Here, oxygen is exchanged for carbon dioxide in your blood. Then place a straw in your mouth, close your lips around it, and try to breathe in and out only through the straw . Now, narrow the straw by pinching it in the middle. During a flare, the airways narrow and become obstructed, making it difficult for air to move through them. And asthma flares are the most common reason for pediatric emergency room visits due to a chronic illness.
Some kids have only mild, occasional symptoms or only show symptoms after exercising.
Others have severe asthma that, left untreated, can dramatically limit how active they are and cause changes in lung function. But thanks to new medications and treatment strategies, a child with asthma no longer needs to sit on the sidelines, and parents no longer need to worry incessantly about their child's well-being. With patient education and the right asthma management plan, today's families can learn to control symptoms and flares more independently, allowing kids and parents to do just about anything they want. The Nemours Foundation is a nonprofit organization devoted to children's health and is the largest physician practice delivering subspecialty pediatric care in the United States. Inc. All rights reserved.