Asthma in children
How common is asthma in children?
The number of children with asthma has rocketed in recent years and continues to rise.
About 1 in 7 children in the United States get asthma at some point in their childhood.
1 Many of these will grow out of it. About 1 in 10 children have asthma at any one time.
Source:
National Center for Health Statistics
Fast stats A to Z. Asthma.
Available at http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/asthma.htm (accessed on 9 May 2008).
National Center for Health Statistics
Fast stats A to Z. Asthma.
Available at http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/asthma.htm (accessed on 9 May 2008).
Asthma is getting more and more common.
Asthma is getting more common. About 3 in 10 children had asthma in 1980. This compared with over 5 in 10 during the mid 1990s.
2 Boys are more likely to get asthma than girls.
Source:
National Institute of Health
National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute. Data Fact Sheet. Asthma Statistics.
January 1999. Available at http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/prof/lung/asthma/asthstat.pdf (accessed 9 May 2008).
National Institute of Health
National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute. Data Fact Sheet. Asthma Statistics.
January 1999. Available at http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/prof/lung/asthma/asthstat.pdf (accessed 9 May 2008).
It is not clear why more children are getting asthma today than in the past.
3 People used to blame an increase in air pollution for the rise in childhood asthma. But this seems unlikely, as many of the
most polluted countries in the world, such as China and Eastern European countries, have low rates of asthma.
4
Source:
Sly RM.
Changing prevalence of allergic rhinitis and asthma.
Annals of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology. 1999; 82: 233-248.
Sly RM.
Changing prevalence of allergic rhinitis and asthma.
Annals of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology. 1999; 82: 233-248.
Source:
The International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood (ISAAC) Steering Committee.
Worldwide variation in prevalence of symptoms of asthma, allergic rhinoconjunctivitis, and atopic eczema: ISAAC.
Lancet. 1998; 351: 1225-1232.
The International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood (ISAAC) Steering Committee.
Worldwide variation in prevalence of symptoms of asthma, allergic rhinoconjunctivitis, and atopic eczema: ISAAC.
Lancet. 1998; 351: 1225-1232.
One of the most popular explanations at the moment for the increase in asthma is the "hygiene hypothesis." This blames increasing
asthma rates on cleaner homes, which means that children get fewer infections than they used to. Some scientists think that
childhood infections help to build up the
immune system. So, since children are getting fewer infections, they have less protection against asthma.
5
immune system
The immune system is made up of the parts of the body that are devoted to fighting infection. The body is constantly being threatened by infections from things like bacteria, viruses and parasites. The immune system fights these infections in different ways. At the microscopic level, the immune system uses antibodies and white blood cells, which travel in the blood and target infectious agents, such as bacteria. These microscopic parts of the immune system either kill the infectious agent directly, or take it to other parts of the body, like the spleen, where it can be dealt with. The lymph nodes are another important part of the immune system. Within them, white blood cells filter through the foreign material that has entered the blood, to see if there are any infections. When you have a swollen gland during a cold, this is actually a lymph node that is reacting to the infection. Unfortunately, it is possible for the immune system to become confused and to use its destructive powers to target healthy parts of the body. Diseases that result from this type of situation are called autoimmune diseases.
The immune system is made up of the parts of the body that are devoted to fighting infection. The body is constantly being threatened by infections from things like bacteria, viruses and parasites. The immune system fights these infections in different ways. At the microscopic level, the immune system uses antibodies and white blood cells, which travel in the blood and target infectious agents, such as bacteria. These microscopic parts of the immune system either kill the infectious agent directly, or take it to other parts of the body, like the spleen, where it can be dealt with. The lymph nodes are another important part of the immune system. Within them, white blood cells filter through the foreign material that has entered the blood, to see if there are any infections. When you have a swollen gland during a cold, this is actually a lymph node that is reacting to the infection. Unfortunately, it is possible for the immune system to become confused and to use its destructive powers to target healthy parts of the body. Diseases that result from this type of situation are called autoimmune diseases.
Source:
Rook GA, Stanford JL.
Give us this day our daily germs.
Immunology Today. 1998; 19: 113-116.
Rook GA, Stanford JL.
Give us this day our daily germs.
Immunology Today. 1998; 19: 113-116.
Another idea is that central heating and having more soft furnishings in homes have allowed house dust mites to multiply.
(Dust mite droppings are one of the main
allergens that trigger asthma attacks.)
allergen
If you have an allergy to something, your body overreacts when you're around it. The thing you are allergic to is called an allergen. Most allergens are harmless to most people. But if you're allergic to something, your body's system for fighting infection (your immune system) is too sensitive to that allergen. It triggers changes that we call allergic reactions. For example, pollen is an allergen for many people. If you're allergic to pollen, you'll sneeze and have runny eyes when pollen is in the air.
If you have an allergy to something, your body overreacts when you're around it. The thing you are allergic to is called an allergen. Most allergens are harmless to most people. But if you're allergic to something, your body's system for fighting infection (your immune system) is too sensitive to that allergen. It triggers changes that we call allergic reactions. For example, pollen is an allergen for many people. If you're allergic to pollen, you'll sneeze and have runny eyes when pollen is in the air.
Here are some facts about asthma in children.
- Boys are more likely than girls to get asthma. But girls are more likely than boys to have asthma as adults.
Source:
National Institute of Health
National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute. Data Fact Sheet. Asthma Statistics.
January 1999. Available at http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/prof/lung/asthma/asthstat.pdf (accessed 9 May 2008).
2 - Up to 75 percent of children with asthma grow out of it in adolescence.
Source:
Kelly WJ, Hudson I, Phelan PD, et al.
Childhood asthma in adult life: a further study at 28 years of age.
BMJ Clinical Research Edition. 1987; 294: 1059-1062.
6 - In many other children, symptoms become less severe as they grow older.
Source:
Busse WW, Lemanske RF.
Advances in immunology: asthma.
New England Journal of Medicine. 2001; 344: 350-362.
7
Sources for the information on this page:
- National Center for Health StatisticsFast stats A to Z. Asthma.Available at http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/asthma.htm (accessed on 9 May 2008).
- National Institute of HealthNational Heart, Lung and Blood Institute. Data Fact Sheet. Asthma Statistics.January 1999. Available at http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/prof/lung/asthma/asthstat.pdf (accessed 9 May 2008).
- Sly RM.Changing prevalence of allergic rhinitis and asthma.Annals of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology. 1999; 82: 233-248.
- The International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood (ISAAC) Steering Committee.Worldwide variation in prevalence of symptoms of asthma, allergic rhinoconjunctivitis, and atopic eczema: ISAAC.Lancet. 1998; 351: 1225-1232.
- Rook GA, Stanford JL.Give us this day our daily germs.Immunology Today. 1998; 19: 113-116.
- Kelly WJ, Hudson I, Phelan PD, et al.Childhood asthma in adult life: a further study at 28 years of age.BMJ Clinical Research Edition. 1987; 294: 1059-1062.
- Busse WW, Lemanske RF.Advances in immunology: asthma.New England Journal of Medicine. 2001; 344: 350-362.
This information was last updated on Jan 09, 2009
This information is for educational use only, and is not a substitute for prompt professional medical advice. Readers should always consult a physician or other professional for advice and treatment.
© BMJ Publishing Group Limited 2009. All rights reserved.
© BMJ Publishing Group Limited 2009. All rights reserved.
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