Allergies And Asthma

Here are definitions of medical terms related to asthma in children. Allergen: A foreign substance that triggers an allergic response in a susceptible person. Allergens are usually common items encountered in everyday life such as substances from insects, animals or plants (such as pollen). Allergy: An unusual response to a small amount of a foreign substance that […]

Here are some reliable sources that can provide more information on asthma in adults. Books American Lung Association: The Asthma Handbook. American Lung Association, New York, 1992. 24 pages. Bush RK and Georgitis JW. Handbook of Asthma and Rhinitis. Blackwell Science, Malden, MA, 1997. 270 pages. ISBN: 0-86542-433-0. Gershwin ME and Klingelhofer EL. Asthma: Stop

Here are some reliable sources that can provide more information on asthma in children. Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America 1-800-727-8462 http://www.aafa.org Allergy & Asthma Network Mothers of Asthmatics (AANMA)  Phone: 1- 800-878-4403 http://www.aanma.org National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases http://www.niaid.nih.gov American Lung Association  Phone: 1-800-586-4872 http://www.lungusa.org

A number of “triggers” can bring on an asthma episode. These can vary from child to child. They include: Respiratory infections Exercise and sports Weather Irritants and pollutants Certain medications and foods Allergies Stress Certain health problems Respiratory Infections Respiratory-tract infections, such as the common cold and flu, can make asthma worse. How To Information

It is very important to work closely with the doctor in getting control of the asthma. If you ever feel that the treatment is not going well, don’t be embarrassed to say so. The doctor will: Give you advice about avoiding the things that cause attacks. Prescribe medication to control inflammation. Prescribe “rescue” medication to

Parents should make sure that the child plays an important part in managing his or her own asthma. For example: Small children (even 6- and 7-year olds) should know the names of the their medications, and how the medicine helps. All children over the age of 4 or 5 should know what triggers their attacks,

The peak flow meter is an important device that can give you valuable information about your child’s air passages – whether air is passing through freely, or whether they are partially blocked. The meter measures how fast the child is able to breathe into it. This measurement is known as the “peak flow.” Most children

Many of the drugs given to prevent and treat asthma are inhaled. Inhaled medications do not have to be processed in any way by digestive organs in order to start working. Instead, they travel directly to the lungs, produce their effects quickly, and cause relatively few side effects. Several different inhaler devices are available to

The peak flow meter is an important device that can give you valuable information about your air passages. Peak flow measurements provide a very simple way of measuring how quickly air can be forced out of the lungs. Why Should I Do Peak Flow Monitoring? Measurements of forced expiration are important in the overall assessment

An asthma action plan is a written plan developed by your doctor to help in the management of asthma episodes. It is a customized plan that tells you what to do based on changes in your symptoms and peak flow numbers. It is also called a crisis intervention plan, asthma self-management instructions, or written guidelines