Home > Medical > Asthma 7 ways to help your child avoid asthma Asthma has a very negative effect on children's lives, and parents should do everything in their power to prevent this disease from manifesting. Asthma is under recognised in SA Far too many South Africans are never diagnosed with the chronic respiratory disease asthma, which kills almost 300 people per million each year, according to a report. Many parents lack info about kids' asthma meds In a recent survey, under 50% of parents completely understood how to use their children's asthma medication and deviations from doctors' directions were common. Latest in Asthma A 'hypoallergenic' dog? You may be barking up the wrong tree Malmros cautioned that the study findings can't prove that certain breeds cause asthma or allergies, only that there is an association. Add asthma to list of possible causes of childhood obesity Obesity is widely regarded as a risk factor for asthma, but new findings suggest the reverse is true. load more Your Asthma Guide Asthma is a disease with symptoms of recurrent tight chest, wheezing or cough, triggered by different stimuli (allergens, cold air, smoke etc.) that respond to asthma pumps or nebulisers. The disease involves two major elements: chronic inflammation of the airways, and episodic tightness in the chest (bronchoconstriction). The airways of asthma sufferers become hyper-responsive and react very easily to these triggers by closing up (bronchoconstriction). Because the underlying airway inflammation causes this hyper-responsiveness, the main focus of asthma prevention is on effective and daily control of the airway inflammation with relief of bronchoconstriction only as needed. What is asthma? Who gets asthma? Asthma symptoms What causes asthma? How is asthma diagnosed? Asthma risk factors How is asthma treated? Asthma prevention Asthma course and prognosis Asthma: when to call your doctor Ask the Expert Asthma Expert Professor Keertan Dheda has received of several prestigious awards including the 2014 Oppenheimer Award, and has published over 160 peer-reviewed papers and holds 3 patents related to new TB diagnostic or infection control technologies. He serves on the editorial board of the journals PLoS One, the International Journal of Tuberculosis and Lung Disease, American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Medicine, Lancet Respiratory Diseases and Nature Scientific Reports, amongst others.Read his full biography at the University of Cape Town Lung Institute Ask a question Questions posted to Asthma Expert questions answered by the expert Q: Ice skating posted on 16/01/2019 Q: My wife wakes up every morning with complaints of a tight and sore chest posted on 16/01/2019 Q: Wheezing posted on 13/01/2019 Q: Rice and grains posted on 12/01/2019 Q: Throat thrush posted on 12/01/2019 Q: What to use for Asthma posted on 11/01/2019 Q: Battled with bronchitis now have asthma posted on 07/01/2019 Q: Reactive airway disease posted on 04/01/2019 Q: Severe Fatigue posted on 02/01/2019 Q: Asthma posted on 19/12/2018 Q: Bad cough posted on 16/12/2018 Q: Water in die longe posted on 12/12/2018 Q: Asthma posted on 03/12/2018 Q: Effects of inhalers posted on 28/11/2018 Q: Smokers bronchitis posted on 25/11/2018 load more × Still have a question? Get free advice from our panel of experts Your question More detail Your name (optional) The information provided does not constitute a diagnosis of your condition. You should consult a medical practitioner or other appropriate health care professional for a physical exmanication, diagnosis and formal advice. Health24 and the expert accept no responsibility or liability for any damage or personal harm you may suffer resulting from making use of this content. I agree * You must accept our condition To prevent spam please solve this simple math problem: Forum Rules
