Is it true that children with asthma are more risky to develop lung infections?
Some studies find that children who have asthma disease are more susceptible to experiencing lung infections. Curious, how are the mechanics?
Asthma is a disease that is increasingly higher in its prevalence in children. Not only that, children who have an asthma disease is said to be riskier to get lung infections. What is medical fact?
Asthma: causes, symptoms, and risks
Asthma is a long-term disease in the respiratory tract characterized by narrowing and inflammation of the airways. Due to asthma, the feeling of tightness and difficulty breathing.
The emergence of asthma is triggered by various triggers (allergens), such as dust, mites, pollen, cold temperature, airway infections, overly severe activity, emotions, etc.
Allergens can then trigger inflammatory reactions in the airways and lungs, which can lead to narrowing of the airways and interfering with the flow of the air.
Consequently, there was shortness of breath and difficulty breathing.
Asthma symptoms vary from mild to severe. Common symptoms include cough, shortness of breath, and wheezing (breath sounds).
Severe asthma can potentially cause disturbance to a child's sleep, make it tired and weak because of sleeplessness, and can reduce the quality of life including performance in school.
Severe asthma attacks are at risk of life-threatening when they are not given fast and precise relief.
The cause of asthma disease is not known for sure. However, there have been several risk factors that play a role in the emergence of asthma in children:
- Child allergies History
- History of allergies or asthma in families
- Suffering from respiratory tract infections at a very young age
- Exposure to pollution in environments such as cigarette smoke and other air pollution
One of the consequences of asthma disease to make children vulnerable to lung infections?
In addition to the risks of asthma diseases that have been mentioned earlier, there is a study that found that children suffering from asthma are more susceptible to lung infections.
Research involving 123 studies revealed that children suffering from asthma 90 percent are more susceptible to lung infections compared to other children who do not have the disease.
The lung infection in question is mainly caused by a pneumococcal bacterial infection.
The research headed by Dr. Jose Castro-Rodriguez also mentions that the risk remains high even though children with asthma are already getting pneumococcal (PCV) vaccinations.
The research team suspects, there is a decrease in the immune system in the lining of the airways (especially in the area of the pharynx or the base of the tongue) due to drug exposure spray corticosteroids commonly used to control asthma symptoms.
To address this risk, the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends children aged 2 years and over who have asthma gets an additional dose of PCV 23 vaccination, aside from 4 PCV 13 doses that have been administered during the infant.
Despite these recommendations, the implementation requires further research with a larger number of subjects.
Can asthma be prevented?
In most children with mild to moderate asthma symptoms, asthma will generally disappear when it gets older or adults. However, unfortunately, in a small portion of children who have severe asthma, they can continue to get them to adulthood.
Asthma is not curable, but it can be prevented by its recurrence. Therefore, parents should be aware of the trigger of childhood asthma so that it is not exposed to allergens.
Also keep the child from exposure to pollutants such as cigarette smoke, smoke motor vehicles, and other pollutants.
If the child is overweight or obese, try to lose weight by limiting foods and drinks of high calorie, sugar, and fat. The child also must be active in motion or exercise to keep his body fit, including training his breathing and lungs.
According to the study, one of the consequences of asthma in children is more high risk of lung infections. Therefore, parents must play an active role in preventing recurrence of childhood asthma attacks. One more thing, take consultation and control to the doctor to keep the child's quality of life awake. Healthy living with asthma, can!