Causes of Shortness of Breath in Children – Has your child ever complained of shortness of breath? Shortness of breath experienced by your little one is a condition that you should be aware of. This condition can be a symptom of a serious illness that requires fast treatment. This condition will also be able to interfere with its activities, even if it is prolonged, it can interfere with its growth and development.
It is very important to know the causes of shortness of breath in children. There are several diseases that can make a child experience shortness of breath, from mild to serious illness. To find out, you can consider some of the causes of shortness of breath below.
Causes of Shortness of Breath in Children that Parents Should Be Beware of
The causes of children experiencing shortness of breath from mild to serious conditions are as follows.
Choking on Food
Children can experience shortness of breath when they choke on the food or drink they consume. When a child chokes, the food that should go down the throat actually enters the respiratory tract or vocal cords. In addition, this condition can also be experienced by children when they insert a small foreign object into their mouth.
Not only does it cause shortness of breath, choking will also make your little one cough. Coughing becomes the body’s natural reflex in cleaning or removing food or foreign objects in the trapped airways.
If food or foreign objects that enter the respiratory tract cannot be removed, it can cause your little one to lack oxygen. This condition will make your little one’s condition worse. Therefore, when you see your little one choking, you have to deal with it immediately so that the condition doesn’t get worse.
Cold
Colds are one of the most common respiratory problems. However, this condition should not be allowed because it can cause the child to experience shortness of breath. When a cold in the respiratory tract will produce more mucus than usual. The nose that is blocked by mucus or mucus can then cause the passage of air to be blocked, the effect is that your little one will experience shortness of breath.
Not only does it make your little one experience shortness of breath, but it will also make your little one sneeze, make his body weak and his throat hurt. If your child has a history of sinusitis, the symptoms will be even more debilitating.
Allergy
The cause of shortness of breath in the next child is due to allergies. Allergies in children can be triggered due to consumption of certain foods or due to inhaled substances such as pollen, dust, animal dander and so on can cause children to experience shortness of breath. When children are exposed to allergens, histamine antibodies will be automatically generated by the body’s immune system.
Histamine plays a role in fighting substances that are considered to be harmful to the body. It’s just that, in a child who has allergies, in his body the histamine will overwork when fighting harmless substances. This condition will cause the child’s body to react such as a stuffy or runny nose, the child experiences shortness of breath, itching, sneezing and watery eyes.
Allergies must of course be handled appropriately and quickly. If treated quickly this condition will not be dangerous. Even so, when your little one has allergies you must remain alert to the risk of anaphylaxis or a severe allergic reaction. This reaction can cause blood pressure to drop drastically quickly, and can even result in loss of consciousness. In order not to be fatal, this condition must be treated immediately.
Obesity
Obesity can also cause shortness of breath in children. Children who are overweight will complain of shortness of breath when compared to children who are of normal or healthy weight. When doing normal activities, children who are overweight also tend to experience difficulty breathing.
Difficulty breathing in children who experience it obesity caused by the accumulation of fat in the stomach and chest so that the airway muscles will be obstructed. This condition will make your baby’s lungs work hard so that they can expand to their full potential. In addition, the work of the heart becomes heavier in pumping blood through blood vessels that are blocked by cholesterol.
Experiencing Excessive Anxiety
Excess anxiety is not only experienced by adults, but children can also experience it. Excess anxiety, either due to nervousness or fear, can cause shortness of breath in children. When a child is anxious, a stress response can be experienced which can lead to panic attacks.
This panic attack will cause shortness of breath or not being able to breathe freely and with relief. Not only shortness of breath, but children can also experience several other symptoms such as trembling, sweating, a racing heart and feeling weak.
Asthma
Asthma is a chronic disease of the respiratory system. This respiratory disease is characterized by constriction and inflammation of the respiratory system which will cause the sufferer to experience shortness of breath. You have to be vigilant when your little one experiences shortness of breath because he could have asthma.
Shortness of breath caused by asthma can be experienced by children anytime and anywhere. However, usually children experience this symptom when they are in cold places, exposed to allergens, exercise and so on.
Pneumonia
Pneumonia is a disease caused by infection that can cause inflammation of the air sacs in the lungs, either in one or both. Children who experience this disease will cause several symptoms such as rapid breathing or shortness of breath. If the disease is severe, the child’s lips and nails may turn bluish. This condition is a sign that your little one lacks oxygen.
Heart failure
Heart failure is also a cause of shortness of breath in children. Heart failure is a condition when the heart can’t pump enough blood to the rest of the body. This condition can be on one side of the heart, but it can also be on both sides of the heart.
Not only can it cause shortness of breath, but this condition can also cause edema, which is swelling that is usually experienced in the feet or ankles. The condition of shortness of breath experienced by children due to heart failure can be experienced by children when they are lying down, while sleeping or bending over.
The child can experience sudden shortness of breath or it can be experienced by the child gradually. Sometimes shortness of breath can disappear on its own, even so, don’t ignore this condition. Because as previously explained, shortness of breath in children can be triggered by various causes, from mild to serious illness. When a child experiences shortness of breath, you must immediately check the child’s condition with the doctor in order to get the right and appropriate treatment.
