Asthma In Babies And Toddlers

Diagnosing and managing asthma in children under age 5 can be difficult.

Asthma in babies and toddlers.

Many babies toddlers and preschoolers are treated for asthma by their pediatrician. However if their asthma symptoms are not under control within three to six months or if symptoms are severe and persistent or if the asthma episodes require emergency treatment it may be time to see an asthma specialist. Over a lifetime it can cause permanent lung damage. The first signs of asthma in your baby may be triggered by a respiratory infection.

If your child ever develops a viral respiratory infection be sure to look for signs of asthma. In infants and toddlers it may be hard for parents and even doctors to recognize symptoms are due to asthma. Medicines used to treat asthma symptoms in infants and toddlers are usually given in inhaled forms. Rapid or difficult breathing may show as exaggerated belly movement or flaring nostrils getting out of breath easily especially when playing chest tightness a young child may simply say their chest hurts or feels funny wheezing or whistling sound when.

A cough that gets worse after a viral infection less energy during. Childhood asthma can cause bothersome daily symptoms that interfere with play sports school and sleep. Emotions such as crying yelling and laughing or some strong reactions and stress can also trigger wheezing or coughing in babies. Also standard diagnostic tests used to measure how well someone is breathing cannot be used easily or accurately with children under age 5.

While we don t know what causes asthma we do know how to prevent asthma attacks or at least make them less severe. A baby has much. In childhood asthma the lungs and airways become easily inflamed when exposed to certain triggers such as inhaling pollen or catching a cold or other respiratory infection. Bronchial tubes in infants toddlers and preschoolers are already small and narrow and colds and other illnesses can inflame airways making them even smaller and more irritated.

A cough that doesn t go away which may be the only symptom coughing spells that happen often especially during play or exercise at night in cold air or while laughing or. In infants and young children the primary symptoms of asthma wheezing and coughing may be caused by other conditions. Infants are usually treated with medication given by a nebulizer or with an inhaler using a spacer with a mask. Signs of asthma in children can include.

Asthma in toddlers often occurs due to the inflammation in the lungs and airways when they are exposed to triggers like airborne pollen or air pollution.