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Seasonal factors trigger asthmaWith children returning to school and school sports, fall-related allergens returning to the air and cold germs returning to classrooms, ‘tis the season of wheezin’ for some kids. Asthma, put simply, can make it difficult to breath. It can be brought on by many different triggers, which are usually environmental, said Shanna Bunce, MD, a pediatric specialist at New Ulm Medical Center. “Triggers can include viruses, exercise, allergies, going out into the cold air, cigarette smoke and emotional stress,” she said. The good news, Bunce said, is that when treated properly, a person should be able to lead a normal life, despite their asthma. There are four categories of asthma: mild intermittent, mild persistent, moderate persistent and severe persistent. “There are recommended treatment plans for each of these categories,” Bunce said. “If your child is on the correct treatment plan they should be able to lead a normal life, except if they are in the severe persistent category.” Treatments include short-acting medications to treat an asthma attack and inhaled steroids to prevent an asthma attack. For those in the mild intermittent category, they may just need a nebulizer steroid. Seventh grader Dylan Tierney falls into this mild intermittent category. He was diagnosed over three years ago, said his mother Jessica. “We haven’t pinpointed exactly what his triggers are, but it seems to happen more in the fall or spring than winter or summer,” Jessica explained. The first time Dylan had an asthma attack, she said, she didn’t identify it as asthma. “I thought it was more like bronchitis.” Dylan is now familiar with the signs of an oncoming asthma attack, which he describes as “really horrible.” “I have a bad runny nose, my eyes start watering and I can’t breath,” said Dylan. When he feels one coming on, a nebulizer treatment takes care of the symptoms. He also has an inhaler at school, which he said he’s never had occasion to use. Asthma is on the rise, according to Bunce. “It’s not only genetic, but environmental causes that are triggering the disease.” Interestingly, people who don’t live in industrialized societies don’t have any asthma, Bunce said. Everything from toxins in carpet glue to air that’s not properly circulated in our homes can contribute to asthma. Short of moving into a grass hut, there are things that people can do in their homes to decrease the risks of asthma, including taking out carpeting, draperies, keeping windows open and using radiant heat instead of forced air heat. Allergy testing is always part of an asthma diagnosis, Bunce said, to see if there are certain allergies that are triggering a patient’s asthma. Pulmonary function tests can also be done both to diagnose a patient’s asthma and to follow their progress.  Back to Health Edition |
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New Ulm Medical Center
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