Asthma
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Asthma |
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Asthma
Asthma is one of the most common chronic medical conditions that we deal with in pediatrics. It can be mild or severe, persistent or sporadic, and a child can outgrow it or not. In any case, a child with asthma needs ongoing medical attention from us, even if the symptoms seem to be gone. Left untreated, chronic or persistent asthma symptoms – even if not severe – can cause chronic and night-time coughing, exercise intolerance, and also lead to lung problems.
A lot has been learned about asthma over the years, and we now have excellent medicines for treatment – both for acute symptoms and for the underlying inflammation which leads to asthma symptoms. That’s why we need to keep track of your child’s asthma – to see what can be done and what needs to be done.
Treatment and outcome are much more successful if parents and patients understand asthma – what it is, how we monitor it, and how we use medicines to treat it. We have listed some references and web sites in this section to guide you. If your child has asthma, or there is asthma in your family, we urge you to explore this section.
Asthma Resources – Links and Handouts
“Up To Date” Patient Information on asthma
Up To Date is a trusted reference source for medical professionals, covering most medical topics in depth, and continually updated. Many of these topics have additional information for patients (and parents), including information about asthma and allergies. Here are some links to some of the Up To Date topics for patients on asthma:
Asthma symptoms and diagnosis in children
Asthma treatment in adolescents and adults
Asthma inhaler techniques in children
Allergy and Asthma"Up To Date's" table of contents page.
American Academy of Pediatrics, Section on Pediatric Allergy and Immunology
Here are some informative handouts about asthma, from the AAP:
Non-pharmacological Approaches to Asthma Management
Pharmacologic Management of Asthma
And here are two of our handouts on Asthma: