Children's health care is always important and in cases of suspected disease, the sooner the diagnosis and treatment the better. With the arrival of cold and changing temperatures, many children soon begin to experience symptoms such as coughing, wheezing (especially on exhalation) and shortness of breath, which may characterize asthma. But according to the pediatrician, a member of the Scientific Department of Allergy and Immunology at the Brazilian Society of Pediatrics (SBP), Wellington Borges, about 50 percent of babies can have at least one such episode without ever becoming asthmatic.
We have begun to consider the diagnosis of asthma in children older than 2 years and after the fourth episode, especially if the father or mother has a history of the disease. Remember that the diagnosis is completely clinical and there is no laboratory test to confirm it ?, explains the expert. Asthma is a chronic disease characterized by a inflammatory process of the lower airways. Since there is no cure for the problem, the main way to deal with it is to promote appropriate treatment for the patient.
O asthma treatment It is done in two ways: the preventive, which seeks to control inflammation in the lungs and uses inhaled corticosteroids and spray, also known as firecrackers. "The use of these devices reduces the patient's sensitivity and consequently avoids seizures," explains Diego Djones Brandenburg, pediatric vice-chair of the Pulmonology Committee of the Rio Grande do Sul Pediatric Society (SPRS).
The second treatment relieves symptoms with the use of bronchodilators to open the bronchi and minimize the seizure. These drugs have a fast effect, but soon lose their effect and the bronchi close again. So it is very important to have a treatment combined with preventive drugs ?, explains Brandenburg.
Caring for an asthmatic child should include general guidelines such as frequent hand washing and avoidance of dust, toxic materials, dyes, solvents, and cleaning agents. Contact with dust mites, mold and animal hair should be reduced. In addition to treating the disease properly, the family should encourage the child to perform outdoor activities.
"It is essential to avoid human clusters indoors, such as shopping, airport or cinema, because viral respiratory infections are the main triggers of acute asthma attacks and, indoors, is easier to spread these infectious diseases," explains Borges.
Exposing an asthmatic to cigarette smoke can also be a great danger. "The cigarette, besides being able to trigger a crisis, is able to block the effects of the medication, aggravating the case", emphasizes Brandenburg. But beware, not only can exposure to smoke cause problems, smokers' clothes are impregnated with cigarettes and should also be avoided.
Finally, pediatrician Brandenburg emphasizes that the disease has no cure but can be controlled and the asthmatic will have a normal life. Asthma, as well as diabetes and high blood pressure, if properly treated, makes it possible for a person to stop experiencing symptoms, which we call a patient in remission. But we never talk about cure, because without treatment the symptoms will reappear ?, concludes the doctor.
Child Asthma | Diagnosis and Treatment (April 2024)
- Children and adolescents
- 1,230
