Reactive Airway Disease in Children

The term 'reactive airway disease' was coined by S. M. Brooks and colleagues and it became useful for children who could not be diagnosed with asthma. About 30% of children who are diagnosed with this disease are later found to be suffering from asthma. As said, the symptoms of RADS are often mistaken to be those of asthma. However, there are some distinct differences which separate one illness from the other.

The term reactive airway disease is used when there is no specific diagnosis. When some symptoms occur that cannot be accurately named as asthma, doctors generally diagnose small kids with reactive airway disease. This is because asthma is difficult to be diagnosed at a young age. There are no specific causes of RADS. People suffering from this illness may have their respiratory tract swollen due to irritants such as smoke or particulates. This causes the narrowing and clogging of the small breathing tubes in the lungs. Other causes may include heredity, allergy to environmental stimulus, infection and virus. As the symptoms are very similar to those of asthma, RADS becomes difficult to be diagnosed. The symptoms may be mild to severe and may also cause sever airway damage in the long run depending on the amount of exposure to certain irritants.

Symptoms

Children may suffer from one or more symptoms of reactive airway disease. The most common symptom is wheezing which occurs when the air passes through the narrow airways. The breathing becomes fast and shallow, accompanied by dry cough. Children may also suffer from what is known as chest retractions. This occurs when the child breaths and he has the sensation of his skin being pulled in between ribs. Other symptoms which the children suffer from are cough, and nostril flaring (streaming or flapping or spreading wide as if in a current of air). Kids become lazy or more irritable and may start breathing harder than before. Small babies may not be able to breathe and suck at the same time due to the discomfort in their breathing. Coughing may become worse and may seem to prolong for a longer period of time.

Treatment

Most doctors focus more towards addressing the symptoms and the discomfort, rather than putting the affected child on asthma medications, as they cannot be diagnosed with asthma (as cited above). Medications for breathing treatments may be recommended by the doctor for treating the airways. Some medicines which can provide relief from the inflammation and irritation of the airways may also be prescribed and advised to be taken for sometime. Precautions for reactive airway disease in toddlers include keeping them from getting exposed to fumes, smokes and other such irritants. Parents must watch out for any kind of interactions which might occur while taking other types of medicines. It is important for the parents to seek advice from a doctor before going for any kind of drugs or medications.

Reactive airway disease is generally a non-specific term which can indicate a number of other diseases such as asthma, wheezy bronchitis, viral bronchitis, or even pneumonia. As these illnesses may not be diagnosed in small children due to various reasons, doctors usually refer symptoms as those of RADS until otherwise determined. The best way to counter such kind of disease is to keep an eye on the occurrence of any such symptoms in your children and to seek medical help at the earliest.