The factors that are known to increase the incidence of asthma in children include:
- Viral respiratory tract infections in early childhood.
- Environmental factors at home and outdoors.
- Air pollution.
- Environmental tobacco smoke.
- Increased prevalence of allergic tendencies.
The rising prevalence of asthma is not the only problem. Mortality due to asthma has gone up in the last decade and has not changed in recent years. Morbidity due to worsening and persistent symptoms presents a huge burden to individuals as well as the healthcare services.
It is essential for parents with children prone to asthma to avoid "asthma triggers", or things that make it worse. For example, parents with asthmatic child should neither smoke nor allow anyone to smoke indoors where the child spends time. Allergies are a problem for many children with asthma, and parents should take environmental control measures to reduce allergens. These measures also help in making the medicines more effective. Day-to-day management is most effective when parents and the doctor work together as one team.
