Flowers are blooming, trees are budding and the grass is growing so fast you can practically see it sprout.
It’s spring, which also brings with it itchy eyes and noses, stuffy or runny noses, coughing, and sneezing, too. The culprits are allergens — substances that can trigger an allergic reaction when released into the air. These include grass, weeds and tree pollens, animal dander and mold (mildew), says David R. Nash, MD, section chief of Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC’s Allergy/Immunology and clinical services director of the Asthma Center.
Could it be asthma? Allergies don’t cause asthma, but the same symptoms can exacerbate asthma, which is marked by coughing and breathing difficulties when the airways constrict. Moreover, allergies can be an indication of undiagnosed asthma. With the right medication and careful monitoring to reduce triggers that inflame the airways, asthma can be controlled, says Jay K. Kolls, MD, chief of Children’s Division of Pediatric Pulmonary Medicine, Allergy and Immunology, and the director of the Asthma Center.
At Children’s Primary Care Center in Turtle Creek, the Division of General Academic Pediatrics has created an Asthma Quality Improvement Program to help pediatricians guide parents in managing their children’s condition. “Working together, both pediatricians and parents can be successful in helping these kids,” says Alejandro Hoberman, MD, chief of Children’s General Academic Pediatrics.
To help you determine if your child is one of the six million children in the United States under age 18 who suffer from asthma, answer these questions:
Q:
Does your child cough or wheeze more than a couple of times per week?
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Does your child cough in his sleep more than a couple of times per month?
Q:
Does your child cough or wheeze during or after exercise?
Q:
Does your child miss school frequently because of coughing or wheezing?
Q:
If you have been told that your child has asthma, is rescue medication such as Xopenex® or albuterol being used more than two times per week for flare-ups of coughing or wheezing?
Discuss your concerns with your child’s pediatrician if you answered yes to two or more of the questions above.
Children’s doctors offer steps to ease asthma and allergy symptoms:
- Limit outdoor activities to the morning, when pollen counts are lowest. Remove shoes at the door. After playing outside, have your kids change their clothes so you can wash the outdoor garments.
- No smoking! Children exposed to secondhand smoke are more likely to have frequent and severe asthma attacks.
- Eliminate microscopic dust mites: wash sheets, pillows, blankets, carpets and your children’s stuffed toys frequently. Even better — if you can — remove carpets.
- Encase your child’s mattress and box springs in a zippered, dust-proof cover. Don’t forget to cover your mattress and box springs (for when your kids climb into bed with you).
- If you can’t find a new home for your pets, at least keep them out of bedrooms.
For more information on childhood asthma, go to www.chp.edu/asthma
For more information on childhood allergies, go to www.chp.edu/allergies