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health
On a Sneeze and a Wheeze! WORDS Kendall Wagner, M.D., Chaffee Crossing Clinic Image sumroeng chinnatan/Shutterstock
Last month we discussed allergies
and the
young children, one may see repetitive and difficult-to-treat
impact they can have on quality of life and productivity. This
upper respiratory infections. One of the earliest clues to the
month, we focus on a related topic that affects millions of
presence of asthma is repetitive nighttime cough occurring
pediatric and young adult patients in the U.S. and like allergic
more than two nights per week. This is especially true
rhinitis, spring and summer often brings an uptick in the
when the cough is not associated with other viral or allergy
symptoms experienced. Asthma is a chronic inflammation of
symptoms. Additionally, school-aged children show signs of
the lungs’ airways resulting in chronic cough and intermittent
tiring sooner than their peers with physical activity or acute
episodes of chest tightness, wheezing, and shortness of
attacks of shortness of breath and wheezing associated with
breath often exacerbated by physical activity or seasonal
physical activity. Depending on the severity, exacerbations
allergies. Approximately 8.3 million Americans suffer from
may result in such severe limitation in airway movement that
asthma. While the prevalence is higher in children than
the patient requires a trip to the ER for supplemental oxygen
adults, asthma is a chronic illness without a cure, but can be
and delivery of medication via “breathing treatments.” In
managed effectivity with the right treatment.
the most severe cases, hospitalization may be required.
Asthma usually presents in childhood with recurrent
Asthma is one of three atopic diseases composed of asthma,
wheezing episodes. These episodes may be preceded by a
allergies, and atopic dermatitis (eczema). These conditions
viral or allergen trigger, resulting in severe coughing and
arise when otherwise normal immune cells are in overdrive
difficulty moving air in and out of the lungs. In infants and
and trigger an inflammatory condition in the patient. The
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