Parents and children both have asthma. But does that mean there’s a link between the two? Well, to some extent. Both parents and children are more likely to develop asthma in later life. It can also be a common side effect of other disorders or conditions, such as eczema or hay fever. This article explains what asthma is, how it develops in children, and how it can affect them. It also covers the link between asthma and parenting.
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What is asthma?
Asthma is a condition that causes the airways to narrow, causing breathing difficulties. It’s a type of respiratory disorder that affects many people. It’s caused by genetics, environmental factors, and other medical conditions.
There are many different types of asthma, and asthma symptoms can vary from child to child. However, the most common symptom is wheezing and coughing. Wheezing is a whistling sound that occurs when air cannot move through the throat or chest because mucus has obstructed it. Wheezing often occurs in young children and can be mistaken for a cold or bronchitis. Coughing occurs when mucus is cleared from the lungs to create space for air to move through freely. When children cough, they may cough up mucus from their lungs or cough up phlegm from their trachea (windpipe).
What happens with asthma?
Asthma is caused by an overactive response by some of these muscle cells in the bronchial tree. When breathing out, they contract more strongly than normal, narrowing the airways too much so that less air can get through. This makes it harder to breathe and can cause wheezing, coughing, chest tightness, and a feeling of breathlessness.
What Are the Risk Factors for Asthma?
There are several risk factors for both parents and children. Risk factors for a parent include genetics, hormones, stress, diet, and other medical conditions. Risk factors for a child include genetics, stress, and the amount of time spent in a bed. It is important to remember that their parents’ condition often influences a child’s diagnosis of asthma.
Genetics
Asthma can run in families. This means that a parent or sibling of a child with asthma has an increased chance of developing the condition. When a parent has asthma, there are two ways it can be passed from them to their child.
First, there is a genetic predisposition to asthma. Inherited traits cause most cases of asthma. These traits are passed on from parent to child the same way that eye color is passed on from mother to child. This means that if a parent has asthma, there is a one in four chance that their child will develop asthma too.
Second, there is a genetic tendency for asthma. Some children have no family history of the condition but still, develop it themselves. This means a genetic predisposition to the condition can be passed from parent to child but isn’t always acted upon.
Parental Care Can Expose a Child to Asthma
The environment where a child spends the most time is important for developing asthma. A child who spends more time in a bed than they should have an increased chance of developing asthma. Parents who take their children to cold-air rooms, who don’t encourage their children to be active, and who hold their children too tightly also increase the risk of developing asthma.
Stress
Stress can make asthma worse. When a person feels stressed, their body releases the hormone cortisol. Cortisol can cause inflammation which is the first stage of an asthma attack. Stress can also affect how well someone’s lungs function by making them more prone to an asthma attack. This is because stress has been shown to decrease lung function. Parents should raise their children in stress-free environments and help them learn to relax.
Medical Conditions
Asthma can be caused by other medical conditions too. If a child has a parent with asthma, there is an increased chance of developing the condition. Other medical conditions that cause asthma include allergies, cystic fibrosis, and bronchitis or pneumonia. If you have any of these conditions, look for ways you can improve your health as a parent. This could mean taking extra care when you feed your child or avoiding activities that make you more likely to get sick, like going running in cold air rooms or playing sports in cold weather.
Diet Can Make Asthma Worse
The diet of a child can affect their risk of developing asthma. The more sugar in a child’s diet, the more likely they will develop asthma. Eating foods high in sugar can also lead to weight gain, associated with an increased risk of asthma. A parent should encourage children to eat healthy foods and exercise regularly.
What Can I Do to Reduce My Child’s Risk for Asthma?
There are many things that a parent can do to reduce their child’s risk of developing asthma throughout their childhood. These things include: encouraging children to be active, doing what you can to reduce stress in your children’s lives, keeping pets out of the house if they have allergies or asthma, reducing indoor allergens like dust mites and pet dander, and watching what they eat. Warm air with low humidity can also help ease asthma symptoms. Also, an ENT doctor in Philadelphia PA can help diagnose and advise on the treatment of asthma.
Children with Asthma Should Avoid These Activities
There are many things a child with asthma should avoid reducing their risk of an asthma attack. These include smoking, secondhand smoke, dust, mold, and animals. Children should also stay away from pets if they have allergies or asthma. The only time a child with asthma should be around animals is if they are visiting the veterinarian. A child with asthma should avoid cold air because it can trigger an attack and worsen symptoms. Finally, children with asthma should avoid stress as much as possible because it can cause inflammation which is the first stage of an asthma attack.
There is a Link to Parents’ and Children’s Asthma because of genetics and care factors. Therefore, parents should ensure their children are not exposed to risk factors, such as secondhand smoke or pets. If a parent has asthma, they should avoid smoking and discuss with their doctor whether or not they should continue to do strenuous exercise.
