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>> I WAS 8 YEARS OLD WHEN I NOTICED I COULDN'T JUMP ROPE,
RUN, LIKE MY FRIENDS.
>> I'VE BEEN COUGHING, BEEN WHEEZY.
I SNEEZE A LOT.
>> SHE HAD THIS CONTINUOUS HACKING COUGH.
IT WAS SCARY.
SHE COULDN'T CATCH HER BREATH.
>> HE GOT SO SICK AT ONE POINT HE ENDED UP BEING BROUGHT
TO CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL BY AMBULANCE.
>> SO I PUT HER IN THE CAR TO TAKE HER TO THE HOSPITAL,
AND SHE KEPT SAYING, "MOM, WE'RE NOT GOING TO MAKE IT."
>> THE WAY HE WAS I WAS SAYING,
"MAN, HE'S NOT GOING TO BE ABLE TO HAVE A, YOU KNOW,
JUST GO TO SCHOOL."
>> BECAUSE AFTER I HAD AVERY, MY INTENT WAS TO GO BACK
TO WORK, AND I NEVER WENT BACK TO WORK.
I HAD TO END UP STAYING HOME BECAUSE HE WAS SICK SO OFTEN.
>> AND THEY DIAGNOSED HER WITH ASTHMA.
>> WE JUST WANTED HIM TO BE A NORMAL KID.
>> ASTHMA--IT'S A COMMON PROBLEM,
ONE THAT AFFECTS MILLIONS OF CHILDREN NATIONWIDE
AND CAUSES MANY EMERGENCY VISITS AND HOSPITAL ADMISSIONS
EVERY YEAR.
BUT ASTHMA DOESN'T HAVE TO RULE YOUR CHILD'S LIFE.
BY CONSISTENTLY FOLLOWING SOME SIMPLE STEPS,
YOU CAN DO A GREAT DEAL TO REDUCE DAILY SYMPTOMS
AND HELP YOUR CHILD CONTROL THEIR ASTHMA.
IN THE NEXT FEW MINUTES, YOU WILL HEAR FROM PHYSICIANS
WHO WORK WITH FAMILIES EVERY DAY HELPING THEM LEARN
TO BEST WAYS TO CONTROL THEIR CHILDREN'S ASTHMA.
YOU'LL ALSO HEAR FROM PARENTS AND CHILDREN WHO
WILL DESCRIBE HOW THEY HAVE SUCCESSFULLY BROUGHT ASTHMA
UNDER CONTROL.
>> ASTHMA IS A CHRONIC DISEASE OF THE LUNGS,
AND IT CAN OCCUR AS EARLY AS SIX MONTHS.
IT CAN OCCUR LATER IN LIFE AS WELL.
>> NORMALLY, THE WAY YOUR LUNG FUNCTIONS IS THAT YOU HAVE
AIRWAYS THAT GO FROM YOUR MOUTH INTO YOUR LUNGS,
AND THEY END UP IN LITTLE AIR SACS.
IN THE NORMAL LUNG THOSE TUBES ARE WIDE OPEN.
IT MAKES IT VERY EASY FOR AIR TO FLOW IN AND OUT.
IN SOMEBODY WITH ASTHMA THOSE TUBES,
OR AIRWAYS, ARE NARROW BECAUSE THE WALL OF THE TUBE
IS INFLAMED, SO THAT MAKES IT MORE DIFFICULT TO BREATHE
IN SOMEONE WITH ASTHMA.
IT'S LIKE BREATHING THROUGH A STRAW.
>> CHILDREN WITH ASTHMA CAN HAVE DIFFERENT SIGNS,
ALSO KNOWN AS SYMPTOMS, THAT SHOW THEIR ASTHMA
IS NOT WELL CONTROLLED.
COMMON SYMPTOMS OF ASTHMA ARE WHEEZE,
A WHISTLING NOISE IN THE CHEST,
COUGH, ESPECIALLY LATE AT NIGHT,
SHORTNESS OF BREATH, AND CHEST TIGHTNESS.
>> ASTHMA CAN LOOK MANY DIFFERENT WAYS.
SOME CHILDREN MAY COUGH WITH THEIR ASTHMA.
SOME CHILDREN WHEEZE.
SOME CHILDREN WORK REALLY HARD TO BREATHE USING THEIR
CHEST MUSCLES AND THEIR STOMACH MUSCLES.
>> THEY MAY COUGH WHEN THEY EXERCISE.
THEY MAY COUGH WHEN THEY GO OUT IN THE COLD AIR.
>> HE'D STEP OUTSIDE.
HE'D RUN ACROSS THE YARD ONE TIME.
HE'S COUGHING.
WE GOT TO PICK HIM UP AND BRING HIM IN THE HOUSE.
>> WHEN THEY GET A COLD, THE COLD MAY JUST NOT SEEM
TO GO AWAY.
>> COUGHING OR AWAKING AFTER MIDNIGHT IN THE MIDDLE
OF THE NIGHT, THAT'S THE MOST SEVERE SYMPTOM.