What causes bronchial asthma in children. Treatment of bronchial asthma in children with folk remedies. Factors that cause exacerbation of bronchial asthma in children and adults

Bronchial asthma in children is chronic illness respiratory tract, associated with bronchial hyperreactivity, that is, their increased sensitivity to irritants. The disease is widespread: according to statistics, it affects approximately 7% of children. The disease can manifest at any age and in children of any gender, but most often occurs in boys from 2 to 10 years old.

Bronchial asthma is a common chronic disease among children

Main clinical sign bronchial asthma in a child are periodic attacks of difficulty breathing or suffocation caused by widespread reversible bronchial obstruction associated with bronchospasm, hypersecretion of mucus and swelling of the mucous membrane.

In recent years, the incidence of bronchial asthma in children has been increasing everywhere, but especially in economically developed countries. Experts explain this by the fact that every year more and more artificial materials and products are used. household chemicals, industrially produced food products containing a large number of allergens. It should be borne in mind that the disease often remains undiagnosed, as it can masquerade as other pathologies of the respiratory system and, above all, as an exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases (COPD).

Causes and risk factors

Risk factors for the development of bronchial asthma in children are:

• hereditary predisposition;
• constant contact with allergens (waste products of house dust mites, spores molds, plant pollen, dried urine and saliva proteins, dander and pet hair, bird fluff, food allergens, cockroach allergens);
• passive smoking (inhalation of tobacco smoke).

Factors-provocateurs (triggers) affecting the inflamed mucous membrane of the bronchi and leading to the development of an attack of bronchial asthma in children are:

• air pollutants such as sulfur or nitrogen oxides;
• β-blockers;
• non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (Aspirin, Analgin, Paracetamol, Nurofen, etc.);
• pungent odors;
• inhalation of cold air;
• gastroesophageal reflux.

The formation of bronchial asthma in children begins with the development of a special form chronic inflammation in the bronchi, which causes their hyperreactivity, that is, increased sensitivity to the effects of nonspecific irritants. In the pathogenesis of this inflammation, the leading role belongs to lymphocytes, mast cells and eosinophils - cells of the immune system.

After puberty, bronchial asthma attacks stop in 20–40% of children. For others, the disease persists throughout their lives.

Hyperreactive inflamed bronchi respond to trigger factors by hypersecretion of mucus, spasm of bronchial smooth muscles, edema and infiltration of the mucous membrane. All this leads to the development of obstructive respiratory syndrome, which is clinically manifested by an attack of suffocation or shortness of breath.

Forms of the disease

By etiology bronchial asthma children may have:

• allergic;
• non-allergic;
• mixed;
• unspecified.

Doctors identify aspirin-induced bronchial asthma as a special form. For her, the trigger factor is the child taking non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. Often complicated by the development of status asthmaticus.

Depending on the severity, there are several types clinical course bronchial asthma in children:

1. Mild episodic. Attacks occur less than once a week. During the interictal period, the child has no signs of bronchial asthma, and lung function is not impaired.
2. Mild persistent. Attacks occur more than once a week, but not daily. During an exacerbation, the child’s sleep is disturbed and normal daytime activity deteriorates. Spirometry values ​​are normal.
3. Medium-heavy. Attacks of suffocation occur almost daily. As a result, children's activity and sleep are significantly affected. To improve their condition, they require daily use of inhaled β-antagonists. Spirometry indicators are reduced by 20–40% of the age norm.
4. Heavy. Attacks of suffocation occur several times a day, often at night. Frequent exacerbations cause disturbances in the child’s psychomotor development. Function indicators external respiration reduced by more than 40% of the age norm.

Symptoms of bronchial asthma in children

Attacks of suffocation or difficulty breathing in children suffering from bronchial asthma can occur at any time of the day, but most often they occur at night. The main symptoms of bronchial asthma in children:

• attack of expiratory shortness of breath (difficulty in exhaling) or suffocation;
• nonproductive cough with viscous, difficult to separate sputum;
• whistling dry (buzzing) wheezing, intensifying at the moment of inhalation; they are heard not only during auscultation, but also at a distance and therefore they are also called distant wheezing;
• boxed percussion sound, the appearance of which is explained by hyperairiness of the lung tissue.

Symptoms of bronchial asthma in children during a severe attack become different:

• the number of breathing sounds decreases;
• cyanosis of the skin and mucous membranes appears and increases;
• paradoxical pulse (an increase in the number of pulse waves at the moment of exhalation and a significant decrease until complete disappearance at the moment of inspiration);
• participation in the act of breathing of auxiliary muscles;
• taking a forced position (sitting, leaning your hands on the bed, the back of a chair or your knees).

In children, the development of an attack of bronchial asthma is often preceded by a period of precursors (dry cough, nasal congestion, headache, anxiety, sleep disturbance). The attack lasts from several minutes to several days.

If an attack of bronchial asthma continues in a child for more than six hours in a row, this condition is regarded as status asthmaticus.

After the resolution of an attack of bronchial asthma in children, thick and viscous sputum is released, which leads to easier breathing. Tachycardia gives way to bradycardia. Blood pressure decreases. The child becomes lethargic, lethargic, indifferent to his surroundings, and often falls soundly asleep.

In the interictal periods, children suffering from bronchial asthma can feel quite satisfactory.

Diagnostics

To correctly diagnose bronchial asthma in children, it is necessary to take into account the following data: allergy history, laboratory, physical and instrumental studies.

Laboratory testing methods for suspected bronchial asthma in children include:

• complete blood count (eosinophilia is often detected);
• sputum microscopy (Charcot-Leiden crystals, Kurshman spirals, a significant amount of epithelium and eosinophils);
• study of the gas composition of arterial blood.

Diagnosis of bronchial asthma in children includes a number of special studies:

• pulmonary function test (spirometry);
• staging skin tests to identify causally significant allergens;
• detection of bronchial hyperactivity (provocative tests with a suspected allergen, physical activity, cold air, hypertonic solution sodium chloride, acetylcholine, histamine);
• chest x-ray;
• bronchoscopy (performed extremely rarely).

Required differential diagnosis with the following conditions:

• bronchial foreign bodies;
• bronchogenic cysts;
• tracheo- and bronchomalacia;
• obstructive bronchitis;
• cystic fibrosis;
• acute respiratory viral infection.

Bronchial asthma is widespread: according to statistics, it affects approximately 7% of children. The disease can manifest at any age and in children of any gender, but most often occurs in boys from 2 to 10 years old.

Treatment of bronchial asthma in children

The main directions of treatment of bronchial asthma in children are:

• identifying factors that cause exacerbation of bronchial asthma and eliminating or limiting contact with triggers;
• basic hypoallergenic diet;
• drug therapy;
• non-drug restorative treatment.

Drug therapy for bronchial asthma in children is carried out using the following groups of drugs:

• bronchodilators (adrenergic receptor stimulants, methylxanthines, anticholinergics);
• glucocorticoids;
• membrane stabilizers mast cells;
• leukotriene inhibitors.

In order to prevent exacerbations of bronchial asthma, children are prescribed basic drug therapy. Its scheme is largely determined by the severity of the disease:

• mild intermittent asthma– short-acting bronchodilators (β-adrenergic agonists) if necessary, but not more than 3 times a week;
• mild persistent asthma– daily cromalyn sodium or inhaled glucocorticoids plus bronchodilators long acting, if necessary, short-acting bronchodilators, but not more than 3-4 times a day;
• moderate asthma– daily inhalation administration glucocorticoids in a dose of up to 2,000 mcg, long-acting bronchodilators; if necessary, short-acting bronchodilators can be used (no more than 3-4 times a day);
• severe asthma– daily inhaled administration of glucocorticoids (if necessary, they can be prescribed in a short course in the form of tablets or injections), long-acting bronchodilators; to stop an attack - short-acting bronchodilators.

Treatment for an attack of bronchial asthma in children includes:

• oxygen therapy;
• β-adrenergic agonists (Salbutamol) by inhalation;
• adrenaline hydrochloride subcutaneously;
• Eufillin intravenously;
• glucocorticoids orally.

Indications for hospitalization are:

• the patient belongs to a high mortality group;
• ineffectiveness of the treatment;
• development status asthmaticus;
• severe exacerbation (forced expiratory volume in 1 second is less than 60% of the age norm).

In the treatment of bronchial asthma in children, it is important to identify and eliminate the allergen that is the trigger factor. To do this, there is often a need to change the child’s diet and life (hypoallergenic diet, hypoallergenic lifestyle, change of place of residence, parting with a pet). In addition, children may be prescribed long-term antihistamines.

If the allergen is known, but it is impossible to get rid of contact with it for one reason or another, then a specific immunotherapy. This method is based on introducing to the patient (parenterally, orally or sublingually) gradually increasing doses of the allergen, which reduces the body's sensitivity to it, that is, hyposensitization occurs.

Doctors identify aspirin-induced bronchial asthma as a special form. For her, the trigger factor is the child taking non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs.

Forecast

The prognosis for life in children with bronchial asthma is generally favorable. After puberty, bronchial asthma attacks stop in 20–40% of children. For others, the disease persists throughout their lives. The risk of death during a choking attack increases in the following cases:

• history of more than three hospitalizations per year;
• history of hospitalization in the intensive care unit;
• there were cases of mechanical ventilation ( artificial ventilation lungs);
• an attack of bronchial asthma was at least once accompanied by loss of consciousness.

Prevention of bronchial asthma in children

The importance of preventing bronchial asthma in children cannot be overestimated. It includes:

• breastfeeding during the first year of life;
• gradual introduction of complementary foods in strict accordance with the child’s age;
• timely active treatment respiratory diseases;
• keeping the home clean (wet cleaning, avoiding carpets and soft toys);
• refusal to keep pets (if any, careful adherence to hygiene rules);
• preventing children from inhaling tobacco smoke (passive smoking);
• regular exercise;
• annual holiday on the sea coast or in the mountains.

Video from YouTube on the topic of the article:

Bronchial asthma in children, the symptoms of which can be quite easily identified, is increasingly common in childhood or even infancy. In this case, the course of the disease is chronic, accompanied by obstructions or periods of relative calm.

Scheme of pathology development

IN human body There are bronchi that are part of the respiratory system. They are branched formations inside the lungs. On the outside, they are covered with a layer of smooth muscle, the contraction of which causes a decrease in the lumen of the bronchi, and relaxation causes expansion. This type of muscle fiber work is natural for the human body.. The presence of muscles is necessary to increase the lumen in cases where it is necessary to inhale large quantity air during physical activity.

In bronchial asthma there is a disorder normal operation muscles.

In the presence of an external irritant, which can be any allergen, excessive exercise stress, emotional stress, an involuntary spasm of the bronchi occurs, which manifests itself at the wrong time.

Also, due to the occurrence of an allergic reaction and accompanying inflammatory process, swelling of the mucous membrane occurs, accompanied by the appearance of viscous “glassy” sputum. This factor makes the situation worse many times over.

The diagnosis of bronchial asthma can be made after the first manifestations of the signs described in this article, but a full examination is required to clarify the doctor’s conclusion.

7 main reasons for the development of bronchial asthma in children

The causes of bronchial asthma in children are mostly associated with an allergic predisposition, or are a consequence of frequent colds.

Mikhailova Lyubov Igorevna, allergist, 1st city clinical hospital, Kirov

My profile is allergies, and it is for this reason that children and adults are referred to me for asthma. I will say right away that treating bronchial asthma in a child is a long and complex process. Requires taking various medications for a long time.

It is necessary to determine the allergen that causes the development of the crisis. It is difficult to explain to a child why he cannot eat eggs or honey, because he does not understand what an allergy is. With a certain persistence of parents, it is possible to exclude “harmful” foods from the diet, which helps to cope with asthma “with little blood”.

To understand how to treat bronchial asthma in a child, you should know the causes. It is customary to highlight 7 main causes of this unpleasant disease:

Forms of bronchial asthma and its division into classes

When diagnosing the disease, all pulmonologists should be guided by a document issued by WHO. All available types of bronchial asthma in this document are divided according to two criteria:

• features of the origin of the disease;
• the severity of its occurrence.

But in the light of recent scientific research, such a large division is clearly not sufficient, since new methods in the classification of asthma must take into account a large number of nuances, among which:

• the severity of the disease before the start of treatment;
• is there a response of the body to the treatment and how significant is it;
• is it possible to control the course of the disease in such a way as to prolong periods of remission and prevent the occurrence of new attacks;
• is there a relationship between the cause of the disease and the characteristics of its course;
• possible causes of complications during the course of the disease.

A clear determination of the cause of the disease can lead not only to effective therapy, but will also help to stop an attack of bronchial asthma in a timely manner. Based on the reasons for its appearance, the disease is divided into three large subgroups:

Bronchial asthma - allergic form

In such a case, the causative agent of the disease is an external irritant in the form of an allergen that enters the child’s body through the respiratory route or through food, which is less common. The following are considered respiratory allergens:

• fungal spores;
• plant pollen;
• animal hair;
• mites;
• tobacco smoke.

The initial reaction in this form always develops in the respiratory tract and manifests itself in the form of sinusitis, rhinitis, etc.

Against the background of these concomitant diseases, atopic bronchial asthma begins to develop in children. Much less frequently, food may be the cause of attacks. It is accompanied, along with the emergence external manifestations, in the form of a rash, redness, stool disorders, coughing or asthma attacks.

How to distinguish a normal cough from an allergic one, see.

At food allergies Asthma attacks are common in children and can lead to a condition known as anaphylactic shock. In this case, emergency care is required for bronchial asthma in children.

Infection-related asthma

Komarovsky also divides a disease such as bronchial asthma in children into an endogenous type of the disease. In this case, the factors leading to changes in the lumen of the bronchi and causing cough and attacks, microorganisms appear.

According to statistics, respiratory diseases and bacterial infections of the upper respiratory tract in childhood may trigger asthmatic attacks.

It is quite easy to identify cases of this type of asthma.: all symptoms quickly disappear with hormonal therapy and in the case of the use of drugs belonging to the group of bronchodilators.

Mixed asthma

The causative agents of this type of disease are both allergens and microorganisms. Factors that provoke the disease may be:

• poor environmental conditions;
• stressful situations;
• bad habits;
• various chemical irritants.

A separate type of bronchial asthma, not included in any category, is the cough form of the disease. Due to the lack of pronounced symptoms, it is difficult to diagnose.

A similar type appears against the background of a constant cough, which may indicate diseases such as bronchial obstruction.

The prompt identification of the allergen and its complete exclusion from the child’s life will be the key to a quick recovery. Therefore, you should not delay visiting an allergist.

Symptoms giving the right to suspect the presence of asthma

Timely diagnosis any disease is a sure chance to provide competent and correct treatment. Asthma is no exception to the general rule. Bronchial asthma in children, the symptoms of which are known, is a disease that can be overcome. The first signs that should be a “wake-up call” for parents are the following:

• systematically occurring whistling sound when the child breathes;
• frequent for no apparent reason;
• coughing or difficulty breathing upon direct contact with the source of the allergy;
• the occurrence of whistling in breathing after exercise or emotional shock;
• complete lack of required effectiveness from use.

In this case, there is a division of asthma according to the severity of its manifestation:

1. Mild degree is characterized by short-term and rare manifestations main symptoms. Attacks are short-lived and can be easily eliminated with the help of appropriate medications.. After physical activity There is no deterioration in the child's condition. There is no cough at night.
2. The average degree is characterized by the regularity of attacks that occur weekly. Symptoms in the form of attacks of night cough also appear periodic. Physical exercise is only possible to a limited extent.
3. The severe degree in which infectious-allergic bronchial asthma occurs is characterized by very frequent attacks that are long-lasting. Night cough may cause an attack of suffocation in bronchial asthma. Periods of absence of symptoms are practically completely eliminated. Physical activity is contraindicated.

In cases where the crisis cannot be eliminated on your own, emergency care is required for an attack of bronchial asthma, which can be provided by emergency doctors.

Diagnostic measures

Carrying out diagnostic measures, based on the medical history (bronchial asthma in a child), includes a whole range of measures aimed at determining the type of disease, its severity, and other related parameters.

The first stage of diagnosis is to study the medical history and determine the external signs of the presence of the disease.

The next step, if asthma is suspected, is to order clinical studies, which include a blood test. During the analysis, the immunological status of the patient is determined, and tests are also carried out to identify a group of allergens that are causally significant.

Also during the diagnostic period, instrumental parameters are checked. They include checking respiratory function . Also at this stage, research is carried out on all internal organs, through ECG, ultrasound.

Bronchial asthma: medical history on therapy is the final stage diagnosis and represents a descriptive part of the history and genesis of the disease, as well as data from the research results obtained.

In the future, the pathogenesis of bronchial asthma in children allows not only the treatment of the patient in case of crises, but also the prevention of bronchial asthma in children during periods of remission.

Bronchial asthma in children, symptoms and treatment

After making a diagnosis and determining that the child suffers from this particular disease, basic therapy for bronchial asthma in children is required.

There are several treatment options, including traditional medicinal methods And traditional methods, mainly consisting of herbal medicine.

Treatment of bronchial asthma in children with traditional methods and the use of inhalers cannot be considered the only way to overcome the disease, but can have an effective effect only in combination with taking medications.

If bronchial asthma is observed in children, only the attending physician can give clinical recommendations based on a number of factors.

For drug treatment, there are two groups of therapeutic courses:

• symptomatic, when treatment is limited to relieving attacks that occur;
• basic, when medications are taken over a long period of time, aimed at eliminating the cause of the disease.

As drugs for symptomatic treatment, medications are used that provide vasodilator effect, allowing you to quickly increase the lumen of the bronchi and make breathing easier.

These include drugs:

• Bitolterol;
• Terbutaline;
• Theophylline;
• Ipratropium bromide, and a number of others.

It is possible to take medications in inhalation form, which simplifies the process of taking the medication, but the effectiveness is reduced, since most active substance settles in the pharynx, and only 20% “reaches” the bronchi.

Among the existing methods, to improve the process of entry of the active substance into the bronchi during inhalation treatment, application can be noted.

This type of inhaler is capable of transferring the medicine from liquid form into a fine aerosol, which has a positive effect on the absorption of the active substance.

Kiryanov Mikhail Vladislavovich, pulmonologist, clinic of modern medicine "Unimed", Vladimir

Treatment of bronchial asthma is always a rather difficult process, requiring lengthy diagnosis and all possible assistance from the child’s parents and doctor.

For the most part, in my practice, asthma cases are caused by various allergens. In our clinic, it is possible to quickly take tests to determine allergens, which helps me, as a doctor, get the results and understand what course of treatment is necessary.

One of the recent discoveries for me was the drug Erius, which is the most effective among other antihistamines. Its use in most cases helps prevent an attack if an allergen enters the body.

Use of drugs for symptomatic treatment does not have a long-term positive effect and in most cases addiction is observed. To avoid this effect, careful dosage compliance is required.

For basic therapy, several groups of drugs are used, including:

• designed to reduce allergic manifestations;
• antibiotics to get rid of existing infectious pathogens;
• hormonal spectrum drugs;
• helping to stabilize the cell membrane.

The most effective allergy medications are:

• Tavegil;
• Suprastin;
• Zodak;
• Erius.

To stabilize cell membranes, the following are used:

• Ketotifen;
• Tailed;
• Intal.

In some cases, the attending physician may prescribe drugs such as Acolat or Singulair, which in themselves are not intended to stop an attack or affect the lumen of the bronchi, but help the body cope with increased sensitivity to allergens.

The most commonly used drugs, their dosage and administration characteristics are shown in the table.

Nursing process as part of planned treatment

Very important point for the treatment of asthma is nursing process for bronchial asthma in children, carried out when the child is transferred to a hospital.

Nursing care for bronchial asthma in children - a way to improve general state sick, treat an attack of bronchial asthma, and prevent complications.

There are three forms of such care:

• dependent, when therapy is carried out as directed by a doctor;
• interdependent, when the nurse acts as part of a team;
• independent, when care is carried out as part of monitoring the patient’s physical condition and diet.

Nursing care for a child with asthma includes:

• initial preparation for conducting research and taking tests;
• monitoring the execution of doctor’s instructions;
• planning the optimal schedule for patient care;
• organization of leisure time. Treatment of children is a special process and requires nurse advice to parents for organizing their child’s leisure time, which includes sending toys or books to the hospital.

Prevention

As preventive measures, it is most often recommended to follow a few simple rules:

1. Regular exposure of the child to fresh air.
2. Eliminating the possibility of contact with potential sources of allergies.
3. Carrying out preventive measures to improve immunity.
4. Taking exercise therapy courses.
5. Carrying out regular wet cleaning in the rooms where the patient lives.
6. Stopping others from smoking.
7. The use of synthetic fillings for pillows and duvets, as well as reducing the amount upholstered furniture in the apartment.
8. Constant fight against rodents and domestic insects.

Frequent exposure to fresh air reduces the risk of disease. Therefore, you should travel outside the city more often, visit the forest or village.

Compliance with the rules will minimize the risk of bronchial asthma in a child.

Good afternoon, my readers. How are your kids? Don't cough? That's great! After all, the most common cough can ruin your life, and, in the literal sense of the word, if it is a harbinger of a dangerous and serious illness - bronchial asthma. You are unlikely to be able to “figure it out” right away, so today I decided to help you.

Any disease for children is many times more dangerous than for adults. Advanced asthma, which is also not treated, can simply “suffocate” the baby. I think there are mothers among us whose babies suffer from this disease, and today they will help me tell others what the signs of bronchial asthma are in a child.

This is not ARVI

According to statistics, only 5-12% of children are asthmatic. Now, of course, you have breathed a sigh of relief and thought: “Well, we won’t fall into that percentage.” You sigh early. The fact is that only recorded cases are taken into account here. Very often, mothers confuse asthma with ARVI or bronchitis, and often doctors themselves misdiagnose the disease. Let's figure out how to recognize a serious suffocating disease from the very first symptoms.

It must be said that bronchial asthma most often affects children from 3 years of age, but the disease can make its first visit in infancy, that is, up to a year. Its appearance is associated with an extremely small volume lung tissue in children and a narrow lumen of the bronchi. This leads to severe swelling, a large number secreted mucus. The patency of the bronchi is seriously impaired.

Hence the inability to get rid of the “contents,” difficulty breathing and wheezing. Dear mothers, you must be wary if your baby is often tormented by a cough. It seems that we have just recovered, and here he is again. A severe cough can continue every night, preventing the baby from falling asleep. This is how the cough form of asthma, which we are talking about today, can manifest itself.

Cough until you're blue in the face

Let's look at what other symptoms accompany it:

• At 6 months or a little older, babies begin to have problems with feeding. He may worry, refuse the breast, and when he begins to suck, he immediately releases the nipple from his mouth.
• The first signs in older children: irritability, agitation, bad dream and appetite. The baby sometimes looks scared and speaks in a whisper.
• Early in the morning or at night, asthma manifests itself in all its glory - in the form of an attack. Why at this time of day? So they still sleep! Including the muscles responsible for breathing, the baby is in “sleep mode”. Hormones that could help the bronchi expand are also reduced, but the substances that narrow them, on the contrary, are too active at night. A typical attack makes itself felt with liquid discharge from the nose. The child begins to scratch it, sneeze, and a little later the cough itself begins. In the afternoon it intensifies, gradually turning into productive (humid). At night the cough is especially painful and exhausting. Its apogee may be vomiting with viscous sputum coming out along with it.
• Shortness of breath is an invariable companion of an attack. The baby breathes frequently, and the inhalation is prolonged and difficult, and whistling and wheezing in the chest can be heard even from a distance. The spaces between the ribs and the areas of the neck above the sternum become retracted and become overly tense. Possible blue discoloration of the nasolabial triangle and fingertips. When the baby feels an attack coming, he refuses to go to bed. He will take a sitting position, reclining, whatever he wants, just to make it easier to breathe.
• Temperature (from low-grade to high). It is she who often allows doctors and mothers themselves to make the wrong diagnosis: ARVI, influenza, pneumonia.
• The night cough ends on its own as soon as all the sputum that has accumulated by that time disappears. After such a night, the child is usually lethargic and sleepy.

Listening to the breath

If you suspect that your baby has asthma, measuring the breathing rate will help confirm or refute this. You can do this yourself by placing your palm on the baby's back or chest. Hold this for 15 seconds and count. Then multiply by 4 and get the number of breathing movements per minute.

Norm for children of different ages:

Newborns – 40-60

A month or two – 35-48

6 months – 1 year – 35-40

From one to 2 years – 28-35

4-5 years – 24-26

6-9 years – 21-23

10-12 years – 18-20

13 years and older - 16-18

First aid and how to avoid harm

Now remember what you can and what you should never do at home if you have bronchial asthma:

- try to stop mild and moderate attacks (shortness of breath, difficulty breathing, without cyanosis of the nasolabial triangle). Moreover, these signs appear not at rest, but when active games, strong laughter, crying. First of all, you should calm the child, ensure free access of air into the room, and remove tight clothes. Keep it at home mineral water from the pharmacy, in case of shortness of breath, give the baby small sips. At rapid breathing The body loses a lot of moisture and dehydration may occur.

If you have already been diagnosed, then you probably have a mini-inhaler to help you breathe easier with asthma. Following your doctor's instructions, give your child the prescribed breath. medicinal solution, but do not overdo it, so as not to overdose.

If you have allergic asthma, then contact with the irritant should be avoided.

When the situation gets out of control, the cough does not stop and it seems that it is about to suffocate the baby, do not hesitate and call “03”!

During an attack of bronchial asthma, you should not:

- put mustard plasters and smear the baby’s chest with warming ointments

- make foot baths with mustard or just hot water

- give herbal decoctions and honey.

All this can not only intensify the attack, but also provoke a new one, no less strong! And remember, when the onset of a suffocating cough is a sign that the disease has already gone quite far. You must take action even before it appears, that is, at the stage of shortness of breath. Ventilate the room more often, walk in the fresh air, do wet cleaning at home, remove all kinds of allergens that can worsen the child’s condition.

Yes, if your diagnosis has already been confirmed, there is nothing to rejoice about; you will always have to be on guard and have medications on hand to alleviate the symptoms of the disease. But some people have it worse. We mothers are an extremely resilient and universal people. As they say, where ours did not disappear. If only the children had a good time, if only they would enjoy life, despite all the illnesses and hardships. Could some kind of asthma interfere with this?

Dr. Komarovsky, known to us all, assures that over time this disease in children goes away on its own. By the way, I recommend watching a video with a pediatrician’s reasoning about our topic today. You will learn a lot of useful things for yourself, and then write your reviews. Mothers of asthmatic children, join the discussion, we are interested to hear how you cope with this harmful disease. Until new publications, dears, we will soon discuss many more new interesting topics!

Bronchial asthma in children is not a simple disease that will require parents to have endurance and patience to treat their child. Against the background of prolonged infectious and inflammatory processes in the respiratory tract, which contribute to the modification of bronchial structures, develops serious disease- bronchial asthma. In early childhood, when the immune and respiratory parts of the body small child are not yet sufficiently strong and formed, asthmatic pathology occurs quite often.

Children who have chronic infections in the airways and a tendency to allergic reactions. The disease is quite dangerous, as it is accompanied by severe symptoms - bronchospasm, obstruction and the formation of copious mucous sputum, which prevents the free movement of air and ultimately provokes attacks of suffocation. Pathology is classified into two types:

• allergic form of bronchial asthma;
• infectious form of bronchial asthma.

Mostly, and this is in 90% of cases, children suffer from allergic form asthma. The causative agents of this disease are antigens of allergic origin, for example, flowering pollen, molds, dander or pet saliva, dust and other common irritants to which the body is highly sensitive.

The remaining 10% is infectious forms bronchial asthma, occurring in childhood. In this form of the disease, the main source of origin is pathological changes in the bronchostructures is any infection of the respiratory tract. But the appearance of attacks does not always occur due to its cause. Prolonged respiratory illnesses can act as a preparatory factor, that is, infectious pathogenesis creates favorable conditions in the bronchi - it increases the permeability of the walls of the alveoli, which makes them vulnerable to the effects of any irritants.

Children with a genetic predisposition are predominantly prone to asthmatic diseases. According to statistics, the majority of children with bronchial asthma, approximately 60%, have relatives with similar pathological disorders. In addition to the hereditary factor, the appearance of a serious illness is closely related to the unfavorable atmosphere and its negative influence on immune functions child's body.

Symptoms of bronchial asthma in a child

Determining that a child has bronchial asthma is extremely important in the early stages of the disease. But, unfortunately, the pathology is quite similar in its symptoms to ordinary respiratory ailments. This fact prevents parents from suspecting asthmatic pathogenesis in time, which gives complete freedom for its progression. Every parent should know the basics distinctive property– bronchial asthma is never accompanied by an increase in body temperature, unlike a cold, even in the presence of a strong dry cough.

In addition, it is extremely important to pay attention to the initial symptoms, which should increase the vigilance of parents and force them to urgently take action, these are:

• secretion of mucus from the baby’s sinuses immediately after waking up, which provokes sneezing and causes the baby to constantly rub his nose;
• the appearance of an unproductive cough a short time after sleep, it does not have a very pronounced intensity;
• the cough gets worse closer to lunch or after the child has slept during the day, and some sputum is already released;
• at night you can also notice that the child coughs often;
• the clinical picture becomes more complicated 1-2 days after the onset of the above symptoms.

The initial manifestations cause a sudden spasm in the bronchi, which leads to an asthmatic attack. If the disease is present in an infant (0-12 months), the attack is accompanied by the following symptoms:

• paroxysmal cough during sleep or immediately after waking up;
• Changing the position from horizontal to vertical position, but if you put the child back in the crib, the intense cough resumes;
• restlessness and capriciousness of the baby - these signs precede an attack due to the formation of swelling in the nasal cavity;
• after a certain period of time, the child’s breathing becomes difficult;
• a short inhalation alternates with a painful exhalation, which is accompanied by wheezing and whistling;
• the rhythm of heavy breathing becomes frequent and confused, shortness of breath occurs.

Similar signs are observed in older children, and you can add to them:

• feeling of tightness in chest, child complaints of chest pain;
• breathing through the mouth provokes an intense non-productive cough;
• the child complains of difficulty breathing, lack of air;
• a sudden coughing attack always occurs when a child is in certain conditions, for example, after contact with a cat, during a street walk or during physical activity, while in a room with flowers, at a picnic near a fire, etc.

If you notice your child has breathing problems and any clinical condition listed above, you should immediately call an ambulance. A dry cough in a child with attacks that occurs suddenly and without fever requires urgent diagnostics on the involvement in its occurrence of bronchial asthma. An asthmatic crisis can occur at any time, not only at night or after sleep, in children with severe forms of the pathology.

For what reasons do children develop asthma?

Bronchial asthma occurs due to a violation of the regulation of bronchial reactivity, which leads to high permeability of organ structures, reversible blockage windpipe(bronchi) and narrowing of the airways, all this, accordingly, causes a failure of the respiratory function and the onset of suffocation. The main reasons for the development of such pathogenesis in the child’s respiratory system are:

• hereditary predisposition;
• chronic respiratory infections;
• the body's sensitivity to any allergens;
• overweight child.

In addition, boys suffer from asthma more often than girls due to the structural features of the pulmonary region, which includes bronchial structures with narrower pathways. If a child is overweight, there is also a risk of developing bronchial asthma. This is explained by the fact that in such children the diaphragm is located above the normal level, and its incorrect position causes breathing problems and also affects the increase in the permeability of the bronchial membranes.

But, nevertheless, the main factor, of course, after genetics, is considered to be the presence of allergies various types. In a word, if a child’s body reacts even to a food irritant, the likelihood of developing asthmatic syndrome high. Chronic respiratory diseases in combination with allergies increase the risk of developing bronchial asthma several times.

Both a certain allergen to which the child is sensitive, and additional substances that have strong irritating actions, but are not the root cause of the disease. So, among the main provocateurs of bronchial asthma in children of allergic origin, the following allergens are distinguished:

• food products, such as oranges, nuts, honey, chocolate, etc.;
• spores of mold organisms that enter the respiratory tract along with air or spoiled food;
• dandruff or specific components salivary secretions pets;
• household dust and insects in the house, for example, house mites in pillows or cockroaches, or rather, their waste products;
• pollen grains of plants saturating the air - in this case, acute relapses of asthma appear during the flowering season of nature;
• a certain type of medication - most often these are products containing aspirin or an antibiotic substance.

Any form of bronchial asthma in a child can be complicated by exposure to harsh substances that are not antigens allergic type. Thus, the bronchi with distorted reactivity of an asthmatic child react acutely to the following stimuli:

• gas exhausts from cars;
• heavily dusty air;
• smoke from a fire, cigarettes, scented candles;
• perfumes and household products;
• cold air, dry or excessive heavy air;
• active physical exercise– running, jumping, dancing, etc.;
• infectious and viral microorganisms that infect the child.

Asthmatic attack in a child

Every parent must know how to quickly help their child with critical situation when an attack occurs. And this applies to absolutely every parent, regardless of whether their child has bronchial asthma. It is important to be savvy in any situation, especially when dealing with a serious illness with a tendency to be fatal.

Very often it is due to the fault of inattentive parents who did not recognize asthma masquerading as cold cough, the disease progresses and ultimately leads to severe attacks. They are life-threatening and cause severe psychological trauma to the baby.

How to recognize an asthma attack in children?

The main symptoms have already been discussed, but there are a lot of nuances that should prompt the child’s loved ones to take quick action - providing first aid to relieve an asthmatic attack.

• Don't ignore your child's complaints, especially if he talks about painful sensations in the chest and lack of air - this often indicates the onset of an asthma attack due to spasm of the bronchial muscles and severe narrowing of the air passages.

• Many children when approaching sudden symptom They are afraid to tell their mother about him; this is quite typical for childhood. Seeing that the child is behaving unnaturally and withdrawn, and also looks sick, calmly ask him about what worries him, but only without nerves and panic.

• Breathing – important indicator to determine the critical situation. In a calm state, the number of breaths taken in 1 minute is healthy child is approximately 20 times. With an increased breathing rate, it is important to find out from the child how he is feeling - whether he is experiencing discomfort in the chest and whether it is difficult for him to breathe.

• The child's pose can also tell you a lot. Due to lack of air, children occupy comfortable position in order to take a deep breath, for example, lift or press your head to your chest, tensely rest your elbows on the surface of the table, raise your shoulders, etc. Any unnatural attempts to change the position of the body to inhale, any efforts made at the moment of the respiratory act are abnormal and may indicate both non-serious vegetative-vascular disorders and the onset of asthmatic suffocation. A short breath with a characteristic retraction of the lower costal muscles will indicate a spasm in the bronchi.

• With a mild or moderate attack, wheezing and whistling sounds appear during inhalation and exhalation. In a severe form of asthmatic spasm, wheezing with a whistle occurs only at the moment of painful exhalation.

• A jerky and convulsively frequent non-productive cough always appears before an asthmatic attack. This symptom occurs due to spasm of the smooth muscles of the respiratory organs, their swelling and blockage of the bronchopulmonary structures with viscous thick sputum. A child may cough in the middle of the night for no reason at all, so don’t be too lazy to get up and look at the baby to see if everything is okay.

First aid for a child with an asthma attack

1. Without losing your own composure, reassure the baby, since an attack causes severe stress and a feeling of fear in the child; panic will only aggravate its course. If you have already had an attack once, use your inhaler quickly and call 911 right away.
2. Eliminate any source of irritation that could cause an asthmatic reaction. Open the windows, but do not allow a sudden flow of cold air. If the attack is triggered by flowering plants, quickly take the child into the nearest room. Give an antihistamine to drink, it will help relieve swelling in the airways.
3. Free from clothes top part the patient's body. Place him on the edge of the bed. Place a chair near the bed with its back facing the child. Next, you need to place your elbows on the upper base of the backrest, tilting the child forward slightly. Children in moments of stress may resist taking the correct position, in such cases there is no need to force it, let the child sit in a way that is comfortable for him.
4. In order to help relax the smooth muscles of the bronchi and relieve swelling, lower the child's legs into a basin with warm water. The water temperature should only be warm - slightly higher than body temperature, about 45 degrees.
5. At the end of the attack, white, viscous sputum will begin to separate from the windpipe along with the cough. Next, it is appropriate to take a sputum thinner, for example, ambroxol. In the near future, the child should be registered with a specialist, having received from him the appropriate recommendations for the treatment and prevention of asthma.

Treatment of bronchial asthma in children

Until now, unfortunately, pharmacology professors have not invented a remedy that would once and for all help rid a person of bronchial asthma. Treatment of a serious illness is based on the use of medications, the active substance composition of which can relieve spasm and swelling in the respiratory tract. These include bronchodilators and drugs with antihistamine, antileukotriene, and anti-inflammatory effects. In some cases, the child may need to take hormones and anticholinergic drugs.

The use of anti-asthmatic drugs is carried out according to a special scheme, which provides for a gradual increase in dosage. Therapy is selected on an individual basis: any drug is prescribed according to the specific pathology, age and characteristics of the little patient’s body. A child with bronchial asthma should be under the close supervision of a specialist; self-medication and independent choice of medication for asthma are prohibited.

Medicines for children with bronchial asthma are divided into 2 categories:

• symptomatic category of drugs – it includes quick-acting drugs that help quickly stop an attack and alleviate the course of clinical symptoms;
• basic category of drugs – it is represented by slow-acting drugs that are used for therapeutic and prophylactic purposes for a long time.

It follows that the first category is used to provide urgent assistance when an attack occurs. It is represented by bronchodilators. The second group makes it possible to remove the antigen from the body, relieve inflammation in the respiratory tract, and help strengthen the alveolar-capillary membranes.

Drugs included in the basic category are used for a long period. The effect of taking a slow-acting medication does not appear immediately. But basic medications minimize the occurrence and severity of relapses of asthmatic attacks or even help achieve their complete cessation. So, what basic drugs are used in the treatment of asthma in children?

1. Glucocorticosteroids in the form of aerosols (inhalers) . Thanks to such medications, bronchial reactivity is regulated and membranes are strengthened, thereby achieving stable remission of the disease. Inhalers with glucocorticosteroid composition – The best decision treatment and prevention of bronchial asthma. In addition, they are relatively safe, since their main action is concentrated in the damaged bronchopulmonary structures.
2. Preparations based on cromones . This series refers to antiallergic and anti-inflammatory agents. The active substance is sodium cromoglycate, which is involved in stabilizing the activity of mast cells and suppressing histamine. Cromones are prescribed for episodic asthma, as well as in mild forms of pathology. A persistent antiallergic effect is observed with prolonged therapy. Cromones are not absorbed into the blood, so they can be safely used in childhood.
3. Medicines with monoclonal antibodies . Such remedies are expensive, but very effective for severe allergic-type asthma. Monoclonal antibodies, which are the basis of the drugs, inhibit the synthesis of immunoglobulin E, high level which causes an allergic reaction in an asthmatic child and provokes bronchospasm.

The presence of bronchial asthma in a child requires treatment and ongoing supportive preventive therapy. The attending physician will prescribe complex treatment for the small patient, which will consist of taking certain medications and performing therapeutic breathing exercises in a medical facility. As an aid, the doctor may recommend acupuncture sessions, a visit to a children's sanatorium that specializes in treating asthma in children through salt caves or halochambers.

Prevention of bronchial asthma in children

For a child with a genetic predisposition, as well as for children who have already been diagnosed with bronchial asthma, it is imperative to ensure the most favorable living conditions in the home. It is important to pay attention to strengthening protective functions body with the help of hardening procedures, breathing exercises And proper nutrition. Prevention is an integral part of therapy and the basis for preventing attacks and the development of the disease. Let's consider the main preventive measures if a child is prone to pathology or has asthma.

• The newborn baby should be on breastfeeding during the first year of life. In the event that the mother, due to compelling circumstances, is unable to provide breastfeeding baby, you need to buy artificial milk formulas with a hypoallergenic mark.

• The first acquaintance with new products should be coordinated with the pediatrician, informing him about the baby’s predisposition to bronchial asthma due to the presence of asthmatics or allergy sufferers in the family.

• Children with high risk development of pathology, the consumption of oranges and other citrus fruits, mushrooms, chocolates, nuts and give them with great caution, observing the reaction of the child’s body. As for asthmatic children, such foods should not be in the diet at all, including packaged juices and fizzy sweet drinks. Beekeeping products – strong allergens for many children, so be vigilant.

• Free your living space from fluffy carpets and rugs, old waste paper, heavy window curtains, blankets, and feather pillows. Such things literally “absorb” dust; in addition, it is in old things that household mites, the main culprit of allergies and asthma, comfortably live and breed. It is better to keep library “wealth” in cabinets closed with glass doors; ideally, get rid of old books as much as possible.

• You cannot keep pets in your living space, not only cats and dogs, but also hamsters, parrots, and fish. The fur, feathers, waste products of such pets and even their food contain strong allergenic substances.

• Clean your apartment more often: wipe the dust with a damp cloth every day, wash the parquet floors, thoroughly vacuum every corner, especially under the child’s bed, ventilate the apartment, but just avoid cold drafts. At the same time, do not use common household chemicals, use products that are safe - soda, natural laundry soap and special powders from the hypoallergenic series.

• Make sure that there is no high humidity in the house, which provokes the formation of mold. Fungal spores saturate the air with specific substances that can cause severe symptoms of asthma.

• Completely replace feather pillows and synthetic blankets with bedding products made from environmentally friendly raw materials. Do not send items to the dry cleaner; they are treated with strong chemicals. Wash fabric items yourself detergents with a gentle composition.

• Never smoke in the presence of a child, much less in the room where he is. Tobacco smoke irritates vulnerable bronchi, which can cause sudden spasm and suffocation. Spraying hairspray and using strong-smelling perfumes are taboos for parents whose child has asthma or allergies.

• Children with bronchial asthma will benefit from hardening procedures and breathing exercises. Find out from your doctor how to carry them out at home and get involved in your child’s health. Such procedures, which strengthen the respiratory tract and increase the body's resistance to pathogens, will help reduce the progression of the disease and reduce sudden outbreaks of attacks.

• Ensure harmony and calm in the family - do not swear, do not sort things out in the presence of your child. The child's psyche reacts very receptively to a negative aura, which leads to nervousness, panic, and anxiety. This is a lot of stress, which adversely affects the functioning of the respiratory system, causing active contraction of its smooth muscles, spasm and attack.

conclusions

Bronchial asthma in a child is a serious disease that requires specialized treatment and monitoring by a pediatrician, allergist, pulmonologist, and immunologist. Therefore any clinical symptoms that occur in the respiratory system should be regarded by parents as a reason to immediately visit the clinic to determine the diagnosis. Modern diagnostic methods allow us to establish with high accuracy the root cause of pathogenesis.

The pharmacological wide range of antiasthmatic drugs includes effective and, importantly, safe drugs for children. Only a doctor should prescribe any medicine and calculate its dosage, since asthma occurs differently in all children, and each child’s body has its own characteristics. A competent therapeutic approach taking into account the individual factor is the key to effective treatment and successful prevention of bronchial asthma.

Here we will talk about the treatment of bronchial asthma in a child and how to provide him with first aid during an attack.

The bronchi of a child with asthma have hypersensitivity to some external irritants, upon contact with which the trigger mechanism is activated, and symptoms of bronchial asthma develop. External stimuli bronchi are allergenic factors.

Allergenic factors can include house dust, dander and animal hair, dry fish food, pollen, food products, medications, dust mites, fungi, and cockroach antigens.

They can also cause an attack of suffocation even non-allergenic factors, which include:

• physical activity,
• windy weather,
• changes in ambient temperature,
• air pollution,
• tobacco smoke,
• Strong smell,
• fear, excitement and neuropsychic agitation.

A separate category is “aspirin-induced” asthma, in which an attack occurs after taking aspirin and other non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). Parents of asthmatic children should remember this and warn them against taking “harmless” aspirin, for example, if they have a fever or headache.

In most children, asthma is often combined with allergic rhinitis, atopic dermatitis, neurodermatitis.

Prevalence and characteristics of the disease

Features of modern bronchial asthma are its wide distribution (9-12 per 1000 children in Russia), earlier onset (80-90% of patients have their first attack before 5 years of age), increased frequency and severity of attacks, despite a wide choice of medications.

The severity of the disease is determined by the frequency and duration of attacks, the degree of respiratory failure and the effectiveness of medications and procedures. In one child, attacks occur 1-2 times a year and are easily relieved with a single dose of medication. And for another baby, attacks follow one after another, leading to disruption of all metabolic processes and the development of disability. Often the attack leads to severe respiratory disorders, requiring the child to be admitted to the intensive care unit.

During the course of the disease they secrete periods of exacerbation and remission. An exacerbation can occur in the form of an acute attack of suffocation or in the form of a protracted condition bronchial obstruction(impaired bronchial obstruction).

Seizure: symptoms and signs

The attack begins with difficulty breathing and the appearance painful cough with difficult to separate sputum, sometimes ending in vomiting. Appears wheezing, audible at a distance. The child tries to take an elevated position in bed or leans his hands on the seat of a chair. During a severe attack, the mother will notice a retraction of the intercostal spaces (“the ribs are shaking”). The child becomes restless, “can’t find a place for himself,” and pale skin and bluish lips may appear, indicating respiratory failure and the need for emergency care.

If an exacerbation occurs in the form of prolonged bronchial obstruction, then the deterioration develops gradually, and the child coughs and whistles for several days, but adapts to the breathing disorder and for the time being does not experience much suffering.

The suffering of a child during an attack of bronchial asthma cannot leave anyone indifferent and requires immediate assistance.

Treatment of bronchial asthma

Try to at least tentatively identify the cause of the attack and eliminate or reduce contact with the allergen.

If the “culprit” is a food product or a drug (aspirin), then it is necessary to speed up its removal from the body: saline laxatives, adsorbents, drinking plenty of fluids.

If you suspect pollen from flowering plants, close the windows, humidify the air in the room to settle dust particles and carry out wet cleaning.

If attacks occur at night, replace down and feather pillows with non-allergenic ones, try placing the child in another room.

Sometimes mother notices the cessation of attacks when moving to another apartment. For example, we came to visit relatives, and the attacks disappeared, but at home I was suffocating every night. There is something to think about.

Treatment of a child suffering from bronchial asthma must be comprehensive and long-term. The goal of therapy is not only to relieve acute condition, but also in post-attack and non-attack periods, carry out treatment aimed at preventing exacerbations and prolonging remissions.

First emergency aid during an attack

In an acute attack, the goal of therapy is to relieve obstruction bronchial tree and suppression of the activity of the inflammatory process in the bronchial mucosa. Preference is given to the inhalation method of administering medicinal substances: ventolin, salgim, berodual, etc. from an aerosol inhaler or through a nebulizer for 5-10 minutes. The attack is relieved within a few minutes.

For severe bronchial asthma, aerosols containing corticosteroid hormones - beclamethasone, becotide, pulmicort - are used.

Inhaler for personal use When pressed once, it delivers one dose of the drug in the form of a fine aerosol that easily penetrates the respiratory tract.

The patient’s main task is to synchronize the pressing of the canister and his inhalation, that is, to perform these two actions simultaneously. For a child of early and preschool age, this is an almost impossible task. Therefore, for successful inhalation, another device called a spacer is needed. The effect usually occurs within 3-5 minutes. If necessary, you can re-inhale after 5 minutes.

Inhalations should not be abused. These drugs are derivatives of adrenaline, and it is not for nothing that it is called the “hormone of fear”, and an overdose of adrenaline causes palpitations, agitation, increased blood pressure, trembling of limbs, and a feeling of fear.

Inhalation performed with the same drugs, but through a device called a nebulizer (from the Latin nebula - "fog"). Many parents purchase nebulizers for individual use and with their help they can easily cope with an attack that occurs in their child.

Nebulizer

Nebulizer- a device in which liquid medicine is converted into an aerosol with tiny particles that can penetrate the peripheral bronchi. This is its main, but not the only advantage over an individual aerosol inhaler. The transformation of liquid into a healing “mist” is carried out using a compressor or under the influence of ultrasound.

Another advantage of the nebulizer is that its use eliminates the need to synchronize inhalation with inhalation. And for a patient during a severe attack, it can be difficult to combine these two actions in time.

But that's not all.

The continuous flow of medicinal aerosol into the bronchi causes a rapid and significant improvement in the condition, and a simple method of performing inhalations allows you to use a nebulizer at home.

A stream of medicinal particles 2-5 microns in size, emitted under pressure and capable of reaching the small bronchi, eliminates spasm throughout the bronchial tree.

For children with severe asthma who are receiving hormonal medications, inhaled glucocorticoids are recommended, which are also available as metered dose inhalers and in plastic containers for use via a nebulizer.

How to help a child without drugs

If a child has an attack of bronchial asthma, but does not have medications to relieve it, call " Ambulance", and before the team arrives, give the patient an elevated or sitting position, provide access fresh air indoors, offer a warm alkaline drink (mineral bicarbonate water, milk, boiled water with a small addition of baking soda). Alkaline drinking helps in the separation of phlegm.

You can immerse your hands up to your elbows in hot water. This technique helps expand the bronchi.

Using the edges of your palms, beat the patient on the back at the level of the lower corners of the shoulder blades - this massage facilitates the removal of mucus.

Fortunately, in more than half of children who become ill before the age of 5, bronchial asthma disappears without a trace during puberty. Hope that your child will be one of these lucky ones, and try to do everything that depends on you.

Obstructive syndrome in children

This diagnosis is increasingly being made to children with respiratory diseases with a tendency to allergic reactions, since against the background common cold or among full health suddenly there is difficulty breathing associated with obstruction of the bronchial tree.

Obstruction - obstruction of patency - has several causes: swelling of the bronchial mucosa, accumulation of mucous sputum in the lumen of the bronchi, spasm of the bronchial muscles and compression of the bronchi from the outside.

In children, the narrowing of the airway lumen is caused mainly by swelling of the mucous membrane and accumulation of sputum in the lumen of the bronchi. In older children, a spasm of the muscles of the bronchial tree occurs, which is the equivalent of an attack of bronchial asthma.

The disease is characterized the occurrence of a painful cough with difficult to separate sputum, debilitating the baby, interfering with sleep. Noisy wheezing, audible at a distance, and shortness of breath, evidenced by the participation of the intercostal spaces in the act of breathing, are added. Often a coughing attack ends in vomiting containing mucous sputum. After a cough accompanied by sputum or vomiting, there is an improvement in the condition, a decrease in shortness of breath, and breathing may become silent for some time. But the temporary improvement is again replaced by an increase in shortness of breath as a new portion of sputum accumulates in the bronchial tree.

With increasing respiratory failure, the child needs emergency care aimed at restoring bronchial patency.

In the hospital, for this purpose, inhalations with bronchodilators are used, which can eliminate obstruction of the bronchial tree in a short time. It is impossible to carry out such inhalation at home unless you have a special nebulizer and a children's mask for it. Therefore, do not resist if the doctor insists on hospitalization. Obstructive syndrome exhausts the child, weakens the immune system, depletes nervous system. Long-term obstruction creates the preconditions for the development of bronchial asthma.

In the hospital, the child is prescribed physiotherapeutic procedures that relieve obstruction and prevent its occurrence in the future: electrophoresis with aminophylline and adrenaline, diadynamic currents, ultraviolet irradiation etc.

When treating at home, drugs that help eliminate bronchospasm and improve sputum separation, convenient for use in children, help: clenbuterol syrup and Ascoril mixture.

Video on the topic

How to treat bronchial asthma in children

Health-saving channel.

1. Bronchial asthma in children.
2. Treatment of bronchial asthma in children.
3. Prevention of bronchial asthma.
4. What not to do if you have bronchial asthma.

Information for reference. It is necessary to consult a specialist

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