What you need to know about childhood asthma

"When I first see a family the school-age child will almost always tell me that what bothers them most about having asthma is not being able to play with friends," says Dr. Sheldon Spier, head of the Division of Pediatric Respiratory Medicine at Alberta Children's Hospital in Calgary. "Parents worry most about missing school, waking at night, and going to the emergency room. The most important starting point is to diagnose asthma and then accept the diagnosis. Then treatments can begin."

Prevention
"Anyone can get asthma and at any age," says Kay Khan, registered nurse and clinical educator at the Asthma & Airways Centre of the University Health Network in Toronto. "However, the risk of developing asthma is much greater if there is a history of asthma and allergies in the family. Things that can trigger asthma symptoms can vary from one individual to another."

Khan lists some basic ways to reduce common asthma triggers in the home environment:

• Have an allergy skin test to identify allergic triggers and use measures such as dust mite covers for mattresses and pillows and using washable toys
• Don't smoke and avoid strong smells and fumes from cleaning products, candles, burning wood in the fireplace or using a gas stove
• Practice dust and mold control measures: use wooden flooring instead of carpets, keep the furnace and ducts clean and take care of damp areas
• In the summer, keep windows and doors closed to limit pollen levels in the home
• If your child is allergic to animals, don't have pets -- or, at the very least, limit their movement throughout the home

How to tell if your child has asthma
"You should suspect asthma if your child coughs or has breathing difficulty in the middle of the night (coughing while lying down to go to sleep may be a post-nasal drip), or after five to 10 minutes of exercise," says Dr. Spier. "At this point you should see your family doctor in order to get more advice. A thorough examination of your environment for irritants and possible allergic triggers should be done. Allergy testing should be considered for many children in order to help confirm and identify possible triggers."

In addition, says Dr. Noya, "if the child seems to be having an acute asthma attack and the parents do not know what to do, the child should be taken to an emergency room."

Diagnosis and testing have many components. The Lung Association has detailed information on what takes place during asthma testing and diagnosis.

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