About Asthma Asthma is a common lung condition in kids and teens. It causes breathing problems, with symptoms like coughing, wheezing, and shortness of breath. Anyone can have asthma, even babies, and the tendency to develop it often runs in families. Asthma affects the bronchial tubes, or airways. When someone breathes normally, …
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Can Kids and Teens With Asthma Play Sports?
You might remember a time when kids with asthma were discouraged from playing sports and told to take it easy. That’s no longer the case. Being active, working out, and playing sports not only help kids with asthma stay fit, maintain a healthy weight, and have fun but also can strengthen …
Can the Weather Affect My Child’s Asthma?
Weather and Asthma The effect of weather on asthma symptoms isn’t fully understood, but clearly there is a link. Numerous studies have shown a variety of connections, such as increases in asthma-related emergency department visits when certain weather conditions are present. Some people find that their asthma symptoms get worse …
Creating an Asthma-Safe Home
If your child has asthma, you can create the best home environment possible by knowing which asthma triggers are at work and eliminating or minimizing exposure to them. Your doctor can help you identify the triggers, which might include common stuff like dust mites and pollen. Improving Indoor Air Maintaining …
Dealing With Asthma Triggers
Asthma causes chronic inflammation of the airways in the lungs, which is aggravated by asthma triggers that bring on asthma symptoms. Triggers are substances, weather conditions, or activities that are harmless to most people, but can lead to coughing, wheezing, and shortness of breath in those with asthma. They don’t …
Definition: Exercise-Induced Asthma
Exercise-Induced Asthma Some people have exercise-induced asthma, which means that their asthma symptoms (such as coughing, wheezing, or shortness of breath) are triggered by exercise or physical activity. A person may have exercise as his or her only asthma trigger, or it may be one of many triggers. These symptoms …
Exercise-Induced Asthma
Up to 80% of kids with asthma have symptoms when they exercise. It makes sense that cigarette smoke and pollen could trigger asthma symptoms, but why exercise? Cold, dry air that’s inhaled during exercise is believed to be the main cause of these symptoms. When kids exercise or play strenuously, …
Handling an Asthma Flare-Up
Asthma flare-ups (also called “asthma attacks”) can be dangerous, so if your child has them often and uses quick-relief medicine (also called rescue or fast-acting medicine) more than a couple of times a week, talk to your doctor. It’s possible that your child’s asthma action plan needs to be adjusted. Predicting …
If My Child Has Asthma, Can We Keep Our Pet?
Only about 10% of people have pet allergies, but at least 30% of people with asthma are allergic to animals. So if your child has asthma, consider whether your pet could be producing allergens that are triggering asthma symptoms. Despite what you might have heard, your pet’s fur probably isn’t to …
Inhaler or Nebulizer: Which One Should My Child Use?
Some kids who need asthma medicine start out using a nebulizer. Others are given an inhaler with a spacer and face mask. Some older kids use only an inhaler, with no spacer attached. So which is the best way to deliver asthma medicine to the lungs? Studies show that the …