Can Childhood Asthma be Outgrown? :: Health Respiratory Essays

Can Childhood Asthma be Outgrown?Today bronchial asthma is the most common chronic childhood disease, with the number of children with asthma increasing every social class.In 1995, the Environmental Protection Agency reported that 5.5 million children in the United States had asthma. Now an estimated 6.1 million children under 18 in the United States currently suffer from asthma, according to the American Lung Association. However, some asthma sufferers man come on to out-grow their childhood asthma.By the time high school was over I found that I wouldnt need to use my inhaler anymore and I defendnt used my inhaler in closely one-third years, said Jen Nelson, sophomore journalism major at Northeastern University.Today Nelson is asthma-free and in good health.I have been pretty much okay. Last year I got the flu so I had a couple of symptoms, but it wasnt to the point where I needed to use my inhaler, said Nelson.At the fester of 7, Nelson suffered a really bad asthma attack and was diagnosed with one type of asthma, bronchial asthma.I developed it asthma because I had so many cases of bronchitis, said Nelson. afterward having asthma for about 10 years, Nelson was told by her doctor that her asthma wasnt severe anymore and that they no longer considered her to be asthmatic.Then there be the asthma patients who still have occasional problems with asthma accompanied with allergies that developed during their childhood.I was diagnosed with asthma at a very early age. I have had it ever since I was very little. It has come and gone (and come again) over the years, said Joanna Old, senior journalism major at Northeastern University.Through the age of 10, Old suffered from severe asthma.I was hospitalized when I was around 4 or 5 for asthmaUsually when you have an asthma attack, your lungs get tight and you hear wheezing. Well, during this bad-tempered attack, the nurse didnt even know what was wrong-it turns out my lungs were closed so tightly, there was no w heezing-no breathing at all. I stayed in the hospital for about 3 or 4 days hooked to an IV with an oxygen tent, said Old.During this time, Old was also on steroids and used an inhaler regularly to practice her asthma.I was actually very sickly looking because of the drugs. I remember my hair being very thin and wispyand I never valued to brush it, said Old.As Old grew up, her asthma seemed to become less severe.