Know about wheezing and its treatments:
Cough and wheezing are common when young children have colds and chest infectionsNot all children who have wheezing episodes will develop asthma, and not all children who have asthma wheeze. Wheezing is a whistling sound made during breathing. Because a child's airways are so small, any lower respiratory infection — such as respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) — can cause wheezing in children. Sometimes a choking episode causes wheezing. In other cases, factors such as a structural abnormality in the airways or an issue with the vocal cords contribute to wheezing in children. Wheezing is also a classic sign of asthma — especially recurrent wheezing.
In addition to wheezing, other signs and symptoms of asthma in a young child might include:
• Recurrent difficulty breathing
• Recurrent chest tightness
• Frequent coughing
• Coughing that gets worse after active play or changes in the weather.
A child's risk of asthma is higher if he or she has an allergic condition, such as eczema or a food allergy, or if there is a family history of asthma or allergic conditions. If your child seems to be having breathing problems, talk to the doctor. Be prepared to describe your child's signs and symptoms, including when the wheezing began, what the wheezing sounds like and when it seems to happen. The details you provide will help the doctor determine what's causing your child's wheezing and whether treatment is needed. Side effects of Steroids ( Inhalers) When steroid tablets are taken for many months or years, harmful side effects are likely and almost inevitable. The list of possible effects is long; it includes mood changes, forgetfulness, hair loss, easy bruising, a tendency toward high blood pressure and diabetes, thinning of the bones (osteoporosis), suppression of the adrenal glands, muscle weakness, weight gain, cataracts, and glaucoma. After being swallowed, these tablets are absorbed from the stomach into the bloodstream and taken not only to the bronchial tubes (to treat asthma) but also to every other part of the body.
Their effects are widespread. On the other hand, only miniscule amounts of steroid medication enter the bloodstream after inhaling it. The reasons for this difference include the following. First, steroids used for inhalational treatment of asthma are designed not cross well from the surface of the bronchial tubes into the bloodstream. Somewhat like applying a steroid cream to the skin, they are poorly absorbed from the surface into the blood. Second, only very small amounts of steroid medication are delivered from the inhalers with each dose or "puff." Less medicine is needed when it can be directly applied to the affected area. We measure the amounts of steroids inhaled in micrograms, Home care suggestions include: Comfort your child – try t keep your baby calm having a cough and anoisy wheeze frightens children and breathing is more difficult when they are upset.
Offer frequent drinks – drinking less amounts, but more often, may be easier if they are blocked up from a cold. Avoid smoking – smoking in the home or car increases the risk of respiratory problems in babies. Acupressure treatment: Apply pressure using your longest and strongest finger on the acupoint for approximately 3 minutes. Each point may feel different when pressure is applied. Some points will feel tense while others may ache. When pushing on the acupoint the pain should not be unbearable, it should be between pleasant and unbearable. If the pain increases then gradually decrease the pressure applied at the point. Sometimes when applying acupressure, pain will occur at a different part of the body. This is normal because it indicates that those two areas are related and should both be treated to release blockages. After repeated pressure pay attention to the pulse at the acupoint.
Pulsation is a good thing because it means that circulation has increased. However, if it is faint or throbbing hold the point longer until the pulse balances. Acupuncture: Acupuncture treatment on selected points after proper diagnosis give more desirable and permanent result, I have tested excellent result treating this problem and seeing patients get relief prom their side effect producing medication as well as complication producing wheezing problem (from 1st year baby itself ) I have added some of the points as first aid or cont.