Asthma Makes it Hard to Breathe Easy
By Todd Porthan, Paramedic/Firefighter
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, nearly six million school-aged children in our country have asthma. This means approximately one out of every 10 children suffers from the potentially debilitating disorder.
Many people know a child, perhaps even their own, who suffers from the wheezing, breathlessness, chest tightness and nighttime or early-morning coughing associated with childhood asthma. While advancements have been made to help reduce symptoms, experts still do not how it is caused or how it can be cured. They do know, however, that it tends to be genetic, and is more common in children with allergies.
Asthma causes periodic swelling and inflammation in the airways that lead to the lungs. During a flare-up, more commonly known as an “asthma attack,” the airways become tight and narrow, making it hard for the asthma-sufferer to breathe and often leaving him or her gasping for breath.
Asthma can affect children in many different ways. Some asthma-sufferers only have attacks during allergy season, when they breathe in cold air or when they exercise. Others have them more frequently for less obvious reasons.
Childhood asthma typically develops by the age of 5, but is often not diagnosed until years later. Since the symptoms are very similar to those of a minor cold or allergies, diagnosis is sometimes delayed or misguided.
Frequent or prolonged coughing, shortness of breath, wheezing, chest tightness, a runny nose or lethargy brought on by exercise are just some of the warning signs.
Asthma-sufferers typically have “triggers” that can initiate an asthma attack. It is important to determine what triggers most affect a child’s asthma and then work to eliminate them. Dust, animal dander, tobacco smoke, certain chemicals, exercise, mold, pollen, medications, viral infections, strong emotions and even cockroaches have the potential to trigger an attack.
Because a child’s airway is much smaller and narrower than an adult’s, triggers that may cause only a minor irritation in an adult can create more serious problems for kids.
Allergen-barrier coverings on furniture and pillows, a clean house, limited animal exposure and washing bedding frequently will help reduce triggers.
An asthma attack can appear suddenly with severe symptoms. For this reason, it is important that it be diagnosed and treated early and correctly. If you suspect your child may have asthma, work with your pediatrician for proper testing and diagnosis.
It can be frustrating knowing a child is in pain, but many parents have been able to help their children control asthma with medication, by making changes to their environment and encouraging a healthy and active lifestyle. Long-term treatment for asthma includes daily medication to help control swelling and prevent attacks.
Symptoms also need to be treated as they occur. Every child with asthma should have written “asthma action plan” with their inhaler. This helps identify triggers and outlines the correct medications to use during an asthma attack.
If at any time your child is having difficulty breathing, call 9-1-1. Contact your pediatrician for more information or with specific questions pertaining to your child.
Questions? Contact Todd Porthan at 952-826-0330 or edinamail@ci.edina.mn.us.
How to Help a Child Having an Asthma Attack
- Quick and proper attention is necessary during an asthma attack.
- Keep the child relaxed by staying calm and helping to calm other children who are present. If the child begins to panic, breathing will become more difficult.
- Ask the child if he or she has an inhaler. If it is not in the child’s possession, find it and bring it to him or her.
- Remove the child from any known or potential triggers.
- Encourage the child to sit up and help begin treatment outlined in the child’s “Asthma Action Plan,” typically found in his or her inhaler case.
- Call 9-1-1 if the child has severe breathing problems, blue lips or fingernails, or difficulty talking or walking.
—Courtesy of American Academy of Pediatrics
A Word from the Chief
By Edina Fire Chief Marty Scheerer
Minnesotans have a love/hate relationship with ice. On roadways, sidewalks and driveways, the slippery stuff is never a welcome sight. Still, a number of us look forward to the lakes and waterways freezing over each winter so ice fishing, snowmobiling and winter hikes can officially commence.
After three months of solid ice, it’s easy to forget just how fast a spring thaw can make that ice thin and dangerous – almost overnight. Those making a “final” trip on the ice in the late winter or early spring need to exercise added caution.
When choosing to venture out on the frozen lakes or ponds – no matter the time of year – check the thickness of the ice you are on.
Ice is rarely the same thickness over an entire body of water, and this is especially the case for spring ice. What might be four feet of ice in one area can suddenly turn into four inches only a few feet away.
If you happen to find yourself falling through thin ice, don’t panic. First, call for help. Make your way to the edge of the ice and attempt to roll your knee and leg up onto the surface, pulling your body out of the water. Do not crawl, or pull yourself with your arms, as this can cause the ice to continue cracking. Once out, stay down and roll away from the water to keep your weight balanced. Never attempt to go after a pet that has become stranded, or fallen through the ice. Instead, call us.
Our Department trains multiple times each year and is equipped with thermal immersion suits that allow us to successfully perform ice rescues. With your help and awareness, we hope we won’t need to put them to use.
For more information on thin ice, visit www.dnr.state.mn.us/safety/ice.
Fire Marshal’s Corner
By Edina Fire Marshal Tom Jensen
The Fire Prevention Bureau is a division of the Edina Fire Department made up of the Fire Marshal, two inspectors, a public educator and a fire prevention clerk. Our goal, like that of all of our firefighters, is to use public education and enforcement of the State Fire Code to stop fires before they start.
Fire prevention begins with enforcement of the Fire Code. We inspect all of the City’s commercial buildings and multi-family housing units on a regular basis to make sure they comply to fire code regulations, such as those that require sprinkler systems, fire extinguishers, alarms and escape routes. We also complete individual home inspections for fire safety upon request.
As part of our code enforcement process, we work closely with the City’s Building Inspections, Planning and Engineering departments to review plans for all new and remodeled buildings and other community development projects. We also work with the Health Department to inspect City restaurants.
When a fire does take place, we put on our investigation hats. It is the job of the Fire Prevention Bureau to find out how the fire started and why. We investigate every fire in Edina, large or small. At the very least, we want to deliver any “lessons learned” to the community in order to help prevent similar fires in the future.
Education is our most important tool. Every year, we conduct close to 70 safety presentations, reaching nearly 2,500 children in the City’s preschool/childcare centers and kindergarten through second-grade classrooms. We also conduct an interactive “Safety Camp” for area fourth graders, a babysitting certification course and many other fire and emergency medical presentations for parents and students.
Remember the No. 1 cause of most home fires is not candles, home heating equipment or even unattended cooking – it’s people. Use caution and help us keep our trucks parked.
Email Jenson at edinamail@ci.edina.mn.us.
