Know About 10 Asthma Triggers in Children

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Asthma is a chronic inflammatory disease of the airways and is one of the most common long-term conditions that can be seen in most young children now a days. The severity of asthma symptoms can be vary between children, starting from mild to severe. Quite consistently, a few things happen in sequence – the airways come into contact with a certain trigger, that then tends to become narrow, inflamed, and are filled with mucus.

What Are The Triggers Of Asthma In Children?

Asthmatic airways can be affected by  whole range of triggers. However, these don’t affect every single child in the same way. After parents get to know the triggers which can affect their children, certain measures can be taken in order to avoid these triggers in the most effective and efficient manner. Some of the common triggers which can be harmful to the children are mentioned right here. Although asthma cannot be cured, parents often go to an asthma specialist in order to know about these triggers and how to control asthma.

Does Infection In The Chest And Airways Trigger Asthma?

Respiratory infections particularly that involving upper and lower airways are often considered to the main triggers for asthma in children. Many kinds of viruses including cold and flu viruses can act like an asthma trigger. Recommended flu vaccination programs can help in preventing an asthmatic child in getting these viruses and are strongly recommended.

Can Allergens Be The Reason?

About 80% of the people are allergic to certain allergens such as animal fur, dust mites, pollen, cockroaches and grass that can act as an effective trigger for asthma attacks.  So, it is essential that parents take care of this fact if they want to keep their children safe and this may involve avoidance (were possible) and antihistamines along steroids sprays.

Are Airborne Irritants Responsible For Triggering Asthma?

Airborne irritants such as chemical fumes, atmospheric pollution, and cigarette smoke can considerably affect the health of children with asthma. Although some of these triggers are unavoidable, strong avoidance measures against smoking exposure should be emphasized.

Can Medicine Cause Asthma in Children?

Although very well tolerated by most children, certain types of painkillers like ibuprofen, aspirin, can act as trigger for asthma. Other such medication may include heart medications like propranolol that can reduce the effect for inhaled treatment during asthma attacks.

Are Emotional Factors Effective Asthma Triggers

Strong emotions like as excessive stress and excessive laughing can effectively trigger asthma in children. Excessive laughing can produce stress in the airways which can activate the symptoms. Asthma can be associated with and be initiated by mental health conditions like anxiety and depressions

Are Food Activities Responsible For Triggering Asthma

There are some schools of thoughts that believe that the sulphite content of food preservatives can act as an trigger for asthma. Food rich in sulphites include many common food items like jam, prawns, juice, and other processed and pre-cooked means.

Can Weather Conditions Be Asthma Triggers?

Environmental triggers like sudden changes in the weather conditions and temperature may trigger asthma. This include cold air, temperature, poor air quality, windy days, and hot as well as humid days environmental conditions.

Are Indoor Conditions Responsible?

Indoor allergens can be seen all around (also known as perennial allergens) – they include mold (noted in damp house), house dust mites (found in beddings and pillows) and certain chemicals (carpet cleaners and aerosols) and can effectively trigger asthma.

Is Exercise Responsible For Triggering Asthma?

Although exercise is recommended as way of heathy life style modifier for most children including those with asthma, exercise can actually precipitate and asthma attack if their asthma control is suboptimal With improvement of asthma control, it is anticipated that most children will be able to participate in normal and higher levels of activity.

Can Heartburn Be Considered As A Trigger?

Severe heartburn or gastroesophageal reflux (GORD) is an important trigger for asthma in certain individuals. Effective medical management of GORD is available that can be useful in preventing asthma attacks by achieving a better control on GORD.

Author Bio: Jack Brown is a Consultant Respiratory Paediatrician specialising  at Childlungclinic  in on all aspects of asthma care and chest infections. This blog is intended for general education purposes only and for increasing awareness about asthma. This is not an alternative to medical advice and it is strongly emphasisedfor ongoing concerns, that children get reviewed promptly by their respective physicians on an urgent basis.

 

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