How to handle your child's respiratory and breathing conditions

When it comes to a child’s lung health, getting an accurate diagnosis is paramount. Whether it’s asthma or an upper respiratory infection, struggling to breath comfortably is unpleasant at any age. At a time like now, it’s important to know the difference for your child’s overall health and safety. Any time you are unsure, it’s always recommended to have your child examined by a family doctor like our board-certified pediatricians at Village Pediatrics in Plano, TX, who thoroughly understand and can manage these illnesses.

Learn more about the most common respiratory and breathing conditions, and how we can offer treatments that are best suited for your child.

Asthma and testing

Asthma, chronic inflammation of the airways and lungs, is paired with a rough cough, chest pain, wheezing, and shortness of breath. This condition can make it incredibly hard for children to breathe easily if they have it. The lungs aren’t fully developed yet in younger children, so it’s not always feasible to run traditional asthma testing. In children 6 years and younger, the doctor will ask the parent and child, if able, to discuss the symptoms to make an asthma diagnosis. However, this isn’t always accurate enough since asthma can be confused with other conditions, such as allergies and sinusitis. In those scenarios, a doctor might have to wait until a child is older to perform a lung function test.

With a lung function test, or spirometry, a child will blow into a handheld apparatus, a spirometer, to determine how much air a child can exhale and how quickly. When asthma is believed to be triggered by allergies, allergy testing will be performed. This is when the child’s back will be pricked with extracts from common allergy triggers to see if there’s a reaction. However, our pediatricians will decide which testing method will work best for your child.

Bronchitis

A dry cough that is accompanied by a low-grade fever, wheezing, a runny nose, and a sore throat can be described as one of many different childhood illnesses. Bronchitis is uncomfortable, and many children develop a bark-like cough that leaves them miserable and often times embarrassed. When your child contracts bronchitis through a virus or environmental factor, it can last for weeks, therefore it is best to call the doctor right away before the infection spreads, especially to rule out pneumonia.

Breathing treatments

Breathing treatments, or nebulizers, are often prescribed after an asthma diagnosis. However, when children are younger than age 5, it can sometimes be difficult to get a proper diagnosis of asthma. To help with decreasing inflammation of the airways, our office offers breathing treatment monitoring and management for your child with troubled breathing.

Upper respiratory infections

Did you know that the common childhood cold is actually an upper respiratory infection? Infections of the nose, throat, sinuses, eyes, and ears are so easy to spread, especially with young children who explore the world through touch, and put their hands in their mouths, fingers in their noses, and rub their eyes with a disregard of germs. When your child has a fever with a cough, watery eyes, a runny nose, and sore throat, it usually signals a common cold and it is best to contact the pediatrician immediately so we can service your child through a telehealth appointment or curbside visit.

How we can help

Depending on your child's symptoms, age, and health history, our trusted and highly experienced pediatricians in Plano, TX can recommend the proper customized treatment. There is no one-size-fits-all treatment for respiratory and breathing conditions, which is why we will determine if an inhaler, oral medications, breathing treatments, or a combination of treatments are best suited for your child. With the right medication, proper care, and a clean-air environment, your child with breathing problems can control his or her symptoms, and live a happy, healthy childhood.

We are here for you to answer questions, and to manage your child's breathing treatment. Village Pediatrics is available to serve you through an in-office or telehealth appointment. To get started click here or text (469) 382-3796 to schedule an appointment today.