Sunday, December 13, 2009

Asthma Infants - Diagnosing Asthma In Babies

Babies are susceptible to respiratory infections and may commonly be seen coughing or wheezing. However, mostly these symptoms are related to colds, or infections of the upper respiratory tract. However, coughing or wheezing may also indicate asthma.

What is asthma?

Asthma is a respiratory condition in which the tubes that transfer air in and out of the lungs become sensitive and inflamed. Upon contact with a trigger, the muscles around the walls of these tubes tighten further, making it difficult for the person to breathe. Since these airways are small in babies, even a small degree of inflammation or contraction is sufficient to give rise to symptoms of asthma.

You should consult the pediatrician if your baby:

  • Wheezes on more than one occasion.
  • Has continuous bouts of coughing that get aggravated at night.
  • Displays an unusual form of breathing.
  • Suffers breathing problems in response to a cold, or allergens such as dust or smoke.

Here are some facts related to asthma in babies:

  • An isolated episode of wheezing is no reason to suspect asthma. If wheezing is recurrent, the pediatrician may prescribe tests to check for asthma.
  • Most kids who wheeze as infants outgrow it and do not have asthma when they get older. Less than a third of babies who regularly wheeze during the first three years of their lives, continue to do so as they grow older.
  • Asthma if uncontrolled can, over time, seriously damage babies' lungs. To avoid this, the pediatrician may prescribe asthma medications to babies who have symptoms of asthma, even if the diagnosis is not confirmed.

Paul Banas is a founder of GreatDad.com. He writes articles on parenting skills, parenting, pregnancy and dads, parenting tips, baby names, adopted child and many more topics related to dads.

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Asthma Infants - Does Your Kid Have Child Asthma?

The main airways of the lungs, commonly referred to as the bronchial tubes, become swollen in asthma kids just as they do in adults. Unfortunately, it's often more difficult to diagnose with asthma kids. Why? Because the symptoms are often found in numerous other childhood illnesses, such as a cough or chest congestion resulting from a common cold.

So what should you look for if you're concerned that your child might have asthma?

In the case of infants (and yes, infants can have asthma), you'll want to take notice any time you encounter a rattling cough, rapid breathing, frequent chest colds, grunting when nursing, and/or a weak cry. Of course, these may be perfectly innocent symptoms of nothing more than a cold. That's why it's important to involve your pediatrician if you become concerned. He can work with you to determine if there's a problem or not.

In small children, you'll not only want to look for symptoms, you'll want to listen to what your child tells you. For instance, if your kid mentions that his or her "chest feels funny" or asks "why am I always coughing," these are clues that you need to note. Asthma kids can be especially challenging because no two children suffer asthma in exactly the same way or exhibit the exact same symptoms.

Other symptoms you should look for in your child include violent coughing after strenuous activity, rapid breathing, chest tightness, wheezing and shortness of breath, or consistent coughing at night. A lingering cough after a recent cold can also be a sign of asthma. If symptoms appear to be aggravated by changes in the weather, laughing or crying, or strong perfumes or odors... these can all be indicators that should prompt a visit to your family physician.

In addition, there are some mild indicators that can be easy to overlook. For instance, waking up tired in the morning may be the result of coughing or having trouble breathing during the night. These occurrences can easily disturb your child's sleep and result in exhaustion. Or if your youngster is experiencing nightmares that involve asthmatic clowns or bears, this can often be a sign that his or her sleep is being disturbed by various asthma symptoms.

Some children may exhibit all of these symptoms, while other children may exhibit as few as one or two. That's why it can sometimes be challenging to diagnose asthma kids. However, by taking note of the little events in your child's health life (the lingering cough, the difficult nights, the shortness of breath), and sharing this information with your child's doctor, he can help you determine whether or not there's a problem.

If there is a problem, if it turns out that your child does have asthma, don't panic. Your doctor can help you develop a plan that can help minimize the occurrences of attacks and allow your youngster to live an active, rambunctious childhood. As he or she grows older, you may find that the symptoms become more pronounced or even less pronounced. So, you'll want to keep an eye on the situation. If the symptoms change, your doctor can adjust his treatments accordingly.

While the symptoms in asthma kids can be especially unsettling for a parent, there's no need to feel overwhelmed. Great advances have been made in recent years in the treatment of asthma. There's absolutely no reason your child can't still enjoy every moment of his or her childhood.

Read more about children with asthma by visiting Childhood Asthma

And if you'd like to learn more about asthma kids, please visit: Pediatric Asthma

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Signs of Asthma Infants

Asthma can be dangerous for adults and children alike. It's very different when we're talking about infants, however. Infant asthma is extremely dangerous.

Because infants have lungs that are less developed and strong when compared to older children, an asthma attack for them is quite deadly. A baby suffering from an asthma attack can quickly have lung failure.

This is scary for any parent. But remember, the more you know about this condition, the better you'll be able to determine whether or not your baby has this condition. And, you'll know what to do.

Observe your infant very closely, especially when he or she gets excited. Watch to see how your baby's breathing changes. Sometimes an small child with this this condition will experiencing wheezing as they breathe. If there is a lot of wheezing and what seems to be shortness of breath, it may be a sign of infant asthma.

If you notice that your baby does a lot of coughing, and if the coughs sound 'tight' or as if he or she can't catch his or her breath, you could be looking at symptoms.

It's urgent that you take your baby to a good doctor who can see if your baby has infant asthma. Babies are more vulnerable to the risks associated with asthma than anyone else. You need to get your baby to the doctor if you think he or she has asthma.

The good news is that there are treatments for this condition. By getting your baby diagnosed and on a treatment plan, you can prevent a tragedy. You can learn about these plans and treatments through your baby's doctor.

So, get your baby to the doctor if he or she experiences any of the signs above. There are some other tips you should follow: Don't wear powerful perfumes that may very well irritate your baby's symptoms, and don't smoke in the house.

Take care of your baby and learn what you can about infant asthma. The more educated you are, the better you are able to handle a baby with asthma.

Sick and tired of dealing with your asthma day in and day out? Come on over to Natural Asthma Cures and find out what you can do today to help prevent asthma attacks and treat your asthma naturally

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All About Asthma Infants

Asthma in infants can be caused by family history of asthma disease, mother smoking when pregnant, exposing the infant to air pollution and viral infections. Asthma infant can be a very stressing time to the baby and the parents. Medical attention should be sought immediately any symptoms are detected. These can be wheezing, coughing, and shortness of breath.

Proper medication should be given to the baby to prevent and control the attacks. Due to the rising prevalence of asthma, you will find that asthma infant is also on the rise. As a result of urbanization, many women do not take care of themselves when pregnant and after giving birth. Some smoke when pregnant. This increases the chances of a baby having the condition. Exposing an infant to the weather elements after birth can cause infections to the lungs. These infections can trigger an asthma condition in the baby.

An asthma infant needs special care. The feeding schedule should also be followed keenly. Breast feeding exclusively is the best option. A mother or the guardian should learn the triggers to the asthma attacks. Avoiding such things is necessary. A baby may have allergic reactions too. These can also trigger an attack.

The good this with asthma infant is that it disappears with time. This is with proper medication, treatment and feeding. By the time the infant is five years, the condition can have disappeared completely or the condition is very mild. An infant with this condition needs a lot of care, love and support from the family. This is to make him grow as normally as he can possibly be.

Mercy Maranga Reports on Health and Fitness issues. Visit Her Site here for more information on asthma and its management Asthma - Who Gets It

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Asthma Infants - Two Effective Methods of Indentifying and Treating

Asthma affects children between the ages of 5 and 12 but can start at infancy. Estimates differ, but between 10 percent and 20 percent of children below the age of 18 are believed to be asthmatic.

The disease is hard to diagnose in infancy. Generally the only symptoms are a persistent cough at night that may subside during the day. Alternatively, the cough may be intermittent throughout the 24 hours. Wheezing is also common with infants, but this does not necessarily point towards asthma. Usually wheezing is the result of a viral respiratory infection to which infants are particularly vulnerable. Another possible symptom might be difficult and rapid breathing. The baby should be closely observed to see if the symptoms follow any pattern.

The disease is more likely to develop in a baby with a family history of asthma and allergies.

It is a chronic lung disease that makes the airways swell up, tighten and produce an excess of mucus. As it is difficult to diagnose in an infant, many doctors prefer to err on the right side and treat a persistent respiratory condition as asthma. This is to preclude damage to the lungs that might result from uncontrolled and persistent asthma. The early use of anti-inflammatory medication generally prevents this.

Here are two simple tips to identify and treat infant asthma:

1. If a cough persists even after the cold subsides, suspect asthma. Observe the symptoms to see if there is a pattern when the cough is at its peak and whether there is any indication of heavy or labored breathing.

2. Follow the medication prescribed by the health care provider. Also ensure the infant is protected from dust, noxious odors, cigarette smoke, pets and anything else that might act as an irritant and trigger an asthmatic attack.

About Author:

Pauline Go is an online leading expert in the medical industry. She also offers top quality articles like :


Incurable Diseases ,
Allergic Asthma Signs

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