As They Grow: Baby Years Toddlers Middle Years Teen Years

The Baby years:
When you have a baby try to give it the best start in life that you possibly can. Not by showering it with gifts but by making a safe, healthy home. It means that when pregnant and breast feeding think about the drugs you take at this time - not only prescribed medication but also tobacco, alcohol and recreational drugs. Do you need them? Check with your doctor or pharmacist about the safety of all medications that you take. For example, at the time of this writing, it has not yet been proven that it is safe to take Flixotide during pregnancy or while breast feeding. The benefit to the asthmatic mother must be weighed up against the possibility of health problems for the baby.

Breast feed if you are able
 
Don't introduce solid foods too early
 
Don't let anyone smoke around your baby
 
Treat colds and chest infections quickly
 
Keep the baby's room free from dust and mould

Toddlers:
Despite doing all the right things asthma can still develop however, it is often not diagnosed as asthma until the child is two or three years old. Prior to this it may be considered "wheezy bronchitis" or dismissed as unimportant because it may only surface when the child has a cold.

All infants, even those without asthma, have airways with a tendency to narrow when breathing out and this creates a mild problem in lung gas exchange. Asthma makes it worse.

Very small children do not have secondary passages between airways and air sacs like adults do. These secondary passages can be used when the primary ones are obstructed. They also have a weak diaphragm so the inspiratory muscles tend to suck in the whole rib cage, making breathing more difficult when the child breathes more quickly and deeply, as in an asthma attack.

Lungs grow at an enormous rate for the first few years but unfortunately until the child is approximately six years old airways are narrow compared to the volume of air required. Small children also have more mucus glands than older children or adults which can produce substantial amounts of mucus further clogging airways.

Very small children have a lot of reactions to food triggers, ice-cream for example, which cause wheezing. As they grow older these reactions lessen and so it may appear that the child is no longer an asthmatic if they stop getting wheezy when they eat ice-cream.

When you leave your Child with a baby-sitter or nursery, you will need to check that:

they can cope with an asthmatic child

they know or are willing to learn what to do if an attack strikes

they are willing to administer medicine if necessary

Middle Years 5 - 12:
Asthma symptoms may subside considerably in this age bracket because as children grow up, their lungs develop, muscles strengthen and their immune system changes. They often stop having reactions to the food triggers they had when they were smaller. This leads to the popular misconception that children grow out of asthma at seven.

However, some children begin to develop asthma at this age as allergies to inhaled substances start to be a problem. Unfortunately, this problem seems to be more life-long than food allergies.

Almost anything can trigger asthma but some of the most common causes are having a chest infection, a virus or being subjected to cigarette smoke, chemical cleaners, chlorine, fly spray, strong scented soap powders or cold wind. Allergies to things such as milk, cats, dust frequently set off asthma attacks as can emotions. Children are also often set off by exercise or running around with their friends

You may have noticed that your child does not get asthma except when she breathes through her mouth a lot. Asthma is not a psychological condition and it is unlikely that emotional upsets will cause asthma unless the child is already getting close to an attack. Laughter and crying are always done while breathing through the mouth and so this is why they will sometimes cause asthma.

Teenage Years 13 - 18:
The teenage asthmatic may begin to have less problems with asthma as by now the airways have grown and the immune system is not so sensitive to food allergies. Milk may still have a major effect on those with a tendency towards asthma or nasal problems such as Hay-fever or rhinitis. asthma is still likely to be triggered by virus' or chest infections, inhaling irritants, cold air, exercise and the other million things that can affect asthmatics.

If the teenager has been unfortunate to have been on many courses of antibiotics and steroids in his life then the threat of further chest, sinus or ear infections remains high. While it is impossible to avoid catching virus' and or picking up bacteria commonsense and basic hygiene go a long way towards helping to remain healthy.

The asthmatic teenager may start off being shorter than his counterparts and physical development may be slightly slower but this will correct itself with time.

Teenagers want more independence over many factors in their life and asthma may be one of them. Because of this growing independence and also the fact that they will spend more time away from the home than ever before, they need to have a full understanding of their medication - how it works and when to use it. If you are not able to help them in this, a chat to with their doctor or pharmacist will help. Alternatively, drug companies are usually very cooperative in supplying brochures which set out clearly and accurately how their products should be used.

If your teenager keeps a diary of personal thoughts then perhaps they could jot down a few notes about their asthma each day as well. This would put them more in control and give them more responsibility in managing their own asthma.

Being one of the crowd is very important to teenagers and so some asthmatic teenagers become sensitive about having to use inhalers in public. They may deny that they have a problem while secretly be depressed or anxious about it. Speaking openly about the matter and continuing to treat your teenager as an ordinary person will help. Approximately one person in five has asthma in some form so it is likely that several people in their class at school will also be asthmatic.

Teenagers may need an updated Asthma Action Plan and this is the perfect way to give them more responsibility. It will put them more in the picture of what their asthma is all about and to also realise that having asthma does not have to be a big deal. Go with them to their doctor or asthma educator while they talk about their plan.

Don't forget that alcohol can be a powerful trigger for many asthmatics. Perhaps having a glass on wine or beer at home would be the best and safest place to find out if it is a trigger for your teenager.

Without being seen as an interfering parent you can help your teenager look for the tell-tale signs that asthma is approaching:

Is there an increase in the "allergic salute"? (rubbing the end of the nose)

Are dark shadows under the eyes returning?

Have they been talking in their sleep?

Are they feeling more tired than usual?

Is their intake of reliever medication increasing this week?