A cllabrative effrt f Children s Hspital f Pittsburgh f UPMC and The Pennsylvania Child Welfare Resurce Center What is Asthma? Jennifer E. Wlfrd, DO, MPH, FAAP Children s Hspital f Pittsburgh, Divisin f Child Advcacy What is Asthma? Asthma is a chrnic disease that affects yur lungs and yur breathing. When asthma acts up, it can be called an asthma attack r an asthma exacerbatin. When yu have an asthma attack, the airways in the lungs becme mre inflamed and yur air way muscles make the airways narrw. (diagram 1.) What are the symptms f asthma? A tight feeling in the chest, making it feel like it is difficult t breathe Wheezing, r nisy breathing Cughing, especially at night Having t wrk really hard t breathe Hw ften d asthma symptms (an attack) ccur? A persn with asthma may have difficulty breathing (an asthma attack) ne day but feel really gd the next day. Asthma symptms may ccur every day, r nce a week, r even less. Sme peple can g mnths (such as summertime) and have n symptms. Is asthma dangerus? Sme days, yu may have n symptms. Other days, the symptms may be very severe. But, each event is imprtant. An asthma attack that is nt treated prperly can lead t emergency rm visits, hspitalizatins, and even death. When asthma is nt cntrlled, yu can miss schl days r nt be able t participate in sprts r ther fun activities. page 1 f 5
What causes an asthma attack? Asthma attacks are a flare up that are mst ften triggered by smething that the child breathes in. Dg and cat hair and pet dander ften trigger a lt f asthma attacks. Dust and mld in the huse trigger asthma attacks. Cigarette smke triggers asthma attacks. Odrs, fragrances, and rm dedrizers all can cntribute t an asthma attack. Changes in ht r cld air can trigger asthma attacks. Sme peple have mre asthma attacks when they are sick with a cld. Hw is asthma treated? There are tw main medicines that are used t treat asthma. Fast-acting RESCUE medicines (mst cmmn name: albuterl.) This medicine is designed t RELAX the muscles arund the airways. It is inhaled thrugh an inhaler and a spacer t put the medicine in the air fr yu t breathe in. (diagram 2). These medicines shuld be taken ONLY when needed t stp an asthma attack. The dctr prvides instructins. If yu have an asthma attack, yu can use this medicine right away. Fr mst fast-acting medicines, yu can repeat this inhaled medicine 4 hurs later if yu are still having symptms. Sme children will feel a fast heart beat fr a while after these medicines. Lng- acting CONTROLLER medicines These medicines cntrl asthma and prevent future symptms. These medicines are taken every day, smetimes in mrning and night. The medicines shuld be taken every day, even if yu dn t have symptms. They are given t peple wh have frequent asthma attacks t better prevent future attacks. These medicines are als inhaled thrugh an inhaler. Sme peple take the inhaled medicine right befre they brush their teeth t keep a rutine and make it easy t remember. page 2 f 5
Hw is asthma treated? (cnt d) Bth fast acting rescue medicatins and lng acting cntrller medicines are inhalers. It is very imprtant t label each ne with a sticker r marker t keep these medicines straight. (diagram 3) Hw des a persn get diagnsed with asthma? A dctr will cmplete an examinatin and ask many questins. These include: What are the symptms that yu have? Hw ften d yu have symptms? What d yu think causes the symptms? D the symptms wake yu up at night? Des anything (r medicine) make the symptms g away? When shuld I see a dctr? A persn with asthma shuld see their dctr fr regular check-ups and medicatin refills. If yu are having a mild asthma attack and the quick-acting inhaler imprves yur symptms, yu d nt need t see the dctr. If yu have an asthma attack and the quick-acting inhaler is nt prviding relief, yu shuld see yur dctr r g t the emergency rm. If yu are having an asthma attack and having a lt f difficulty getting air mving, call 911. Hw can yu prevent asthma attacks? The mst imprtant way t prevent asthma attacks is t avid triggers. N ne shuld smke arund a child with asthma r in the hme where the child lives. Many families with a persn with asthma get rid f pets. It is als very imprtant t take yur lng-acting cntrller inhaler medicatin if the dctr prescribed ne t yu. Regular exercise is gd fr lungs and yur whle bdy. page 3 f 5
Des asthma run in families r cme with anything else? Asthma is mre cmmn in peple wh have related bld family members with asthma, but anyne can have asthma. Many peple with asthma als have allergies. Many peple with asthma r allergies als have eczema. Treating these chrnic cnditins can help cntrl yur asthma. Diagram 1: page 4 f 5
Diagram 2: Diagram 3: Cntent Surces: American Academy f Pediatrics /Healthy Children: www.healthychildren.rg American Lung Assciatin: www.lung.rg Kids Health: www.kidshealth.rg Up T Date: www.uptdate.cm page 5 f 5