For children with pollen allergies, the flowering period of plants is a real test, since it is at this time that the risk of exacerbation of bronchial asthma increases sharply. Let’s try to figure out how to survive this difficult period.

One of the most common forms of bronchial asthma (BA) ^* – chronic inflammation of the airways – allergic. The reason, as a rule, is in heredity: often the disease develops in a child if one of the relatives, or he himself, suffers from allergies.

Risk factors for exacerbation of asthma

Allergic bronchial asthma is aggravated as a result of acute respiratory infections ^** and under the influence of allergens, which make the airways more sensitive and vulnerable. The task of parents is to determine what exactly causes an allergy in a child. Experts note that now, unfortunately, even young children can react to several allergens at once: various foods, medicines, and plant pollen.

Pollen allergy as a risk factor for worsening asthma

With such an allergy, the risk of BA exacerbation increases during the flowering period, that is, in spring and summer. The frequency of attacks increases on dry, windy days, when the concentration of pollen in the air is highest, and relief occurs only in wet, rainy weather. Moreover, exacerbation of asthma can provoke the use of certain products that cause an allergic cross-reaction with tree pollen (apples, nuts, birch sap) and herbs (rye and wheat bread, wheat flour products, sunflower seeds, sunflower oil, halva).

The threat is close: symptoms of the development of exacerbation of asthma in a child

An exacerbation of asthma manifests itself in the form of an acute attack or a protracted condition of the so-called bronchial obstruction, in which the lumen of the bronchi narrows significantly and air cannot pass through them in sufficient quantities. The child develops shortness of breath, difficult noisy breathing with a whistle, which can be heard at a distance, an obsessive dry or unproductive cough (sometimes to the point of vomiting), dry wheezing in the chest against the background of uneven weakened breathing. Signs of an acute attack of asthma may be worse at night or in the early hours of the morning. Sometimes, due to improper treatment, such attacks are repeated for a long time (from several days to several months), and then we are talking about a protracted course of exacerbation. If the therapy is timely and correct, the exacerbation, as a rule, does not drag on.

How to avoid triggers

First of all, external factors should be excluded. To know which allergens negatively affect the course of asthma in a child, an allergy test may be required . It is important to create the most hypoallergenic space where the child sleeps and plays: often ventilate the room, do wet cleaning, avoid down pillows and woolen blankets, carpets. If the baby shares a room with parents, the bedding care requirements apply to the parent’s bed. Remember that in children with hypersensitivity to plant pollen, food products can also act as additional allergens: honey, fruits, some vegetables and fruits. It is also better to remove from the diet foods with preservatives, dyes, flavors and stabilizers.

To reduce the risk of exacerbation of asthma, experts recommend resorting to non-drug methods of treatment: breathing exercises, physiotherapy exercises, psychotherapy.

Under vigilant control!

Nevertheless, long-term and stable remission of asthma is achieved not only by prevention, but also by drug treatment with the help of basic (anti-inflammatory) therapy ¹ , which is prescribed individually, taking into account the severity of the disease at the time of the patient’s examination.

In allergic asthma, inhaled corticosteroids (IGCS) therapy is considered the most effective ^*** . In the course of the IKAR (Russian Quality of Life Study) study, anti-inflammatory therapy with inhaled glucocorticosteroids (IGCS) was found to improve the quality of life of children, even with moderate and severe BA, and their parents.

The effectiveness of treatment depends on the means of delivery, taking into account the age of the child, the individual preferences of the patient and parents, as well as the clinical manifestations of the disease. For preschool children with asthma, inhaled ICS through a nebulizer using a face mask is the preferred method of delivery: the drug in the right concentration enters directly into the respiratory organs, where it begins to act quickly ² .

It is important to remember that the duration of the basic anti-inflammatory therapy for BA with the use of ICS is determined by the doctor and should be at least 3 months, even with a mild course of the disease ² .

Thus, modern inhaled corticosteroids help to effectively control asthma symptoms, reduce the risk of exacerbations and deterioration of lung function. All this, of course, has a positive effect on the quality of life of children. They may lead an active lifestyle, go to kindergarten or school, and not miss sports due to asthma symptoms.

Reducing the risk of asthma exacerbations – how to achieve?

In order to reduce the risk of exacerbation of bronchial asthma in a child during the flowering period, it must be remembered that in this difficult time, provoking factors must be avoided: interact less with allergens, monitor the cleanliness of the space where it is located, be ready to provide timely assistance. An important role is played by the prevention of seizures, which includes both non-drug methods and the correct timely drug therapy. It is very important during the flowering period to continue to use anti-inflammatory drugs for basic therapy recommended by the attending physician. This will achieve the longest and most stable remission.