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Written by Webmaster
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Monday, 23 April 2007 |
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What to Know About Asthma in a Child
Asthma in a child is normally diagnosed even before the child reaches school age. In younger children, asthma attacks are normally triggered by viruses, however as children grow and tend to spend more time outdoors the asthma triggers change.
In later childhood, asthma in a child is normally triggered by allergies; no matter what the triggers are, asthma in a child is a serious concern for many parents.
Children under the Age of 5
Since 80% of all asthma cases are diagnosed before a child starts school, this means that only 20% of those diagnosed are over the age of 5 at the time of the diagnoses. Asthma in a child of this young age can often be confused with the common cold and bronchitis. For this reason, it is important to work closely with the childs pediatrician in evaluating symptoms. If preventative measures are taken against asthma in a child this young, they have a better chance at leading a normal life.
Signs & Symptoms
The signs and symptoms of asthma in a child can be very different than those seen in adult sufferers of asthma. Every parent should know what to watch for if asthma in a child is suspected. Frequent signs of asthma in a child can include coughing, with or without wheezing, shortness of breath, rapid breathing, and also chest tightness.
If the child has recently gotten over a cold and the cough seems to be lingering, this could be a sign of asthma. If the childs symptoms are worsened by changes in the weather, laughing or crying, or strong perfumes or odors, or if the symptoms appear to become worse at night, the child should be evaluated by a physician.
Treatment
Treating asthma in a child can be quite effective if medical instructions are followed precisely. There are also a number of medications on the market that are very safe to use to control asthma in a child. For a very young child, medications are normally administered with a nebulizer.
This is a small, portable machine that turns a liquid medicine into a fine mist that can then be inhaled through the childs mouth and nose. Children with asthma usually respond well to treatment, and grow up to be healthy, strong adults.
While asthma in a child can be a parents worse nightmare, a happy ending is possible. Know the signs of asthma in a child, and be prepared to work with your childs pediatrician in working to control it.Share Your Opinion. (0 posts)
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Last Updated ( Monday, 23 April 2007 )
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Written by Webmaster
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Saturday, 21 April 2007 |
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Asthma Exercise and its Effects
Asthma exercise should be considered only under a doctors advice. Seventy per cent of asthmatics suffer to some degree from exercise induced asthma. Breathing rapidly through your mouth from exercise exertion can trigger asthma. However with proper management asthma exercise can be part of any asthmatics life.
Some suggestions for making asthma exercise comfortable:
* Always do a 5-10 minutes warm up before starting any exercise, this way the body will gradually warm up instead of the sudden rush of adrenaline and shortness of breath.
* Work out slowly keeping your heart rate low below 140 beats a minute. You will be at risk of an asthma attack should you choose to do a vigorous exercise that will get you heart rate to 170 beats a minute. Keep in mind that exercise induced asthma (EIA) does not occur during the exercise but only after about 10-15 minutes.
* Swimming is generally a great asthma exercise.
* Do not skip the cool down after each vigorous exercise. This helps with moderating the air gradually cooling your body and reducing the risk of an asthma attack.
* Avoid strenuous exercise as much as possible.
* At times it helps to use an inhaled medication before beginning an exercise. This helps to keep your airways open and you to have a good workout.
Be extremely careful when exercising in warm climates or when the pollen levels are high. In winter it is advised to limit outdoor exercise or if you must exercise try breathing through a scarf or mask. Cold, dry air increases the risk of an asthma attack.
Asthma is a lung disease that is usually chronic and can turn fatal if not properly managed. During an asthma attack the air passages become narrow and/or blocked by mucus. Asthma attacks can be triggered by allergens such as pollen, molds, animal dander, medications, chemicals in certain foods and dust.
Tobacco smoke, exhaust fumes, household cleaners act as irritants for asthma sufferers. Sometimes even sudden changes in temperature, humidity or strong winds can trigger asthma.
Asthma exercise should be performed with extreme caution and with a scheduled practice. Keeping medication handy is something asthma patients learn really quickly as, if an attack is not treated immediately in can turn fatal.
The bright side is asthma can be kept under control with the right medication and there is no reason why one who suffers from this illness to have to give up exercise or anything else for that matter.Share Your Opinion. (0 posts)
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Last Updated ( Saturday, 21 April 2007 )
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Written by Webmaster
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Thursday, 19 April 2007 |
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Finding the Remedy for Bronchitis Asthma
Asthma is a very serious and debilitating affliction. Asthma has a variety of different causes, one of them being bronchitis. Bronchitis asthma affects many people every day and, if you are one of them, there is hope for a remedy. Because the asthma is triggered by the bronchitis it makes finding a treatment for it much easier. Follow these three easy steps for treating bronchitis asthma and you will find the relief that you are so earnestly seeking:
Step 1: Recognize Bronchitis Asthma
Before you can cure something you have to identify it so make sure that what you are getting ready to battle is actually bronchitis asthma. Look for the symptoms such as productive cough, pain in the chest, shortness of breath, and the inability to take in a full breath without coughing.
Step 2: Find the Cause
Before you can begin to find the cure for the bronchitis asthma, you have to first find its cause. What is it that is aggravating and forming the foundation on which the bronchitis asthma stands? Chemical exposure, long term exposure to dusty environments, cigarette and cigar smoke, and other airborne pollutants will cause the bronchioles to become inflamed, resulting in bronchitis asthma.
Step 3: Fight the Ailment
Bronchitis asthma is not an unconquerable beast. Once you have identified the illness and the cause of the illness it is time to make some changes. If you are a smoker, consider giving it up, at least until you get rid of the symptoms because if you suffer from asthma in any of its forms, a smoking habit is a terrible thing to have.
Use the onset of bronchitis asthma as a motivator to kick the habit. You can also help relieve the symptoms of bronchitis asthma by buying a humidifier for your home. Increasing the humidity will help prevent dry throat and nasal passages, which will aid in increasing healing time. Other things that you can do are things like regulating your exposure to pet dander, which can trigger an asthma attack.
Even if you have quit smoking stay out of smoke filled bars, second hand smoke is more of an irritant than the filtered smoke that you inhale directly from the cigarette. Get an air purifier for your home. That will help to greatly decrease the amount of irritants floating around in your home. And finally, talk to your doctor about a medicine that may be right for you.
Bronchitis asthma does not have to be debilitating, it does not have to rule your life. Make responsible, rational decisions concerning proper treatment and care and you will be living a normal life in no time!Share Your Opinion. (0 posts)
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Last Updated ( Thursday, 19 April 2007 )
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Written by Webmaster
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Tuesday, 17 April 2007 |
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What to look out for with an asthma attack
No one knows for sure how a person contracts asthma. There are logical guesses given the scientific information that medical professionals are working with, but there is no actual set doctrine of how asthma develops or whom if affects. However, what they do know is that once you get asthma your lungs will begin to react to things that will cause an asthma attack.
For example if you are suffering from asthma, you might get an asthma attack when you get a cold or you might have an attack when you breathe in something that irritates your lungs, such as cigarette smoke, pollen or even dust.
When an asthma attack occurs, there are three things that can happen to your lungs:
1. The cells in your air tubes are producing much more mucus that normal and this particular production of mucus is sticky and thick and it will clog up the tubes making it difficult to breathe.
2. The skin in your air tubes begin to swell.
3. The muscles in your air tubes constrict and prevent you from breathing easily.
An Asthma attack can be sudden or it may take a long time to develop. An attack is measured simply by sever, moderate or mild.
A Severe Asthma Attack
When a person suffers from a sever asthma attack the first thing you need to do is call 911, get medical emergency help immediately because a person can die from a sever asthma attack.
With that said when a person is having a severe attack they become breathless, they may have trouble talking and their neck muscles may become tight. Their lips and fingernails might have a grayish or bluish color and the skin around the ribs and/or chest may be sucked in. This type of severity mostly occurs in children.
Mild Attacks
The mild asthma attack is more common than a severe. During a mild attack a person may feel tightness in their chest, they might start to cough and/or spit up thick mucus.
At night a person might feel restless or have trouble sleeping, they might make a wheezing or whistling sound while sleeping which means they are trying to breathe in and out through narrowing air tubes.
If you feel you are suffering from a mild asthma attack you should take your medication. This will usually resolve a mild attack as the medication will open up the air passages, making it easier to breathe.Share Your Opinion. (0 posts)
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Last Updated ( Tuesday, 17 April 2007 )
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Written by Webmaster
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Monday, 16 April 2007 |
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Discover the Benefits of Acupuncture for Asthma
Acupuncture is an ancient form of treatment for a variety of ailments. The philosophy behind it is that energy flows through a person in opposing forces. Diseases are said to be caused by an imbalance of these negative and positive forces and the energy is said to flow along pathways, or meridians.
Acupuncture is the process by which extremely thin, long needles are inserted into the skin along certain points on these meridians. The energies are adjusted by turning these needles and leaving them in place for up to 20 minutes.
Acupuncture for asthma symptoms has shown some benefit. Research in the past 15 years has proven the validity and effectiveness of this treatment for several illnesses. There are several reasons why you should consider acupuncture for asthma.
Acupuncture Can Treat Symptoms
In 1979, the World Health Organization listed 40 diseases that acupuncture is effective in treating. Acupuncture for asthma and bronchitis was on that list. The University Hospital of Vienna did a study that showed that 70% of patients with asthma reported significant improvement in their symptoms after 10 weeks of acupuncture treatments. Scientists at a Chinese hospital conducted a study that reported an immediate effective rate of 98.9% after patients received acupuncture for asthma symptoms. The rate of remission also dropped significantly and there was improvement in 76.5% of patients.
Acupuncture Can Reduce Dependency on Drugs
As studies have shown, acupuncture for asthma patients has shown benefits. Also, these patients were able to reduce their dosage of asthma medication. It is not advisable to quit any medication cold turkey, and your doctor should be consulted if you want to make any changes to your medication. However, some asthma medications have undesirable short- and long-term effects. Finding a safe alternative to high dosage medications can be beneficial to your health and wallet.
Acupuncture is regulated
In 1996, the Federal Drug Administration determined through several studies that acupuncture needles were no longer investigational medical devices and were approved for use by qualified practitioners. Each state has its own set of laws to regulate acupuncture and set up standards for qualified practitioners.
In California, acupuncturists must graduate from an approved school, complete four years of academic education in the field, and pass a licensing examine. If you are seeking a qualified practitioner to perform acupuncture for asthma symptoms, be sure to do your homework and find out if the person is licensed by a state agency.
Although it might sound sort of mystical, acupuncture for asthma symptoms has been shown to be effective and safe if done by a licensed practitioner. In fact, many health care plans will cover acupuncture. This treatment can be good way to treat asthma if you're not finding relief through more traditional methods.Share Your Opinion. (0 posts)
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Last Updated ( Monday, 16 April 2007 )
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