Asthma could affect 49% of children

• April 25, 2024

This is one chronic inflammatory disease of the respiratory tract in susceptible individuals. Fortunately, less often asthma It limits daily activities, and mortality has decreased.

However, there are still deficiencies in establishing the diagnosis, preventing exacerbations and offering adequate treatment.

The inflammatory foundation of the asthma it defines its clinical and physiological manifestations, its prognosis and treatment. This process inflammatory that is accompanied by a spasm of the smooth muscle of the bronchi (bronchospasm) and an increase in the response of the bronchi to certain stimuli (bronchial hyperreactivity)

The asthma it usually presents "in peaks" of activity or exacerbations, which have a variable duration and are usually reversible.

In an interview for GetQoralHealth , the doctor Jorge Iván Rodríguez, explains the diagnosis of asthma in children:

Among the exacerbations, a patient with asthma It does not have any symptoms. Only in some patients does the inflammation , which triggers changes in the structure of the airway and in other lung cells with bronchial obstruction Permanent non-reversible.

Greater risks of allergies

The asthma It is one of the most common diseases in children, affecting between 4 to 49% depending on the age group; in adults it affects around 5 to 11% of the population.

Often the asthma that began in childhood remits or disappears, in some cases persists especially if they are associated with another manifestation of allergy as problems in the skin .

It is very difficult to know why a person develops asthma, unless there are clear environmental factors such as in occupational exposure to certain substances.

In a family one of the children may have asthma and another not, despite having genetic conditions and environmental equal; in any case it is known that there is a clear hereditary influence .

Asthma may or may not be a manifestation of allergy. A very important risk factor for the development of asthma is the exposure to environmental tobacco smoke , intrauterine Y postpartum .

Identify asthma symptoms

It is easier to identify the triggering factors, among which the viral infections , exercise, sudden temperature / humidity changes, some medications, exposure to airway irritants such as dust, mites, perfumes, detergents, solvents, pollen, animals.

The main symptoms of asthma during an exacerbation are cough , respiratory distress , wheezing or distant audible whistling, noisy breathing , feeling of tightness in the chest Y difficulty to sleep .

The range of symptoms can be very varied from dry cough scanty up to frank suffocation , so in addition to a clinical history that includes family history and environmental exposure, physical examination, it is recommended that the doctor request or perform confirmatory tests.

If you have some of the symptoms of asthma , you should consult your doctor and avoid self-medication that may contribute to a delay in proper treatment.

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