Asthma Child Treatment
Many children suffer from varying degrees of asthma. The type and frequency of treatment and the medications chosen depend on the child's symptoms, asthma causes and the severity of the child's asthma.
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Types of Asthma
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A child can suffer from exercise-related asthma, allergic asthma or asthma related to infections, or can be born with a predisposition to asthma, or chronic asthma. How asthma is treated is closely tied to the type of asthma.
Nebulizer Treatment
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A nebulizer is a machine that delivers liquid asthma medication in the form of a mist into the lungs. This treatment works especially well for a younger child who cannot coordinate the use of traditional inhalers. The child simply holds a mouth piece and breaths in. Albuterol is the number one medication used in a nebulizer treatment.
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Long-acting Beta-2 Agonists
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Long-acting Beta-2 agonists are medications that do not have to be taken as frequently as others. They can last for up to 12 hours. These medications can be delivered through a metered dose inhaler or through an IV. Some of the more common ones are salmeterol (Serevent) and formoterol (Foradil).
Quick Relief Inhalers or Medications
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When a child is having an acute asthma attack, treatment needs to be immediate. This is where the quick relief medications kick in. These medications are delivered through a metered dose inhaler. Some quick relief medications are albuterol, pirbuterol and levalbuterol.
Inhaled corticosteroids
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If a child's asthma is long term or will not clear up with traditional medications, inhaled corticosteriods might be prescribed. Steroids are for temporary use and reduce inflammation within the airways and lungs. This class of medicines includes fluticasone (Flovent), triamcinolone (Azmacort), flunisolide (Aerobid) and beclomethasone (Qvar).
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