Archive for July, 2007
« Previous EntriesAsthma - Examining Your Child
Monday, July 30th, 2007After talking to you and your child about symptoms, the doctor will give your child a physical exam. The doctor will look at the child’s nose, throat, and ears to check for secretions (runny nose), swollen mucous membranes, and infections. Rhinitis (runny nose), sinusitis (sinus infection), and ear infections can cause coughing similar to […]
Antihistamines - Allergy Medicine
Sunday, July 22nd, 2007 The most popular medicines for allergies are antihistamines. As the name suggests, antihistamines counteract the swelling and other effects of histamine. They are very effective for keeping allergy symptoms from starting and for treating them when they do.
The most widely used antihistamines today are called H1 receptor antagonists and are available by prescription only. […]
What Doesn’t Cause Asthma?
Monday, July 16th, 2007Researchers cannot say for certain exactly what causes asthma, but they can rule out some old suspects. Not too long ago, asthma was thought to have a psychological cause. Today we know that asthma is definitely not psychosomatic, or “all in the child’s head.” Children with asthma have a real medical problem. It isn’t […]
The Root Of Asthma
Wednesday, July 11th, 2007 Triggers set off asthma flares, but they are not the reason your child has asthma in the first place. What is the cause? There’s no single answer to that question at this time, but asthma has several suspected sources.
Family history is probably one major reason for asthma. If relatives have asthma or allergies, a […]
Diagnosing Asthma
Monday, July 9th, 2007Finding out if your child has asthma isn’t always easy. There’s no one simple medical test for asthma, so the diagnosis depends on a child’s overall pattern of symptoms. For that reason, it’s important for parents to notice a variety of signs and symptoms that combine to form a pattern. If you suspect asthma, […]
Recognizing Asthma Symptoms
Saturday, July 7th, 2007Asthma is a highly individual condition. Symptoms can range from very mild to severe and even life threatening. Symptoms may appear only occasionally and last for just a little while. Or they may occur daily to several times a week and become more severe. They may even go from mild to severe in a […]
When Your Child Has Asthma
Friday, July 6th, 2007 As a mother holds her seven-month-old baby, she notices that he’s breathing faster and harder than normal. With each breath, his belly is moving in and out more than usual. She hears a faint “whistling sound with each breath as well. She never saw this in her older child. “What’s wrong?”she worries.
The father if […]
Are Allergies Inherited?
Thursday, July 5th, 2007Although there are many reasons why allergies are so common, family history is by far the most important. The genetic tendency to have allergies, called atopy, is inherited. If one parent has allergies, a child has a fifty-fifty chance of having allergies. If both parents have allergies, a child has about a 70 percent […]
Asthma Triggers
Wednesday, July 4th, 2007Anything that affects the airways of a child with asthma is called a trigger. It is often something your child is allergic to, such as pollen or dust mites (tiny “bugs” that live in carpet or fabrics), as well as irritants like cigarette smoke. Exposure to a trigger even in very small amounts can […]
Asthma And The Lungs
Tuesday, July 3rd, 2007 Doctors and nurses refer to the swelling of the airways as inflammation and the squeezing of the airways as bronchospasm or bronchoconstriction of the muscles that encircle the airways. What is the cause? To answer that, here is a quick lesson in how the lungs work:
The lungs’ major job is to bring oxygen into […]