition that can start
at any time of life. It’s a condition that affects
the airways – the small tubes that carry air in and
out of the lungs. Children with asthma have airways that
are almost always red and inflamed. These sensitive airways
react badly when a child has a cold or other viral infection,
or when they come into contact with an asthma trigger. A
trigger is anything that irritates the airways and causes
the symptoms of asthma to appear.
What are the symptoms?
The usual symptoms are coughing, wheezing or breathlessness,
and a tight feeling in the chest. The muscle around the
walls of the airways tightens so that the airway becomes
narrower. The lining of the airway swells and produces a
sticky mucus. As the airways narrow, it becomes difficult
for the air to move in and out. That is why a child can
find breathing difficult and you might hear a wheezing or
whistling noise. Some children may experience these symptoms
only occasionally whilst others experience them at night,
first thing in the morning or after exercise. A few may
experience these symptoms all the time.
What causes asthma?
It is difficult to say what causes asthma and we still do
not know why it is on the increase. Although there are many
theories asthma, like its related allergic conditions eczema
and hay fever, often runs in families and may be inherited.
There are a number of other environmental factors that may
contribute to someone developing asthma – many aspects
of modern lifestyles, such as housing and diet might be
responsible. We also know that smoking during pregnancy
increases the chance of a child developing asthma. Current
research suggests that rather than there being one definitive
cause of asthma we are more likely to find that it is a
combination of genetic, environmental and lifestyle factors.
How is asthma treated?
Whilst we may not know what causes asthma we do know how
to treat it. Without doubt the most important part of controlling
asthma is the carefully planned use of modern treatments.
There are some excellent treatments available to help children
take full control of their asthma. The two main kinds of
asthma medicines are preventers and relievers, mostly delivered
via inhaler devices. Preventers help protect the airways,
calming down inflammation and thereby reducing the chance
of getting asthma symptoms. These must be taken everyday
even when well. Relievers help to quickly relieve breathing
difficulties when they happen. Most preventers contain steroids
and people are often anxious about the possible side effects
however when used in small doses in steroid inhalers they
can be a very effective and safe treatment. April 2000
Information Courtesy of
National Asthma Campaign
Email: The National
Asthma Campaign
For Further information visit the website
www.asthma.org.uk
