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Youth Asthma Epidemic

Youth Asthma Epidemic. Hannah Lewis. The Facts . Asthma is a chronic, or long-term, disease that inflames and narrows the airways of your lungs. There is NO CURE.

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Youth Asthma Epidemic

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  1. Youth Asthma Epidemic Hannah Lewis

  2. The Facts • Asthma is a chronic, or long-term, disease that inflames and narrows the airways of your lungs. There is NO CURE. • The main components of asthma are inflammation and constriction. Both components affect the airways of your lungs, making it more difficult for you to breathe. • Nearly 6.3 MILLION kids under 18 in the U.S. have been diagnosed with asthma. • 60 percent increase of asthma in children from 1980-2003. • Low-income children of color were most impacted.

  3. Why?... • There can be a genetic predisposition to developing asthma. • Indoor pollutants like mold, dust mites, animal dander, and secondhand tobacco smoke have all been identified as asthma triggers. • Equally dangerous are outdoor aerial toxins, such as fuel exhaust from cars, trucks and buses, ragweed, and pollen.

  4. Common Symptoms • Coughing, especially at night • Wheezing or whistling sound, especially when breathing out • Trouble breathing or fast breathing that causes the skin around the ribs or neck to pull in tightly • Frequent colds that settle in the chest

  5. Pollutants

  6. Stress Can be Trouble! • Stress is a common asthma trigger. An asthma trigger is anything that brings on asthma symptoms. • When you have stress and asthma, you might feel short of breath, anxious, and even panicked. • Stress may cause your asthma symptoms to worsen and cause you to feel frightened. • Children living in inner city areas may feel more stressed as a result of many factors such as a crowded living environment, low income household, poor nutrition etc.

  7. What Happens During an Attack

  8. Treatment • Asthma symptoms can appear to be mild or severe, but any asthma symptom is always serious. Even mild symptoms can quickly become life threatening. • Poorly controlled and undiagnosed asthmacan cause trips to the emergency room and hospital stays, missed work days for parents and suffering that little ones cannot express so it’s very important for your child to receive proper treatment. • Quick-relief: Any child who has asthma needs a quick-relief medicine to treat the noisy part of the disease — the coughing, wheezing and shortness of breath that occur with symptoms or an asthma attack. • The medicine should be with the child at all times for use at the first sign of symptoms. • Long-term control: This type of medicine is needed by some children to treat the quiet part of asthma — the inflammation of the airways. It is taken daily to prevent asthma symptoms and attacks.

  9. Can Children with Asthma Exercise? • Yes! Being active, working out, and playing sports not only help kids with asthma stay fit, maintain a healthy weight, and have fun but also can strengthen their breathing muscles and help the lungs work better. • 2important things that kids who have asthma should know about sports participation: 1) Their asthma must be under control in order for them to play sports properly. 2) When their asthma is well controlled, they can — and should — be active and play sports just like anyone else.

  10. Can you Predict an attack? WARNING SIGNS • They might happen without warning, with sudden coughing, shortness of breath, and wheezing. But because people with asthma have inflamed airways that worsen with gradual exposure to triggers, flare-ups can also build up over time, especially in those whose asthma isn't well controlled. • Coughing, even if your child has no cold • Throat clearing • Rapid or irregular breathing • Unusual fatigue • Trouble sitting or standing still • Restless sleep

  11. My friend is having an attack! What to do • Stay calm and be reassuring.Help your friend relax. If someone who is having a flare-up panics, it can make it even harder to breathe. • Take your friend away fromany possible asthma triggers like smoke. • Have your friend sit upright. Lying down might make breathing more difficult. • If your friend can talk, ask what his or her asthma action plan says to do during a flare-up.If your friend is able to tell you, follow the plan. • If your friend can't speak or doesn't remember what to do, ask if he or she has an inhaler to use during flare-ups.If so, get the inhaler and help your friend to use it. Call 911… • The inhaler doesn't help • The inhaler helps at first but then your friend gets worse again • An inhaler is not available • Your friend is having trouble talking or is struggling to breathe • Your friend's lips are turning blue • Your friend becomes unconscious

  12. FIRST AID

  13. Can what you eat affect asthma? • Research is far from definitive but there are some hints that might be true! Bad Foods Eggs, Nuts, Milk Good foods Apples, Cantaloupe, Carrot, Coffee, Flax Seed, Garlic, Avacado

  14. Balanced Diet for Overall Health

  15. Allergies and Asthma Food Allergies: Eggs, Cow's milk, Peanuts, Tree nuts (such as almonds, pecans, walnuts), Soy, Wheat, Fish, Shrimp and other shellfish • Inhaled allergens such as: • Animal dander (skin, saliva) • Dustmites • Cockroach particles • Mold • Pollen

  16. Creating an Asthma-safe Home There are measures that can be taken to help prevent flare-ups and ease breathing troubles in your home! • Don't allow people to smoke in your home. If you smoke, quit or smoke outside. • Avoid wood fires. • Avoid scented products! Use unscented laundry detergent and avoid using air fresheners/candles. • Make sure that all gas appliances vent to the outdoors. • Change your air conditioning filter regularly. • If you must open windows- do so after midmorning because pollen counts are usually highest from 5 AM to 10 AM. If air quality is the problem, open doors and windows early, before pollution has a chance to build up! The less Indoor Pollutants you have-The less asthma trouble you’ll have!

  17. Being Supportive to a Child with Asthma Kids with asthma can live normal lives and thrive when asthma is well controlled! -Learning as much as you can about your child's asthma can help you manage it. -Talk to your doctor if your child is not able to do normal everyday things — that's a sign he or she needs a better asthma action plan. -Let your child know that they are just as capable to lead a normal active lifestyle as someone without asthma.

  18. Parents Discuss Asthma • Parents Discuss Asthma Here is a video of Parents that have children with asthma and how they handle their child’s condition.

  19. In conclusion… • Asthma is a controllable disease. • Individuals with asthma can live perfectly normal lives. • Children with asthma should know how to handle an asthma attack. • Keeping your house clean and free of excessive pollutants can reduce the risk of an attack. • Always be prepared for a flare-up or attack with a rescue inhaler!

  20. Information/Sources • Kid's Health

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