Respiratory Diseases in Children

Healthy Living
Children/Teens

More than 3 million Canadians suffer from serious respiratory diseases such as asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), lung cancer, influenza and pneumonia, bronchiolitis, tuberculosis (TB), cystic fibrosis, and respiratory distress syndrome (RDS).

Though people of all ages are affected by these diseases, children are more susceptible to certain diseases, some of which can be both chronic and fatal. Three such diseases are asthma, pneumonia and influenza.

Asthma Asthma in children is defined as an obstructive respiratory condition characterised by recurring attacks of wheezing, shortness of breath, prolonged expiration, and an irritated cough that is a common, chronic illness in childhood. Onset usually occurs between 3 and 8 years of age.

Asthma has shown to be strongly linked with heredity. Children from families having history of asthma, atopic dermatitis and allergic rhinitis have shown to display similar symptoms. Asthma can be triggered by,

i) Stimulus which causes swelling of the airway passages, which in turn narrows down the airways opening making it difficult for the child to breathe.

ii) Hyperactive bronchi, where the bronchi react in an exaggerated way and constrict the airway muscle and makes it difficult to breathe.

There is no complete cure for Asthma. However, about 50 per cent of children with mild asthma grow out of it with age. It is sometimes difficult to identify asthma in young children as they have narrower airways and are prone to colds. Cough and wheezing in children is common in colds and chest infections. These symptoms may not always indicate asthma in children.

In case of asthma treatment, a plan needs to be worked out according to the individual need of a child. The medications used and the method of application depend on the age of the child, severity of the disease and frequency of attacks.

Pneumonia Pneumonia is an infection of the small airways in the lungs. It can be caused by a viral infection or a bacterial infection. Pneumonia causes lungs to fill with fluid making it difficult for the infected individual to breathe.

Most pronounced symptom of pneumonia is frequent coughs, often producing rusty, green or blood tinged mucus from the lungs. Other symptoms may include fever, shivering, fast and often shallow breathing, chest pain, fast heartbeat and tiredness. Symptoms of pneumonia in children are often similar to those in adults. However, in a few days old infants these symptoms may include lethargy (having little or no energy), feeding poorly, grunting and fever. Pneumonia caused by bacteria or mycoplasma, can be cured by antibiotics. But viral infections have no cure. In such cases doctors advice on how patients can ease the symptoms with certain medications.

To prevent pneumonia one must keep the immune system strong by eating plenty of fruits and vegetables, staying physically active and getting enough sleep. Vaccination is second best method of prevention. However, only the two most common types of pneumonia, influenza virus and pneumococcus can be prevented with vaccines. Most of the other types of pneumonia do not have any known vaccine as yet.

It is advisable to see a doctor if any type of cough, with or without phlegm, persists and/or gets worse after 4/5 days.

Influenza or flu Influenza or flu can sometimes be mistaken for common cold. The difference is that influenza or flu usually lasts longer and the symptoms are more intense. Flu, influenza and common colds are all caused by different type of viruses.

Symptoms of influenza in children are similar to those in adults. These include fever, headache, body aches and loss of appetite. They have a running nose, cough and chills. Influenza can be prevented by getting oneself vaccinated each year in the fall. Regular hand washing is another way to protect oneself from being infected.

Influenza (or flu) is common in Canadians. In Canada, flu season usually runs from November to April.