Among kids, asthma is the most common chronic (lasting) illness. In the United States, over 4 million people under age 18, or more than one child in 20, -have asthma. The wheezing, coughing, and complicated treatment can cause children to feel embarrassed, miss school, repeatedly visit the doctor, or even race to the emergency room. Very rarely, asthma that goes untreated for a long time may even lead to death.

And asthma is growing more common. Since 1980, asthma rates have more than doubled, and children are the most affected. Why is asthma such a problem for kids? We’re still trying to find out, but we do have some ideas. For one thing, most children severely affected by asthma live in urban areas, where many asthma triggers, such as allergens, are prevalent. Cockroaches, which thrive in cities, also constitute a potent allergen difficult for children to avoid. In addition, most people are being diagnosed with asthma because we have better diagnostic tools. Finally, the trend toward tightly sealed homes, which allows indoor allergens (allergens from dust mites and cat or dog dander) to collect, is likely to be factors in the increase in asthma diagnoses.

Fortunately, asthma can be treated in kids, from the very young to teenagers. Today, a child with asthma doesn’t have to miss out on soccer games or sit on the sidelines during recess. Kids of all ages can feel confident about their health. But they need their parents’ help. As a parent, your job is to help your child learn how to control his or her asthma. That means avoiding asthma triggers, taking the right medication at the right time (and the right way), and monitoring breathing as needed. For younger children, you may need to do these things for the child. Let’s start by looking at how asthma affects the youngest kids.

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