Asthma attacks are episodes where the child with asthma has worsening of asthma symptoms like increased cough, wheezing or chest congestion, tightness in chest, breathing difficulty and shortness of breath. Wheezing is a musical sound heard best when child is breathing out. During asthma attacks the child can have difficulty in performing normal daily activities.
Can asthma attacks be life threatening?
Sometimes, asthma attack can get very severe or a life threatening. In such asthma attacks the child needs to be hospitalized immediately for treatment. Symptoms of a life threatening asthma attack are: very fast breathing, difficulty in speaking, pale colour of the body, sweating, blue lips or fingernails.
What happens during an asthma attack?
In an asthma attack the small airways in the lungs called as the bronchi gets swollen up or inflamed, produce more mucus and the muscles around the airways tighten up also called as bronchospasm. These factors- bronchospasm, inflammation, and mucus production tend to block the bronchi in the lungs.
What can induce asthma attacks?
Viral infections are the most common reasons of inducing asthma attacks in children. In addition allergens like pollens, dust mites, cat and dog dander are reasons for an asthma attack. Triggers like deodorants, dhoopbatti, aggarbatti and tobacco smoke can lead to asthma attacks.
What should do in cases of an attack?
All asthma attacks should be managed in consultation with your pulmonologist or allergist. In cases of mild asthma attacks symptoms, 2 puffs of the reliever inhaler (salbutamol or levo-salbutamol) with spacer should be given to the child. This can be continued every 3-4 hours. In case of partial or no improvement in asthma attacks the puffs need to be repeated after 20 minutes interval for upto three times. If the child is not better after one hour the child would need oral steroids.
In which situations of asthma attacks the child needs to be rushed to a hospital?
In case symptoms of a life threatening asthma attack like very fast breathing, difficulty in speaking, pale colour of the body, sweating, blue lips or fingernails the child needs to be taken to a hospital quickly. During the way to the hospital the child should be given reliever inhaler every 15 minutes and first dose of the steroid.
Proper management of these asthma attacks are very important. Parents need to consult a pediatric pulmonologist or allergist for proper care of children with asthma.
