Signs & Causes of Allergic Asthma in Toddlers
In this Article
Learn everything about allergic asthma – various kinds of asthma, causes, symptoms as well as the precautions you can take to minimize your toddler’s discomfort.
Asthma can be very debilitating for a toddler, as an attack prevents him from playing freely. However, a few precautions can help you handle it better for him. Any kind of allergy is a body’s reaction to allergens in the atmosphere.
Some children have an over sensitive immune system. It reacts even to the apparently harmless allergens and produces a reaction that can include sneezing, coughing, watering of the eyes or inflammation and swelling.
What is Allergic Asthma?
Allergic asthma is quite common in kids. When the body comes in contact with an allergen, the muscles of the airways tighten and become inflamed. They might then get filled up with mucous causing tightness in the chest and difficulty in breathing.
Causes of Allergic Asthma
Allergens are specific to people. An allergen that might not affect one person may cause acute discomfort to another. What makes it even more difficult to segregate the triggers is the fact that two or more of them can act together to cause an attack. However, common causes of allergic asthma are:
-
- Pollen
- Smoke
- Furry animals
- Mold
- Dust mites
There are some irritants too that may worsen an asthma attack. Some of them may be:
- Air pollution
- Strong fumes
- Air fresheners, perfumes or incense
- Dusty places
Symptoms of Allergic Asthma
A recurrent cough is the most common symptom of Asthma. You might also find your toddler wheezing – making a whistle-like sound while breathing. However, wheezing doesn’t necessarily mean your child has asthma. Your child may become out of breath soon and take an inordinate amount of time to catch his breath. His chest may feel congested or he may complain that his chest is hurting.
Who is More Prone to Asthma
A lot of toddlers are susceptible to allergic asthma. Doctors believe a mix of hereditary and environmental factors are responsible. A child may have asthma if he:
- Has a low birth weight
- Has a family history of asthma
- Lives with a smoker
- Lives in a polluted urban area
- Has other allergies like eczema, etc.
Types of Asthma
Child Onset Asthma begins in childhood. Exercise-Induced Asthma manifests itself only while doing exercise. Nocturnal Asthma is triggered between midnight and 8 am. It is often most severe between 2 am and 4 am. Cough-Induced Asthma is difficult to diagnose because the patient might not exhibit asthma type symptoms.
Precautions You Can Take
The only way to prevent this allergic reaction is to recognize and remove or minimize your toddler’s exposure to allergens.
- Keep him away from dusty areas.
- Make sure your house is dust-free.
- Change the sheets frequently.
- Do not keep pets and avoid play dates at homes with pets.
- Make sure windows are kept closed during pollen season.
A few precautions will help you keep your toddler safe. As he grows, and the airways broaden he will, in all likelihood, outgrow his asthma troubles by the time he reaches teenage.
