Asthma is the commonest chronic disease of childhood. In South Africa approximately 20% of children have asthma. More boys have asthma than girls.
Asthma is a long-term illness of the lungs that causes the tubes that carry air into and out of the lungs (airways) to become swollen (inflamed) and produce lots of thick mucus. In a person with asthma, the lung swelling (inflammation) makes the airways “twitchy”; this means they close easily with certain things like viral infections, cold air, allergens, exercise, and smoke.
What Causes Asthma?
The exact cause of asthma isn’t known. Genetic and environmental factors combine to cause asthma, most often early in life. These factors include:
– An inherited tendency to develop allergies, called atopy
– Parents who have asthma
– Parents who smoke during pregnancy and after childbirth
– Certain respiratory infections during childhood
– Contact with allergens or exposure to virus infections early in life when the immune system is developing
Asthma symptoms in childhood
Asthma symptoms result from ongoing inflammation and swelling that makes the airways very sensitive and narrower than normal. They can close easily with certain things like viral infections, cold air, allergens, exercise, and smoke.
Young children who have wheezing symptoms often, with virus infections and without virus infections are the most likely to have asthma that continues beyond 6 years of age.
Asthma can be managed and requires ongoing management to be under control.
