How Is Pediatric Asthma Treated?

An asthma attack can be frightening, especially for children, and their parents. Children’s airways are much smaller, which means an asthma attack can be much more severe. Your pediatrician can help. Dr. Maria Reid at Greensboro Children’s Clinic in Greensboro, NC, offers comprehensive children’s medical care, including diagnosis, treatment, and management of asthma.

What You Need to Know about Pediatric Asthma

If your child is experiencing breathing difficulties, but you are not sure if it’s asthma, there are a few signs and symptoms you need to be aware of. If these signs or symptoms develop frequently, your child might have asthma:

• Wheezing or coughing
• Shortness of breath
• Recurrent bronchitis
• Tightness in the chest

If you have an infant or toddler, the signs and symptoms may be more subtle and can include:

• Your child feeding more slowly
• Your child having breathing problems while feeding
• Frequent coughing, especially when your child is active
• Your child quickly tires when active

If you notice any of the signs and symptoms listed above, your child should be evaluated for asthma by a pediatrician. Spirometry and lung function tests can determine whether your child has asthma and how severe the asthma is. Once a diagnosis of asthma is established, your pediatrician may recommend several effective treatments, including:

• Rescue inhalers to relieve acute symptoms
• Long-term asthma medications to provide lasting asthma relief

An asthma attack can be caused by allergies, so your pediatrician may also recommend allergy testing to determine which substances, called allergens, your child is allergic to. Common treatments for allergies include:

• Allergy injections
• Sublingual immunotherapy
• Lifestyle and environmental modification to avoid allergens

Want to Know More?

Your child can breathe easier with asthma, with the help of your pediatrician. To find out more about the signs, symptoms, and treatment of asthma in children, talk with an expert. Call Dr. Maria Reid at Greensboro Children’s Clinic in Greensboro, NC. You can reach her in the office by calling (336) 799-2422, so call today.