Asthma in children: Symptoms, Diagnosis & Treatments
ymptoms Asthma is characterized by reversible airway obstruction due to increased airway hyperresponsiveness due to chronic inflammation of the airways. Airway mucosal edema, mucus hypersecretion, airway smooth muscle contraction due to cough, dyspnea is an important symptom of asthma. Diagnosis The diagnosis of asthma is based on a combination of detailed history listening, examination findings, laboratory tests and in vivo tests. However, these diagnostic methods may be limited by age and patient condition. Because of the structural and physiological peculiarities of the respiratory tract, pediatric patients may have symptoms of airway obstruction such as asthma even in children younger than 2 years of age. Skin tests are possible, especially until age 2, but they are very limited, have a high dependence on blood tests, and can not be tested for asthma induction and lung function. Skin tests and maximal expiratory rate can be measured after 4 years of age. By the age of 6, almos...