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Whether you're a young person trying to exercise, a youth athlete seeking to compete, or a coach or parent who wants know what he or she should be doing to support, you've got to know some of the cold, hard facts about asthma.
Do you know exactly what asthma is and what causes it? You may have some of the signs and symptoms, whether it turns out you have it or not. Recognize it early if you do. Understand what triggers asthma, what to do and how to respond.
Partner with the right pediatric pulmonologist or asthma specialist for diagnosis, evaluation and treatment.
Once you know what you're dealing with, you can build a "can win, will win" attitude from Day One.
You can't beat asthma but, then, asthma can't beat you either - unless you let it. That's why everyone needs to know their Asthma ABCs.
Asthma is the most common chronic inflammatory disease in youngsters.
Asthma is caused by swelling (inflammation) of the lining of the breathing passages that makes them irritable and very sensitive, leading to a narrowing (or obstruction) of the airways. While asthma symptoms may be intermittent, low-grade inflammation inside the airways is always present.
Certain outside stimuli, commonly called "triggers", frequently aggravate the inflammation leading to asthma symptoms. These triggers may include: upper respiratory infections, exercise, cold weather, allergens and other conditions.
When the breathing passages (airways) are irritated by a trigger, the lining of the airways becomes swollen and inflamed, muscles around the airways tighten and extra mucus is produced. This produces constriction of the breathing passages and asthma symptoms.
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Typical asthma symptoms include: cough, shortness of breath, rapid breathing, wheezing, chest tightness and chest pain.
Other symptoms to look for-especially in younger children who cannot explain themselves or are less self-aware-may include fatigue, irritability, poor exercise tolerance and sleeping difficulty.
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There is no known cure for asthma, but it is a manageable condition that can be controlled and will have a minimal impact on a young person's lifestyle with the right proactive treatment plan and a strategy that identifies and deals effectively with individual triggers.
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The incidence of youth asthma has risen by an astounding 150% in the past two to three decades. And, the increase of asthma among minority youth in urban and city areas has been even greater.
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Currently, almost 9 million young people (through the age of 18)-or at least 1 in 10-have asthma in the U.S. And, it is estimated that the actual number may be as high as 12 million since many young people with asthma remain undiagnosed or improperly diagnosed.
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Annually, youth asthma generates:
- 12 million missed school days
- 800,000 emergency room visits
- 200,000 hospitalizations
- A total healthcare cost of $3 billion
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While the exact cause of asthma remains unknown, asthma is most likely a combination of environmental factors and genetic tendencies. In other words, environmental factors often trigger genetically inclined youngsters.
Genetics
Several DNA regions on chromosomes have been identified with asthma.
We know that asthma runs in families. When one parent has asthma, the chance of their child developing asthma is 25%, and this chance increases to 50% when both parents have asthma.
A difference in genetic makeup of individual young people with asthma most likely contributes to their varying responses to asthma medications.
Environmental Factors
- Air Quality
Increasing ozone concentrations and particles from fuel exhaust can increase airway sensitivity to triggers.
Children of smokers are twice as likely to develop asthma than children of non-smokers. And, children born to mothers who smoked during pregnancy have a significantly increased risk of asthma.
- Respiratory Infections
Infection with certain viruses during infancy and early childhood significantly increases chances of wheezing during the first ten years of life.
A combination of an early respiratory viral infection and a genetic tendency can lead to asthma.
- Hygiene Hypothesis
Asthma has a lower rate of increase in developing countries than in developed countries with high standards of hygiene and excellent health care.
Theory: Exposure to infections early in life primes the immune system to respond to infections-instead of to allergens and other triggers that aggravate asthma
- Lifestyle
More young people are spending time indoors playing video games, watching TV and using the computer. They are therefore exposed for greater periods of time to indoor irritants, such as dust mites, mold, and cockroaches- all potential asthma triggers.
- Obesity
The increasing incidence of asthma over the past 2-3 decades parallels the increase in obesity in youth.
There is a direct correlation between higher body mass index (weight), irritability of the airways and the development of asthma symptoms in children.
- Other Factors
A family history of asthma or allergies, exposure to cigarette smoke in the womb or early childhood, viral respiratory infections in infancy, male gender (until age 10) and eczema all increase a young person's chance of developing asthma.
Asthma triggers are the factors that heighten, intensify and generally worsen an already chronic condition. Each person with asthma has his/her own individual triggers.
Common asthma triggers include:
- Exercise
- Environmental irritants and allergens (e.g., pollen, dust, mold, cat dander, cigarette smoke, wood smoke)
- Upper respiratory infection (e.g., common cold)
- Sudden or extreme change in temperature or barometric pressure (e.g., extreme cold or humidity, impending snow or thunderstorm)
- Emotional extremes (e.g., laughing, crying, anxiety)
- Non steroidal anti-inflammatory medication (e.g., ibuprofen, aspirin)
- Untreated underlying medical conditions (e.g., sinusitis, gastroesophageal reflux)
- Certain foods (rarely) and medications (aspirin and ibuprofen)
Please read about evaluation, treatment and prognosis in the Evaluation and Treatment section.
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