About The Special Need:

A child may experience shortness of breath, wheezing, and coughing.

Wheezing manifests as a high-pitched whistling sound that can be audible from across the room, but at times, it may be so faint that the child's physician might not detect it. The child often expresses feeling short of breath and experiencing chest tightness or pressure.

Asthma exists in two primary forms: intrinsic and extrinsic, or a combination of both.

The intrinsic form of asthma is triggered by factors such as exercise, smoke, paint, cold air, perfumes, and medications. On the other hand, the extrinsic form is attributed to factors like certain foods, insect stings, roaches, dust, and pollen.

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Number of Children Affected:

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• Presently, there are approximately 6.2 million children under the age of 18 living with asthma.

• In 2017, 1 in 12 children was affected by asthma.

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Important Information for Kids with Asthma and Their Support Systems

• Sometimes the symptoms of asthma are obvious with a high-pitched whistling sound, alerting everyone that the person is having difficulty breathing. Other times it is silent, but the danger can still be very real. It is important for those with asthma to learn to identify the sensation of chest tightness and heavy pressure on the chest in order to be able to let someone know if there is a problem.

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• Asthma attacks can be triggered by a variety of environmental factors, including but not limited to: exercise, certain foods and medications, cold and the flu, pets, dust mites and roaches, trees, grasses, molds, weeds, smoke, paint and perfumes. It is important to be aware of these factors and how they may be affecting someone with asthma.

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• Going to the doctor regularly and getting proper medicines can prevent asthma attacks. It is important to do this and to provide necessary support and education to those who have asthma and to those who parent, educate and give care to them.