Allergies of the lungs is called asthma. It is an obstructive airway disease in which the airways are hyper-reactive to certain allergens that the body is sensitive to, leading to narrowing of the airway and subsequent breathing difficulty and cough. In a metropolitan city like New Delhi, respiratory allergens are in abundance and thus the children affected with asthma is very high.

How will I know if my child has asthma?

If your child has any of these symptoms mentioned below, your child could be suffering from respiratory allergies

• Dry, spasmodic cough, worse at night
• Breathing difficulty
• Chest tightness
• Wheezing sound
• Increased cough on exertion or at height of emotions like crying/laughing
• Relief on taking inhaled bronchodilators
• Repeated episodes of cough requiring bronchodilators or steroids
• Viral infections that take more than 10 days to recover
• Admission in hospital with wheezing episode

What should I do if my child has these symptoms?

You must consult a pediatric pulmonologist if you have these concerns. Pediatric pulmonologist do a thorough clinical examination after reviewing history for complete evaluation. Your doctor might ask you to get pulmonary function tests like spirometry or impulse oscillometry to confirm the diagnosis and to check the function of the lungs. 

How can I prevent asthma?

• Hygiene hypothesis: Decreased exposure to environmental allergens and living in an environment too “clean” early in life can decrease the body’s capacity to fight as the children grow old. Early exposure to all kinds of antigens is important fpr proper development of immunity
• Breast feeding has protective effect on allergies

How can I protect my child from having asthma attacks?

• There are a lot of indoor allergens like insects, mosquitoes, fungus, mould on walls, house dust mite, house dust and pets. Allergen avoidance is the best way to prevent asthma.
• Airway irritants like perfumes, incense sticks, mosquito repellants and passive smoking increased the risk of asthma attacks and must be avoided.
• Sundrying of mattresses and pillows and regular washing of bedsheets etc can help in preventing house dust mites at home.
• Wet mopping and vacuum cleaning should be preferred over sweeping the floors to avoid dust.
• Regular breathing exercises and pranayama can help in improving lung capacity

Is asthma curable?

Asthma is an allergic disease that develops as a result of sensitivity to a particular allergen. This sensitization is a genetic tendency of any individual that is unpredictable and cannot be altered. But with appropriate treatment at the right age, we can prevent the harmful effects of asthma on the child’s developing lungs by preventing airway remodeling.  There are ways to desensitize an individual (Allergen Immunotherapy) if the offending allergen is known. This can be done by performing a skin prick test.