May 4, 20232 min read

May Health Newsletter: Allergy and Asthma

May is National Allergy and Asthma Awareness Month

Asthma affects over 6 million children in the United States. This month we will focus on asthma education, as well as what to do if your child is having a severe allergic reaction.

Asthma

What is it?

Asthma is a chronic lung disease. With this disease, your child’s lungs may be sensitive to certain triggers, such as change in weather, dust, pet dander, or mold. Symptoms of asthma may be coughing, difficulty breathing (especially during exercise), and a high-pitched sound while breathing. When your child is having an asthma attack, three things happen: The lining of the airway tightens, the muscle around the airway also tightens, and the airways get thicker with mucus.

What Children are at Risk for Asthma?

Risk factors include family history, age between 5 and 17 years old, tobacco smoke, food allergies, and air pollution

Medications

. The most well know medication for asthma is the “rescue” inhaler. It’s called that because it contains short-acting medication that open the airways during asthma attacks. Keep in mind that there are also “maintenance” inhalers and medications that are given daily to keep asthma symptoms under control. Young children may also require something called a spacer. A spacer is a tube where the medication can sit in the chamber and the child can calmly breath in the medicine.

Proper Use

What to do if someone is having difficulty breathing:

Remember!

Avoiding triggers in important, but a child with asthma can do anything a child without asthma can do. Its also important to educate our kids what asthma looks like in their classmates, what to do to help someone, and to remind them to treat each other with kindness.

Allergies

Severe reactions to allergens can be life threatening. This is called anaphylaxis. Interventions for those having a severe allergic reaction can be lifesaving. Epi-Pens are medicated pens that contain Epinephrine. Epinephrine is a short acting medication that works by relaxing the airway muscles and tightening blood vessels.

Common Allergies: Bees, Nuts, Fruits, Medications

Anaphylaxis (Severe Allergy) symptoms: Difficulty breathing, hives or redness, swelling of the face or throat, nausea, vomiting, dizziness, confusion, fainting.