Also called: Also called: Childhood asthma
Asthma is a chronic disease that causes the airways - the tubes that carry air in and out of your lungs - to become sore and swollen. In the United States, about 20 million people have asthma. Nearly 9 million of them are children. Children have smaller airways than adults, which makes asthma especially serious for them. Children with asthma may experience wheezing, coughing, chest tightness and trouble breathing, especially early in the morning or at night.
Many things can cause asthma, including
- Allergens - mold, pollen, animals
- Irritants - cigarette smoke, air pollution
- Weather - cold air, changes in weather
- Exercise
- Infections - flu, common cold
When asthma symptoms become worse than usual, it is called an asthma attack. Asthma is treated with two kinds of medicines: quick-relief medicines to stop asthma symptoms and long-term control medicines to prevent symptoms.
- Childhood Asthma Overview(American Lung Association) - http://www.lungusa.org/site/pp.asp?c=dvLUK9O0E&b=22782
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Asthma
(National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute) - http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/dci/Diseases/Asthma/Asthma_WhatIs.html
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Asthma
(Patient Education Institute) - Requires Flash Player - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/tutorials/asthma/htm/index.htm
Also available in Spanish http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/spanish/tutorials/asthmaspanish/htm/index.htm -
Asthma Basics(Nemours Foundation) - http://kidshealth.org/parent/medical/lungs/asthma_basics.html
Also available in Spanish http://kidshealth.org/parent/en_espanol/medicos/asthma_basics_esp.html
- Childhood Asthma(Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America) - http://www.aafa.org/display.cfm?id=8&sub=16&cont=44
- Childhood Asthma(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) - http://www.mayoclinic.com/print/childhood-asthma/DS00849/DSECTION=all&METHOD=print
- Acetaminophen Linked to Childhood Asthma(09/19/2008, HealthDay) - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/news/fullstory_69462.html
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Monitoring Exhaled Nitric Oxide Does Not Help Manage Asthma(09/18/2008, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases) - http://www.nih.gov/news/health/sep2008/niaid-18.htm
- Early Daycare Linked to Lower Asthma Risk(09/16/2008, Reuters Health) - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/news/fullstory_69315.html
- Asthma Rates High among Abused Children(09/03/2008, Reuters Health) - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/news/fullstory_68839.html
- More News on Asthma in Children http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/alphanews_a.html#asthmainchildren
- Detecting Allergies and Asthma at an Early Age(American Academy of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology) - http://www.aaaai.org/patients/advocate/2005/winter/detecting.stm
- Early Warning Signals(American Lung Association) - http://www.lungusa.org/site/pp.asp?c=dvLUK9O0E&b=22880
- Recognizing an Asthma Attack(American Academy of Pediatrics) - http://www.medem.com/MedLB/article_detaillb.cfm?article_ID=ZZZE2O8XA7C&sub_cat=19
- What to Expect at the Doctor’s Office(American Academy of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology) - http://www.aaaai.org/patients/allergic_conditions/pediatric_asthma/what_to_expect.stm
- Albuterol Inhalers: Time to Transition(Food and Drug Administration) - http://www.fda.gov/consumer/updates/albuterol053008.html
- Albuterol Side Effects in Children: Is Irritability Normal?(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) - http://www.mayoclinic.com/print/albuterol-side-effects/AN01065/METHOD=print
- Asthma Inhalers: Which One's Right for You?(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) - http://www.mayoclinic.com/print/asthma-inhalers/HQ01081/METHOD=print
- Asthma Medications: Know Your Options(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) - http://www.mayoclinic.com/print/asthma-medications/AP00008/METHOD=print
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Inhaled Steroid Drugs: Summary of Affordable Alternatives(Consumers Union of U.S.) - http://www.consumerreports.org/health/best-buy-drugs/steroid_asthma.htm
Also available in Spanish http://www.consumerreports.org/health/resources/pdf/best-buy-drugs/2pager_AsthmaSpanish.pdf
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Inhaler or Nebulizer: Which One Should My Child Use?(Nemours Foundation) - http://kidshealth.org/parent/medical/asthma/inhaler_nebulizer.html
Also available in Spanish http://kidshealth.org/parent/en_espanol/medicos/inhaler_nebulizer_esp.html
- Patient Instructions for Inhaled Devices(American College of Chest Physicians) - Links to PDF - http://www.chestnet.org/patients/guides/inhaledDevices.php
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What's the Difference Between Rescue and Controller Medications?(Nemours Foundation) - http://kidshealth.org/parent/medical/asthma/rescue_controller.html
Also available in Spanish http://kidshealth.org/parent/en_espanol/medicos/rescue_controller_esp.html
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Creating an Asthma-Safe Home(Nemours Foundation) - http://kidshealth.org/parent/medical/asthma/asthma_home.html
Also available in Spanish http://kidshealth.org/parent/en_espanol/medicos/asthma_home_esp.html
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Prevention of Allergies and Asthma in Children(American Academy of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology) - http://www.aaaai.org/patients/publicedmat/tips/preventioninchildren.stm
Also available in Spanish http://www.aaaai.org/espanol/tips/prevencion_de_alergias_y_asma_en_los_ninos.stm
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Asthma and Children: A Guide to Coping
(Healthy Roads Media) - Requires Flash Player - http://www.healthyroadsmedia.org/english/Files/flv/engast.htm
Also available in Spanish http://www.healthyroadsmedia.org/spanish/Files/flv/spaast.htm
- Asthma Diary(Nemours Foundation) - http://kidshealth.org/kid/asthma_basics/monitoring/asthma_diary.html
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Help Your Child Gain Control Over Asthma(Environmental Protection Agency, Indoor Environments Division) - Large PDF file - http://www.epa.gov/asthma/pdfs/ll_asthma_brochure.pdf
- How Can I Help My Child Cooperate While Using the Nebulizer?(Nemours Foundation) - http://kidshealth.org/parent/managing_asthma/charge/cooperate_nebulizer.html
- Managing Asthma in the School Environment(Environmental Protection Agency, Indoor Environments Division) - http://www.epa.gov/iedweb00/schools/managingasthma.html
- Peak Flow Learning Center(National Jewish Health) - http://www.nationaljewish.org/disease-info/diseases/asthma/living/tools/peak/
- Preparing for School with Allergies and Asthma(American Academy of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology) - http://www.aaaai.org/patients/topicofthemonth/0805/
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What If My Child Doesn't Take His or Her Asthma Medication?(Nemours Foundation) - http://kidshealth.org/parent/medical/asthma/no_asthma_medication.html
Also available in Spanish http://kidshealth.org/parent/en_espanol/medicos/no_asthma_medication_esp.html
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What's an Asthma Action Plan?(Nemours Foundation) - http://kidshealth.org/parent/managing_asthma/charge/action_plan.html
Also available in Spanish http://kidshealth.org/parent/en_espanol/medicos/action_plan_esp.html
- What's an Asthma Flare-Up?(Nemours Foundation) - http://kidshealth.org/parent/asthma_basics/what/flare_up.html
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Exercise-Induced Asthma(Nemours Foundation) - http://kidshealth.org/parent/medical/asthma/exercise_asthma.html
Also available in Spanish http://kidshealth.org/parent/en_espanol/medicos/exercise_asthma_esp.html
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Can the Weather Affect My Child's Asthma?(Nemours Foundation) - http://kidshealth.org/parent/medical/asthma/weather_asthma.html
Also available in Spanish http://kidshealth.org/parent/en_espanol/medicos/weather_asthma_esp.html
- Chickenpox and Children with Asthma(American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology) - http://www.medem.com/MedLB/article_detaillb.cfm?article_ID=ZZZSAZHFIBC&sub_cat=24
- Children and Exercise-Induced Asthma: Playing Sports Safely(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) - http://www.mayoclinic.com/print/asthma/AS00027/METHOD=print
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How Asthma-Friendly Is Your Child-Care Setting? Checklist(National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute) - http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/public/lung/asthma/chc_chk.htm
Also available in Spanish http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/public/lung/asthma/chc_ck-s.htm
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How Asthma-Friendly Is Your School?(National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute) - http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/public/lung/asthma/friendly.htm
Also available in Spanish http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/public/lung/asthma/sch_ck-s.htm
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If My Child Has Asthma, Can We Keep Our Pet?(Nemours Foundation) - http://kidshealth.org/parent/question/medical/asthma_pet.html
Also available in Spanish http://kidshealth.org/parent/en_espanol/medicos/asthma_pet_esp.html
- Other Diseases Related to Asthma(American Academy of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology) - http://www.aaaai.org/patients/gallery/childhoodasthma.asp?item=1a
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Ozone, Air Quality, and Asthma(Nemours Foundation) - http://kidshealth.org/parent/managing_asthma/triggers/ozone_asthma.html
Also available in Spanish http://kidshealth.org/parent/en_espanol/medicos/ozone_asthma_esp.html
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Smoking and Asthma(Nemours Foundation) - http://kidshealth.org/parent/managing_asthma/triggers/smoking_asthma.html
Also available in Spanish http://kidshealth.org/parent/en_espanol/medicos/smoking_asthma_esp.html
- Talking to Your Child about Their Asthma(American Academy of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology) - http://www.aaaai.org/patients/allergic_conditions/pediatric_asthma/talking_to_child.stm
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Traveling and Asthma(Nemours Foundation) - http://kidshealth.org/parent/medical/asthma/travel_asthma.html
Also available in Spanish http://kidshealth.org/teen/asthma_basics/espanol/travel_asthma_esp.html
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Wheezing and Asthma in Infants(Nemours Foundation) - http://kidshealth.org/parent/medical/asthma/wheezing_asthma.html
Also available in Spanish http://kidshealth.org/parent/en_espanol/general/wheezing_asthma_esp.html
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When to Go to the ER if Your Child Has Asthma(Nemours Foundation) - http://kidshealth.org/parent/medical/asthma/er_asthma.html
Also available in Spanish http://kidshealth.org/parent/en_espanol/general/er_asthma_esp.html
- Kids' Asthma Check: For Ages 1-8(American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology) - http://www.acaai.org/public/lifeQuality/kac1.htm
- Kids' Asthma Check: For Ages 8-14(American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology) - http://www.acaai.org/public/lifeQuality/kac2.htm
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Asthma(Patient Education Institute) - Requires Flash Player - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/tutorials/asthma/htm/index.htm
Also available in Spanish http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/spanish/tutorials/asthmaspanish/htm/index.htm
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Asthma and Children: A Guide to Coping(Healthy Roads Media) - Requires Flash Player - http://www.healthyroadsmedia.org/english/Files/flv/engast.htm
Also available in Spanish http://www.healthyroadsmedia.org/spanish/Files/flv/spaast.htm
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ClinicalTrials.gov: Asthma in Children(National Institutes of Health) - http://clinicaltrials.gov/search/open/term=asthma+%5BCONDITION%5D+AND+child+%5BAGE-GROUP%5D
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Asthma Research Studies: Background(National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences) - http://www.niehs.nih.gov/health/topics/conditions/asthma/studies/background.cfm
- EPA-Funded Study Finds Key Elements of Successful Asthma Programs(Environmental Protection Agency) - http://www.epa.gov/asthma/ahop.html
References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)
- Article: Asthma--air pollution may make it worse.... - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=18711786&tool=MedlinePlus
- Article: Morbidity of overweight (>or=85th percentile) in the first 2 years... - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=18676542&tool=MedlinePlus
- Article: Cybersupport: empowering asthma caregivers. - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=18649811&tool=MedlinePlus
- Asthma in Children -- see more articles - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=search&db=pubmed&term=(asthma[majr]+NOT+asthma/genetics[mh])+AND+(child[mh]+OR+adolescent[mh])+AND+english[la]+AND+(jsubsetk[text]+OR+jsubsetaim[text]+OR+jsubsetn[text]+OR+patient+education+handout[pt])+NOT+(letter[pt]+OR+editorial[pt]+OR+case+reports[pt])&doptcmdl=summary&cmd_current=Limits&pmfilter_EDatLimit=last+1+Year&tool=MedlinePlus
- Glossary of Asthma Terms(Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America) - http://www.aafa.org/display.cfm?id=8&sub=104&cont=474
- Asthma Hotline(Environmental Protection Agency) - http://www.noattacks.org/asthmahotline.html
- Directory of Asthma Camps(Consortium on Children's Asthma Camps) - http://www.asthmacamps.org/AsthmaCamps/findacamp/usmap.asp?topic=parentsandcampers
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Find an Allergist: Search(American Academy of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology) - http://www.aaaai.org/physref/
Also available in Spanish http://www.aaaai.org/physref/?espanol=yes
- American Academy of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology - http://www.aaaai.org/
- American Lung Association - http://www.lungusa.org/
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National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute - http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/
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National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases - http://www3.niaid.nih.gov/
- Asthma and Children(American Lung Association) - http://www.lungusa.org/site/apps/nl/content3.asp?c=dvLUK9O0E&b=2058817&content_id={05C5FA0A-A953-4BB6-BB74-F07C2ECCABA9}¬oc=1
- FASTATS: Asthma(National Center for Health Statistics) - http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/asthma.htm
- Asthma(Nemours Foundation) - http://kidshealth.org/kid/health_problems/allergy/asthma.html
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Asthma Wizard(National Jewish Health) - http://www.nationaljewish.org/disease-info/diseases/asthma/kids/wizard/contents.aspx
Also available in Spanish http://www.nationaljewish.org/disease-info/diseases/asthma/kids/swizard/contents.aspx
- Can Kids with Asthma Play Sports?(Nemours Foundation) - http://kidshealth.org/kid/health_problems/allergy/asthma_sports.html
- Dealing with Asthma Triggers(Nemours Foundation) - http://kidshealth.org/kid/health_problems/allergy/asthma_triggers.html
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Dusty the Asthma Goldfish and His Asthma Triggers Funbook(Environmental Protection Agency, Indoor Environments Division) - Links to PDF - http://www.epa.gov/asthma/pdfs/dustythegoldfish_en.pdf
Also available in Spanish http://www.epa.gov/asthma/pdfs/dustythegoldfish_sp.pdf
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What's an Asthma Flare-Up?(Nemours Foundation) - http://kidshealth.org/kid/asthma_basics/what/flare_up.html
Also available in Spanish http://kidshealth.org/kid/en_espanol/cuerpo/flare_up_esp.html
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Asthma(Nemours Foundation) - http://kidshealth.org/teen/diseases_conditions/respiratory/asthma.html
Also available in Spanish http://kidshealth.org/teen/en_espanol/enfermedades/asthma_esp.html
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How Can I Deal with My Asthma?(Nemours Foundation) - http://kidshealth.org/teen/question/illness_infection/asthma_mgmt.html
Also available in Spanish http://kidshealth.org/teen/managing_asthma/asma/asthma_mgmt_esp.html
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How to Avoid the ER If You Have Asthma(Nemours Foundation) - http://kidshealth.org/teen/managing_asthma/charge/er_asthma.html
Also available in Spanish http://kidshealth.org/teen/en_espanol/cuerpo/er_asthma_esp.html
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If I Have Asthma, Can I Keep My Pet?(Nemours Foundation) - http://kidshealth.org/teen/managing_asthma/triggers/asthma_pet.html
Also available in Spanish http://kidshealth.org/teen/asthma_basics/espanol/asthma_pet_esp.html
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Traveling and Asthma(Nemours Foundation) - http://kidshealth.org/teen/managing_asthma/charge/travel_asthma.html
Also available in Spanish http://kidshealth.org/teen/en_espanol/enfermedades/travel_asthma_esp.html
- Allergy - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/allergy.html
- Asthma - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/asthma.html
- Breathing Problems - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/breathingproblems.html
- Indoor Air Pollution - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/indoorairpollution.html
- Children and Teenagers - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/childrenandteenagers.html
- Immune System - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/immunesystem.html
- Lungs and Breathing - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/lungsandbreathing.html
The primary NIH organization for research on Asthma in Children is the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute - http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/
Asthma in Children - Multiple Languages - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/languages/asthmainchildren.html