There are so many extraordinary things in the world that can take your breath away. Extra benne in a benne masala dosa, 4G speeds in a 4G plan, and a bike ride in the rains, perhaps. So many things. All extraordinary.
But there’s nothing like asthma. No, Siree! Asthma is everything extraordinary because it sucks every ounce of the ordinary from your life. And when its victim is a child, its symptoms are magnified. About 1 in 10 Indian children suffer from asthma, and it appears that lifestyle plays a large role in shaping the condition.
Asthma is a condition that has reared its ugly head on about 150 million people around the world, a number that is comparable with the population of Russia! It manifests through wheezing attacks and breathlessness, which are spurred by the inflammation of air passages. The nerve endings in the airways also become hypersensitive, contracting and dilating erratically, and restricting airflow to the lungs.
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About 35% of pre- schoolers exhibit symptoms of asthma. While two-thirds of these tots outgrow these symptoms in the later stages of childhood, a study suggests that 16.67% of urban Indian children suffer from childhood asthma. But hey, what about the prevalence of childhood asthma in rural India? Ah, much less. 5.7%, to be precise.
Childhood asthma is triggered by a combination of environmental and genetic influences. But a key contributor has been identified – aspiration (no, we’re not talking about how your child’s aspirations in life can affect his breathing). Aspiration, or the process of drawing breath, can be a significant factor in the onset of childhood asthma. And the reality is, many of us start breathing wrong from the moment we take our first breath.
This is how. When babies are young, they are usually fed breast milk, lying down. Some mothers also choose to nurse their babies in extended sessions, rather than a small, yet frequent intervals. Both, can result in incorrect breathing patterns for your child, and lead to pulmonary aspiration. Pulmonary aspiration is a condition where food, liquids or saliva is drawn into the airways. It’s a case of frequent choking and a trigger for asthma.
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Asthma can be controlled through a variety of controller medications, quick-relief medications and long-term control medications, which help to ease the inflammation in the airways and improve breathing. If your child suffers from more than two asthmatic attacks per week, speak to your doctor to discuss a treatment plan.
Your child deserves to have her breath taken away by beautiful things. Don’t let asthma get in the way.
Must read- What Are The Common Pediatric Respiratory Diseases?
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Asthma can be seasonal or perennial. The exact count is unavailable as not every child with asthma is taken to or treated in government or major hospitals. This makes record collection tricky. From studies conducted among different age groups of children in other states, approximately a little more than 50% of the boys and a little less than 50% of the girls have asthma in India.
Asthma is generally a chronic illness, meaning it lasts lifelong. However, some children can experience a regression of their symptoms when they reach adolescence. This could be due to various reasons, and the symptoms may come back in a few years. It all depends on the immunity and the triggers. With proper management and active avoidance of triggers can help keep the infection in remission.
Asthma in children is a very common chronic disease. The symptoms can show up at different ages with different severities. Asthma is also the leading cause of chronic infection in children. While some children may suffer from symptoms triggered seasonally, some struggle with perennial asthma.
In most cases, children start showing their first symptoms before they turn 5 years old. However, asthma can develop at any age, depending on exposure and immunity. For example, if a child, 14 years of age, were to relocate to a new state or country, the environmental changes can trigger asthma, though they never had any symptoms when they were 5 years old.
