Childhood
Asthma Still Increasing
Asthma is a chronic disease means
it Last for a long period that affects the bronchial
tubes, which take air in and out of the lungs.
In asthma, these airways become easily affected
and as a result react more robustly to allergens
or irritants that are there in the environment.
Upon exposure to these triggers, the airways turn
out to be narrower and less air flows from end
to end to the lung tissues. This causes typical
asthma symptoms such as wheezing, coughing, chest
tightness, and difficulty breathing.
In the United States in 1993
and 1994, atleast an average of 13.7 million people
reported that they affected by asthma-related
conditions. Today that number has enhanced to
about 15 million, nearly 5 million in that most
are children. Asthma is now the third leading
cause of hospitalization among children under
15 years old, and accounts for more than 14 million
lost school days each year. The impact of poor
health and deaths due to asthma is disproportionately
higher among less income people, minorities, and
children who live in inner cities than in the
general population.
"It's turn into a common
problem," says William Gershan, MD, Associate
Professor of Pediatrics (Pediatric Pulmonary)
at the Medical College of Wisconsin. Dr. Gershan,
who practices at Children's Hospital of Wisconsin,
Says that researchers cannot yet point to one
exact reason for the increase, but says there
are most likely a lot of factors involved: "The
rise could be attributed due to an increase in
environmental factors, or it could be that people
are just more in step to asthma than they used
to be."
Causes
Dr. Gershan says that asthma
is most generally part of an allergic reaction
to seasonal factors similar to ragweed, tree pollen,
or grass pollen; or to environmental factors such
dust, as cigarette smoke, cockroaches, or animal
dander.
But, he
says, asthma is not at all times allergic
in nature. "A viral infection can fetch
on asthma, as can definite smells, like
a particular perfume," says Dr. Gershan.
Exercise-induced asthma is quite common,
and is usually triggered by strenuous activity.
Genetic predisposition as well plays a part
in childhood asthma: "If father or
mother have asthma, children are much more
probable to have it as well," he explains.
Children who are often ill with breathing
problems at an early age are also reason
to develop asthma, as are those born or
ahead of time or those who have been on
ventilators for prolonged periods. |
Asthma and allergies |
Another condition associated
to childhood asthma is Respiratory Syncytial Virus,
or RSV. RSV is most frequent in infants, and although
most babies fully get well from an RSV infection,
some go on to develop lasting asthma. "It's
a chicken-or-egg scenario," says Dr. Gershan.
"Are children who in the risk of getting
asthma more prone to RSV, or does RSV bring on
asthma?"
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