Asthma and allergies are common health conditions and affect everyone, including children. Both conditions cause respiratory symptoms such as breathing problems. The symptoms are not the same, but they have a connection. Allergies and asthma occur differently but allergens may also trigger asthma attacks. When they occur in children, they may make their life difficult. Contact the asthma & allergies Argyle specialist at Argyle Pediatrics for treatments to restore your child’s health. This blog post explains more about asthma and allergies.
What is asthma?
It is a chronic condition that interferes with your breathing ability. An asthma attack develops when you have a sudden inflammation of the air passage causing difficulty breathing. Different factors can trigger asthma attacks.
Triggers that may cause asthma attacks in children include exposure to chemicals, cigarette smoke, and allergens. Children also get asthma attacks during physical activity.
Asthma symptoms include wheezing, chest tightness, coughing at night or early morning, and breathlessness.
What are the available treatments for asthma?
The Argyle Pediatrics team offers comprehensive diagnoses and treatments to lower the risk of severe asthma attacks and enhance your child’s life quality.
After confirming asthma, your provider may recommend having an inhaler that has medications that quickly clear and open up the airways. They also prescribe additional medications to minimize inflammation.
The provider may also suggest at-home breathing techniques using the nebulizer machine. The device carries medications in a mist form to allow the child to breathe easily.
What causes allergies?
Allergies occur when the body overreacts to particular materials that are usually not harmful to others. Allergies result from triggers such as smoke, pollen, certain foods, dust, and insect bites.
Allergies cause various reactions, such as watery eyes, sore throat, sneezing, and itchiness. In severe allergy cases, children may experience anaphylactic shock. It is a life-threatening condition that causes mouth, nose, and throat swellings.
What are the available treatments for allergies?
Your provider prescribes an epinephrine injection during severe allergy cases to reverse the symptoms and enhance the child’s breathing. They recommend over-the-counter medications for mild and moderate allergies.
Your provider may work with you to help you avoid allergy triggers in your environment. They may recommend closing windows during pollen season and avoiding potential allergy-causing foods in your child’s diet.
Another treatment option includes allergy shots that introduce small amounts of allergen into your body, creating an immune tolerance.
Asthma has various triggers, including cold air and respiratory infections. Usually, you may have more than one trigger. It’s critical to know your triggers to help manage your symptoms.
You can prevent asthma and allergies by keeping up with your triggers since they may change over time. In addition, having the right information, avoiding your trigger exposure, and a medical consultation can help manage asthma and allergies.
Allergies and asthma have a link in that allergens may trigger an asthma attack. Luckily, by identifying your child’s triggers, you may avoid the occurrence of the two conditions. Though sometimes severe, asthma and allergies are manageable.
Call Argyle Pediatrics to schedule your consultation today and learn more about children’s asthma and allergies.
