Comprehensive Overview of Pediatric Asthma: Diagnosis, Management, and Prevention

Abstract

Asthma is the most common chronic respiratory condition affecting children worldwide. Factors such as worsening asthma severity, poor disease management, and the effects of poverty may contribute to the rising number of hospital admissions for asthma. Childhood asthma is prevalent and influenced by both environmental and genetic factors. If a child experiences wheezing before the age of six, their symptoms are likely to improve over time. Asthma symptoms, including wheezing, shortness of breath, and coughing, are typically triggered by specific environmental factors. Both overdiagnosis and underdiagnosis of paediatric asthma continue to be issues due to a number of diagnostic obstacles. Spirometry, the foundation of diagnostic examination, helps detect weakness in the respiratory muscles, flaws in the chest wall, and respiratory muscle defects. This method also evaluates airway restriction and rules out other possible illnesses. A comprehensive strategy that addresses education, pharmacological and non-pharmacological management, and both is necessary for effective asthma control. It is crucial to provide education on effective treatment, trigger avoidance, modifiable risk factors, and what to do during acute attacks through individualised asthma action plans.
Keywords: Inflammatory disease, hyper-responsiveness, bronchodilators, asthma, illnesses