PEDIATRIC ASTHMA SEASON

Asthma can be a tricky condition, as it’s different for every patient. Your child may constantly deal with asthma symptoms year-round or have no issues until the start of fall.

Fall is a prime time for asthma flare-ups for many reasons. Two common causes are from dry air and rising pollen levels. These seasonal changes can trigger allergic asthma flare-ups for your child.

Lucky for you, we at Night Watch Urgent Care have your back. Dr. Ravneet Dhaliwal and our team of pediatric specialists treat asthma flare-ups in children. Here’s a primer of what you can do to prevent these attacks.

What to expect during an asthma flare-up

When your child has an asthma flare-up, his or her symptoms get much worse. Asthma causes inflammation and swelling in the bronchial tubes and bronchioles. These tubes are airways for your child’s lungs.

Even if you have your child’s asthma under control, fall allergens and other changes can still trigger an attack. During a flare-up, inflammation can get worse and cause more swelling. It constricts the muscles around your child’s airway and makes breathing more difficult.

An asthma attack can happen suddenly with little warning. Some early warning signs include:

  • Coughing
  • Fast or irregular breathing
  • Mild chest tightness
  • Mild wheezing
  • Constant throat clearing
  • Fatigue
  • Coughing that keeps your child up at night

An allergic asthma attack may be mild or severe. If your child shows signs of a flare-up, work on relieving it right away and come straight to us at Night Watch Pediatric Urgent Care.

Causes of fall allergy and asthma flare-ups

One of the more common causes of flare-ups in the fall is weed pollen. During the fall, pollen levels rise drastically. You can work on preventing your child’s attacks by recognizing and removing, or keeping your child away from, the following weeds:

  • Sagebrush
  • Pigweed
  • Ragweed
  • Tumbleweed

Your child may also have an asthma flare-up from mold spores. Mold thrives on heat, humidity, and moisture. Towards the end of summer and the start of fall, humidity levels climb and so do mold spore levels.

Mold spores can grow on piles of fallen leaves, so keep your yard raked and clean to help prevent mold from growing.

How you can prevent fall flare-ups

Follow your child’s asthma management plan closely. When you know what fall allergens can trigger an attack, you can better prevent them.

Having quick-relief medication on hand can help your child if they show signs of a flare-up. Although quick-relief medications can reduce asthma symptoms, it’s only temporary.

Dr. Dhaliwal can prescribe your child with long-term allergy and asthma medication. Long-term control medications can prevent future flare-ups. Saline nasal rinses are another effective option. They can flush allergens from your child’s nasal passage.

If you’re finding it hard to control your child’s asthma or allergies, don’t hesitate to stop by our practice at Night Watch Urgent Care located in Manassas and Aldie, Virginia. Use our online booking tool to Reserve your spot or give us a call.

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