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>> 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.
>> WHEN YOU HAVE A CHILD WHO IS WAKING UP AT NIGHT WITH A COUGH,
THEN THEY'RE EXPERIENCING THE BEGINNING OF A FLARE.
>> MOST PEOPLE ASSOCIATE ASTHMA WITH ASTHMA ATTACKS.
>> DURING AN ASTHMA ATTACK THE INFLAMMATION PROCESS
KICKS IN IN THE LUNGS.
THE MUSCLES TIGHTEN AROUND THE AIRWAYS.
EXTRA MUCUS IS PRODUCED, AND THERE'S SWELLING IN THE AIRWAYS.
THE PATIENT CAN FEEL PAIN OR SHORTNESS OF BREATH.
>> WHEN I HAVE AN ATTACK, IT'S NOT A GOOD THING.
MY CHEST HURTS.
I COUGH A LOT.
>> LIKE EVERY TIME I BREATHE, IT JUST DIDN'T FEEL RIGHT.
IT HURTED.
>> ME AND HER FATHER HAD TO RUSH HER TO THE HOSPITAL.
>> ASTHMA FLARES, ALSO KNOWN AS "ATTACKS", OCCUR WHEN SWELLING
IN THE AIRWAYS WORSENS.
THIS CAN HAPPEN DUE TO A COLD VIRUS OR A TRIGGER
IN THE CHILD'S ENVIRONMENT.
IF A CHILD'S ASTHMA IS NOT WELL CONTROLLED BEFORE THE FLARE,
SYMPTOMS CAN BE MORE SEVERE.
SYMPTOMS OF ASTHMA, SUCH AS WHEEZE, COUGH,
OR SHORTNESS OF BREATH, ARE EARLY WARNING SIGNS
THAT A FLARE MAY BE BEGINNING.
THE KEY TO PREVENTING ASTHMA FLARES IS TO CONTROL DAILY
SYMPTOMS OF ASTHMA AND RECOGNIZE EARLY WARNING SIGNS
WHEN SYMPTOMS ARE WORSENING.
>> MANY CHILDREN THINK THAT EARLY WARNING SIGNS ARE A NORMAL
PART OF LIFE BECAUSE THEY ARE USED TO THOSE SYMPTOMS,
AND THEY'RE NOT USED TO THEIR ASTHMA BEING IN CONTROL.
SO IT'S VERY IMPORTANT FOR PARENTS TO UNDERSTAND
AND TO STAY CLUED IN AS TO WHAT THEIR EARLY WARNING SIGNS ARE AND,
IN FACT, INFORM ANY OF THE CHILDREN'S CARETAKERS ABOUT
THE EARLY WARNING SIGNS.
>> HE'S SILENT.
HE JUST SITS THERE AND DAZE OFF.
AND THEN I JUST START LOOKING AT HIM, AND THEN I SEE HIM BREATHING,
LIKE TRYING TO GET SOME AIR, GOING LIKE THIS.
AND THEN I LOOK AT HIS THROAT, AND I SEE THAT THIS PART RIGHT
HERE STARTS SUCKING IN.
THEN I KNOW HE'S IN DISTRESS.