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Asthma

According to government statistics, asthma is an increasing health concern in the U.S.  Some experts suggest this is due to a complicated number of factors.  These factors include social practices, economic constraints, and environmental pollutants.  Prevalence among children between 1980 and 1996 increased on average of 4.3% per year, starting at 3.6% and ending at 6.2%.  For children living in inner cities, the morbidity and mortality rates are disproportionately higher for the low-income and minority groups in particular.  The effects of asthma on children and adolescents include the following alarming statistics. 

In the American education system, an estimated 14 million missed school days occur annually, which directly link to asthma and asthmatic complications.  Asthma considered the third ranking cause for hospitalization for adolescents age 15 and younger.  For parents, the economic, emotional, and time losses stemming from these hospitalizations are an ever-growing burden.  Asthma also affects the overall status of the American economy as a whole.  In fact, government officials estimate the costs of the increases in associated deaths from this condition in children, as well as the cost for treatment, top out at nearly three trillion dollars per year.  Clearly, asthma is not a condition for parents to ignore in their children’s lives.

While there is not yet a cure, children with this condition can continue to lead lives of quality and full productivity if they manage their condition.  To manage this complex and changing condition, parents must seek the assistance of a variety of medical professionals.  Starting with your pediatrician is the best place to begin.  For those without the patient status and assistance from a pediatrician, doing so is of the utmost importance.  The seriousness of asthmatic conditions in children is highlighted by the condition being the third leading killer of children aged fifteen and younger. 

Medications and eliminating certain environmental triggers are methods to help control asthma conditions.  An experienced and qualified Pediatrician can provide direct care and resource information to assist you in providing wholesome treatment plans to manage your child’s asthma.  Any parent would want the best possible life and promise for the future in the lives of the child.  Ensuring your child has the proper treatment for asthmatic conditions is an important step in this process.