Chronic asthma among children may affect quality of life: Expert

Vijayawada: Childhood asthma is common and under-diagnosed in many people, stated consultant interventional pulmonologist at Manipal Hospitals Dr Lokesh Gutta here on Monday in connection with the observation of World Asthma Day on Tuesday.

Dr Lokesh said that asthma is the most common chronic disease of childhood and very few people are significantly burdened by asthma morbidity. Uncontrolled asthma is associated with a reduced lung function, impaired performance in physical exercise, and impaired quality of life.

Genetic predisposition, in combination with environmental factors, such as allergens and viral infections, may contribute to the development of asthma.

He warns that childhood asthma often coexists with allergies and with other atopic diseases. Asthma may also be present without allergic sensitisation. It is increasingly accepted that the phenotype of recurrent wheezing, coughing, and chest tightness also occurs in non-allergic individuals.

Many children suffer from recurrent coughing, wheezing and chest tightness. Among preschool children, one third of them have these symptoms before the age of six, but only 40 percent of these will continue to have asthma.

Most asthma symptoms occur at night, nocturnal symptoms cause loss of sleep. Even in children with stable asthma, the quality of sleep is diminished. Sleep disruption influences daily activities, such as school attendance and performance. Nocturnal awakening may also cause parental work absenteeism and may disrupt family life. More severe asthma leads to more frequent school absenteeism.

The prevalence of asthma has increased over the last decades, especially so in children. Diagnosis of asthma is more likely if the symptoms of cough and wheezing for more than 10 days during upper respiratory tract infections and more than three episodes per year with a family history of asthma.

In children there are no specific tests to diagnose asthma; a short therapeutic trial of inhaled bronchodilators with low dose inhaled corticosteroids may provide guidance on the diagnosis of asthma and exclusion of other diagnoses such as recurrent respiratory infections like tuberculosis and viral infections and congenital heart diseases.

Treatment includes low dose inhaled corticosteroids and bronchodilators and leukotriene receptors, antagonists. Education of parents regarding allergy and asthma symptoms and clearing the concerns on usage of inhalers and prevention of possible triggers of asthma is the key factor for the success of having healthy and happy lungs.