EDITOR'S NOTE: As part of our "AZ Health" series with Cardon Children's Medical Center, we hosted a Twitter discussion about pediatric allergies and asthma on Wednesday, Jan 13. Our guest medical expert was Cardon pediatric allergy educator Kim Wells, the mother of an asthmatic daughter. Following is a transcript of the discussion.
RAK Magazine: How do you “get” asthma?
Kim Wells: Several things can increase the risk: family history, respiratory infections as a child, second-hand smoke and urban areas. No one cause has been found yet for asthma.
RAK Magazine: At what age do children typically show signs of asthma and what should parents look for?
Kim Wells: Asthma can occur at any age. There are tons of signs:
- wheezing and coughing, especially with a cold
- shortness of breath
- chest pain
- trouble sleeping
- coughing with exercise
- infants might have trouble feeding
RAK Magazine: How is asthma diagnosed? Are there different types of asthma?
Kim Wells: It can be diagnosed with a medical history, physical exam and test results, such as a lung-function test. The different types of asthma include: allergic, exercise-induced, non-allergic, occupational, medication-induced and cough/variant. Cough/variant can seem like habit coughing, or coughing all day long.
RAK Magazine: During an asthma attack, what is happening to the body?
Kim Wells: During an asthma attack, the sides of airways in your lungs swell and the air path shrinks. This equals less air to your lungs. Mucous clogs up the airways even more as well.
RAK Magazine: What factors trigger attacks? Weather? Food? Stress? Lack of sleep?
Kim Wells: There are tons of asthma triggers: respiratory infections, allergens (pollen, etc), exercise, emotions, stress, chemicals, weather, food allergies, heartburn, medications, cockroaches, pet dander...and many more.
RAK Magazine: (question from audience) Does asthma ever go away, or is it something your child will have to deal with for life?
Kim Wells: There is no cure for asthma, but you can learn to control it. Some kids do 'outgrow' asthma in the teen years, but even if you outgrow asthma, it can flare up when you get sick.
RAK Magazine: (question from audience) Is it possible to have adult-onset asthma when you are in your 50s and don't smoke?
Kim Wells: Asthma is always possible, thanks to triggers in the workplace or new allergens in the environment.
RAK Magazine: How is asthma treated? What can parents do to avoid attacks in their child?
Kim Wells: Asthma treatments aim to decrease inflammation, improve lung function and reduce symptoms. To avoid attacks, you often have to use a controller or medication. Learning about and avoiding triggers is key.
RAK Magazine: Are there certain times of year when asthma flares up worse than others?
Kim Wells: Fall and spring are the worst for pollen levels. Fall and winter are bad thanks to cold/flu season. Returning to school with exposure to germs, etc. seems to cause flare-ups as well.
RAK Magazine: (question from audience) I am concerned about all the meds my child is on, even when she shows no symptoms. Should my child still be using them?
Kim Wells: If you stop medication, inflammation can return. Ask your doctor for a lung-function test to see if meds are still necessary.
RAK Magazine: (question from audience) What are your thoughts on alternative medicines for controlling or treating asthma? Are they effective?
Kim Wells: Alternative medicines are widely available. Keep your doctor in the loop in case of possible interactions. Some doctors use alternative medicines coupled with traditional treatments, but there are so many it's hard to name one. There are tons of alternative medications out there, but very few studies on the subject show effectiveness.
RAK Magazine: Is asthma more prevalent in some climates/geographic areas?
Kim Wells: East coast has mold issues. Arizona has pollen 11 months out of the year. Cold climates can trigger asthma.
RAK Magazine: Can asthma permanently damage a child’s lungs?
Kim Wells: Asthma can damage the lungs permanently. This is called airway remodeling and is similar to scar tissue in your lungs.
RAK Magazine: How severe is this scar tissue? Is it something to be concerned about as the child gets older?
Kim Wells: Damage depends on how long the asthma went without treatment. The more damage means the worse the asthma.
RAK Magazine: As a parent of a child with asthma, what are your daily concerns? How do you handle them?
Kim Wells: I make sure my child takes her controller meds every day — especially important during the teen years, when they feel fine, so they start to think they don't need meds. I try to be honest with my child about her condition. Teens want to be independent, so a compromise is in order. We see plenty of kids who can't breathe because they thought they were fine and stopped taking their meds regularly.
RAK Magazine: (question from audience) What types of programs can med students get involved with through Cardon to help children with asthma?
Kim Wells: We (Cardon Children’s) sponsor lots of events such as asthma education and are always looking for volunteers. Contact us for more information.
RAK Magazine: What message or tip do you stress to parents and kids in your asthma education seminars?
Kim Wells: The main tip is you can control your asthma and do anything other kids do. Learn to control it and you'll be okay. We tell kids if they want to run fast, learn to control your asthma by taking your meds and learning triggers.
RAK Magazine: (question from audience) I'm afraid my 1-year-old might have allergies, since I do. Should I have him tested? If so, how soon? Also, is it possible to build immunity to an allergy by exposure (like cats) or is it the opposite?
Kim Wells: Actually more exposure to an allergen can cause a worse reaction each time. If you think your child might have allergies, ask your primary doc for a blood or skin test. The skin test can be slightly painful but is more like a prick than a stick.
RAK Magazine: How does having allergies affect asthma? Are you more susceptible if you have asthma?
Kim Wells: If you have allergies, risk for asthma increases. Asthma wouldn't really cause an allergy, but allergies can cause asthma.
RAK Magazine: Last question from us. What types of allergies are dominant in Arizona?
Kim Wells: Ragweed is the most common allergen and we have 12 species in Arizona. We also have pollen 11 months out of the year. A cool resource for allergies: pollenlibrary.com has zip code search and email alerts for bad pollen days.
Learn more about Cardon Children’s asthma programs and education at http://bit.ly/5OTPxA and http://bit.ly/4wYVD1
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