Monthly Archives: September 2018

HGH connection and immune system

The human body has to fight against a number of harmful bacteria’s, microorganisms, parasites etc in order to prevent health problems. In order to retain a good health your body’s immune system should be strong only then it can help you to remain healthy. As you grow older the immune system becomes weaker and finally it stops working.

The reason for the immune system to grow weak is due to the deficiency of the Human Growth Hormones which is known to control all most all the major functions of the body organs. It is also known to help repair the damaged cells and tissues along with helping the body in regenerating cells and reproduction of cells. The deficiency leads to a number or health complications as well as ageing process. To strengthen the immunity system of your body you need to take HGH supplements which will boost the natural secretion of this hormone in the body.

HGH supplements and your Immune System

The safest method to strengthen the immune system of your body is to take HGH supplements. HGH supplements come in various forms i.e. they come in pills, capsules, injections, sprays etc. These supplements do not have a large quantity of HGH in them but they have a sufficient amount to boost your body’s immune system.

What are the effects of HGH supplements?

Deficiency of HGH in the body leads to ageing and age related problems for e.g. Memory loss, lack of stamina, decrease in the immunity system of the body, wrinkles, etc. The use of HGH supplements helps you to boost the natural secretion of HGH in the anterior pituitary glands thus helping you to regain your youthful looks, energy and stamina. There is an improvement in the skin texture; the cardiovascular system also functions properly. Along with this the immunity system also gets a boost of energy. With the strengthening of the immune system your body gets the more energy to fight against diseases. The immune system guards your body against external forces thus destroying them and eliminating the dead cells, making way for new cell regeneration.

What are the other ways to Improve HGH level in the body?

The safest way to strengthen the immune system of your body is to take HGH supplements coupled with regular exercises. Exercising regularly increases the HGH level in the body naturally. Jogging, weight training, cycling etc helps increase the HGH level in the body naturally.

Proper diet and ample of sleep also helps increase the HGH in the body naturally. HGH supplements do not have any side effects but just taking HGH supplements and not working out or following a proper nutritious diet will not help you out and remember one thing in order to keep your immune system functioning efficiently you need to exercise and live a stress free lifestyle. A stressed lifestyle also hampers in the secretion of Human Growth Hormones in the anterior pituitary glands.

Most of the people often complain about the pain that have been occurred because of tension headache or a migraine headache. But there are many more types of headaches, which we don’t speak much about. Here we are giving some rare types of headaches.

Cluster headache

A type of headache called cluster headache, which can be more upsetting a man’s daily life. As the name tells, this cluster headache arrives in a cluster. Most of the cluster headache sufferers said that the headache is most hurting among all types, and it comes without any warning before, and the pain will be very unbearable. This type of headache will last for half an hour to one hour, and dissolves quickly. If a person is suffering from the headache, yet, he can rest  solid that it should not be the final cluster headache, that arrives from one to four times per a day. The percentage of the persons suffering from these headaches is less than one per cent. This type of headaches is often seen in men than in women. Generally the sufferers are between the ages of twenty to forty five.

Hormone headache

Hormone headaches are the other type of headaches which occurs in often. This hormone headache arrives when there occurs a high count of hormonal imbalance in the body of the sufferer. This type of headache often seen in women, as the monthly menstrual period comes, the pain occurs. Men can also be badly affected when the hormonal imbalance occurs in their body.

Sinus headache

Sinus headaches are the other type of the rare types of headaches, which madden the sufferer. The attack of this type of headache is different in its way. In the nasal area ,the sinuses, will be irritated according to an allergic reaction, a cancer or some Contamination, the irritation will make the person feel a hard pain in the nasal area, forehead and cheek bones. If the person has a nasal obstacle, then the doctor has to execute an x-ray to find the coverage of the problem. Anti-histamines and decongestants will be recommended as the right medication for the problem.

Organic headache

There is another type of headaches called organic headaches. These types of headaches are occurred due to some oddity in the brain or the skull. A cause of this organic headache can be that, the arteries of the brain being pressed up because of swellings in the brain. Meningitis or swelling in brain can also be a cause of the so called organic headache.

Human Growth Hormone is generated naturally in the body; this hormone is secreted in the anterior pituitary glands situated in the pituitary glands found in the base of the brain. As you grow older there is a gradual decrease in the secretion of this hormone. This hormone is known as the king of all hormones secreted by the endocrine glands as it plays a major role in the functioning of all the body’s organs. Deficiency in the level of this hormone hampers the metabolic activities of the body leading to ageing and age related problems. There is a marked reduction of the body’s muscle mass as fats accumulate in the body thus resulting in a low immune system.

There are ways to increase the level of HGH in the body in the form of HGH supplements, HGH releasers, HGH activators and HGH boosters. These are the various forms by which you can induce the secretion of HGH in the body.

What are HGH Boosters?

HGH boosters are known to enhance the secretion of the HGH in the body. It is not a Human Growth Hormone; it is only a substance that works towards enhancing the stimulation or secretion of this hormone in the pituitary gland. As you grow older there is a decline of the secretion of this hormone and HGH boosters help the pituitary glands balance this deficiency.

HGH boosters help the body to restore the normal level of HGH which in turn can cope up with reducing the body fat or rather help burn the body fats, increases the energy level, brings down the cholesterol level, improves the memory and brings the blood pressure of the body to its normalcy.

These boosters are also known to restore the body’s muscle mass and these boosters are normally used by sportspersons and people above the age of thirty. These HGH boosters are available in the form of anti-aging supplements, capsules, sub-lingual sprays, homeopathic pills etc.

You need to find out what kind of HGH supplements are best suited to you as you need to fully understand what type of changes these supplements bring about to your body. The most important thing is you need to know the working of the HGH boosters.

As mentioned above HGH is secreted naturally in the pituitary glands and this hormone helps the other hormones in their functioning. HGH boosters contain stimulants like amino acids which help the secretion of HGH. This amino acid also contains L-arginine, L-glutamine, L-lysine and L-ornithine.

L-glutamine and L-arginine are ingredients that are common in HGH boosters and used by athletes and sports persons. These are known to enhance the performance of the sports persons and should be used by persons above the age of thirty.

Again HGH boosters can be ingested directly into the body as they come in the form of sprays. This is absorbed into the body via sublingual way as they are sprayed into the mouth. These have a bigger advantage over the other HGH supplements as they enter the absorbed in the blood stream directly. Other benefits of these boosters are that they improve the respiratory and circulatory systems functioning, manage the weight and help in faster recovery due to injury.

Pyogenic Granuloma is a disease described as little ugly bump like of skin tissues. It seems that raw meat pieces coming out of skin. It is a benign type vascular lesion of the skin whose cause is not known. The surface Pyogenic Granulomas has a raspberry like or we can say raw meat like look. They disease can cause severe problems of discomfort and profuse bleeding. It can happen to adults as well as children. More females are affected than males. During the first three to four months of pregnancy it a happen to pregnant mothers. The growth of skin is highly inflamed and red. When the lesion is older it has a fibrous character. Sometime some lacerations are found on the meaty skin bump. Our face and feet are generally affected by these bumps. Even just slight even movement or contact causes bleeding in it. We are not able to find exact cause that causes it. But it has seen that skin disease is caused by some skin disorder or injury. It grows very fast and rapidly after some days of injury and grows to half an inch size. We don’t feel pain in these bleeders but they can grow in the upper trunk, neck, hands, head and feet. This disease is common in children but rarely found in children below the age of seven months.

Causes

Trauma: Sometimes this granuloma develops at a place of recent injury, such as a pin prick. Patients may see a bright red lesion that bleeds immediately after trauma.

Some diagnosis of lesion which is developing in a pre-existing spider angioma exis or nervous flammeus can be due to viral infection or due to the malformations of microscopic blood vessel underlying the skin as per buyfunginix.com.

Multiple lesions are sometimes found in some patients on use of systemic medicines may occasionally trigger Pyogenic Granuloma or protease inhibitors has associated with development of Pyogenic granulomas, mainly of the great toes or induced by drugs.

• Sometimes hormonal changes bring it.
• Deletion abnormalities of cytogenetic clonal.
• Release of antigenic hormones.

Normally lesion is friable bright reddish, polypoid papule or nodule ranging from size of a few millimeters to some centimeters. Lesions can happen anywhere on any part of the body.

Treatment

This disease in any pregnant women can be healed on their own after delivery, so waiting is the strategy in some of these cases. But if they are due to some drug, they usually eliminate when the usage of that drug is stopped.

Pyogenic granulomas in other some cases remain the same after they have been cured. There are many ways used to eradicate them.

Cauterisation and Curettage: The lesion which is removed from skin with help of curette and the blood carrying vessel cauterised to lessen the chances of re-growth.

We can perform laser surgery to withdraw the lesion and burn its base part to shrink tiny lesions.

For small lesions Cryotherapy may be best method applicable.

Chemical cauterization using silver nitrate solution for healing is convenient and an effective measure to treat this disease.

Description

Corns and calluses are similar ailments. A corn is a spot of hard, thickened skin less than a quarterinch in diameter that is typically found on the foot or toes. A callus is a larger tract (up to one inch across) of hardened, dead skin found on the hands, feet, or other areas where friction occurs.

Your body develops corns and calluses to prevent tender underlying tissue from being damaged by constant friction or pressure. A pair of ill-fitting shoes can cause your toes to develop corns. Daily use of rope, shovels, barbells, or other hand tools can provoke calluses on your hands.

Signs and Symptoms

• A thickened layer of skin wherever friction or constant pressure occurs
• Occasional pain or tenderness in the affected area

Conventional Medical Treatment

Corns and calluses usually cause only minor discomfort and are easily treated. Avoid activities or footwear that cause friction in the affected area for a few weeks, and your skin will return to normal. Over-the-counter solutions may help dissolve the thickened skin. If a corn or callus appears ulcerated or infected, see a podiatrist, dermatologist, or family physician. If you have diabetes, see a medical professional to prevent an infection or other complications.

Complementary and Alternative Treatments

Aromatherapy

Aromatherapists recommend the essetial oils of lemon and carrot for treating corns and calluses.

Ayurvedic Medicine

To remove corns and calluses, some Ayurvedic practitioners may advise applying a turmeric-aloe paste followed by mustard oil.

Hydrotherapy

Try one of the following treatments to subdue the pain and inflammation associated with corns and calluses:

• Soak your foot in a pan of hot water; dry. Then rub lemon juice into the corn or callus. Repeat daily until symptoms subside.
• Add Epsom salts to a pan of hot water and soak your foot. Dry throughly.
• Apply contrast therapy (alternating hot and cold compresses).

Traditional Chinese Medicine

Chinese Herbal Therapy Aloe Vera juice may be massaged into the corn or callus to soften the hardened skin and lessen any pain or inflammation.

Osteoporosis is an age-related condition that causes a loss of bone mass and increased brittleness in the remaining bone tissue. Like heart disease, the bone-thinning of osteoporosis sneaks up on you, says Ethel S. Siris, M.D., director of the Toni Stabile Center for the Prevention and Treatment of Osteoporosis at Columbia-Presbyterian Medical Center in New York City.

Osteoporosis currently affects some 25 million Americans. While both men and women develop the condition, it’s about 10 times more common-and much more severe-in women. Postmenopausal women with osteoporosis account for the vast majority of the nation’s annual 700,000 spinal fractures, 300,000 hip fractures, and 200,000 wrist fractures.

Women’s bones are strongest around age 30. From then until menopause, you don’t lose much bone. But in the 5 to 7 years after menopause, you lose 1 to 5 percent of your bone mass every year, Dr. Siris says. After that, bone loss continues, but slows.

For women, menopause is the turning point in osteoporosis. Your bones’ ability to incorporate calcium from your blood depends on the hormone estrogen. As you pass through menopause, you produce less estrogen, and you can’t absorb enough calcium to replace the bone you naturally lose.

But menopause isn’t the whole story. There are many other risk factors for osteoporosis. For example, excessive alcohol and caffeine consumption can accelerate bone loss. And there are many drugs that rob your bones of calcium, according to the National Osteoporosis Foundation. They include glucocorticoids such as cortisone (Cortone), prednisone (prednisone Tablets), thyroid hormone such as levothyroxine (Synthroid), anticonvulsants such as phenytoin (Dilantin), and aluminum hydroxide-based antacids (like Maalox).

You can help protect your bones by maintaining a nutritionally well-balanced diet, exercising regularly, and not smoking. The following strategies will also help keep your skeleton strong.

Best Choices

Nutrition

Start with calcium. Most adults should consume 1,500 milligrams of calcium a day, according to the National Institutes of Health. The best way to get your calcium is from food. Calcium-fortified foods, such as breads, cereals, and certain fruit juices, are a good idea, Dr. Siris says. (For other good sources, see “Counting Calcium.”)

Pair calcium with D. In order to absorb calcium, your body needs vitamin D, which is why milk is fortified with this nutrient. Unfortunately, just as you grow old enough for osteoporosis to become a significant health threat, you also start having trouble getting enough vitamin D.

The best food sources of vitamin D include fortified low-fat or nonfat dairy items and fatty saltwater fish such as sea bass, halibut, tuna, herring, and swordfish.

You can also get vitamin D by stepping outside. It takes only about 15 minutes a day of sun on your face for your body to produce enough vitamin D. But if you live in northern climes, that might be a problem in winter. And if you live in the Sunbelt, chances are you use a lot of sunscreen, which interferes with vitamin D synthesis. That’s why it’s prudent to eat plenty of D­rich foods.

Get more of the secret bone builders. When it comes to osteoporosis, you don’t hear much about magnesium, manganese, vitamin K, and boron. But these nutrients are crucial to the health of your bones.

People with osteoporosis often have low blood levels of magnesium, says Joseph Pizzorno Jr., N.D. When you’re deficient in magnesium, your vitamin D isn’t as effective in moving calcium into your bones. Clinical nutritionist Shari lieberman, Ph.D., recommends getting the mineral from the following food sources: seeds, soybeans, wheat germ, seafood, and dairy items.

If you’re low in manganese, your bones can’t absorb calcium. Good food sources of manganese include nuts (especially hazelnuts and pecans), avocados, and oatmeal.

Vitamin K activates osteocalcin, a protein that holds calcium in place in the bone matrix. Vitamin K is found in abundance in leafy green vegetables, notably spinach, broccoli, green cabbage, and tomatoes, Dr. lieberman says.

“Boron seems to activate both estrogen and vitamin D,” Dr. Pizzorno says. According to Dr. lieberman, the best food sources of boron are fruits and vegetables, particularly carrots, applesauce, broccoli, peaches, pears, and cherries.

Discover the phyto factor. There’s solid research showing that compounds called phytoestrogens increase bone mineral density. Foods rich in phytoestrogens include tofu and other soy products (except soy sauce) as well as beans.

Build bone with berries. Blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, and cherries get their deep color from compounds called anthocyanins and proanthocyanins. Both are remarkable in their ability to stabilize collagen structures, Dr. Pizzorno says. Since collagen is a major protein structure in bone, eating plenty of these berries may increase your chances of preventing osteoporosis.

Be smart about sugar. Studies involving laboratory animals have shown that a high­sugar diet weakens bone. And one small study involving humans found that a high­sugar diet increases the excretion of calcium in urine. So trim as much sugar as possible from your menu.

Steer clear of salt. For every 500 milligrams of salt you consume, you lose 10 milligrams of calcium, according to Stephanie Atkinson, Ph.D., professor of nutrition at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario. Many health experts recommend limiting salt intake to 2,400 milligrams a day.

Embrace vegetarianism. Compared with the general American population, vegetarians have a lower risk of osteoporosis, Dr. Pizzorno says. Vegetarians consume less protein and less phosphorus, a bone-robbing mineral. And their blood is less acidic, so their bodies don’t have to tap their bones’ calcium stores to keep the acid-base balance of their blood where it should be.

Supplements

Compare carbonate and citrate. There are several different kinds of calcium supplements. Some should be avoided because they may contain the toxic metal lead. These include any supplements made from bonemeal, dolomite, or oyster shells. The two best calcium supplements are calcium carbonate and calcium citrate.

Dr. Siris recommends taking calcium supplements in divided doses throughout the day, but no more than 600 milligrams at a time. Get the dope on D. Because you may have a hard time getting enough vitamin D from foods alone, especially if you’re over age 60, Dr. lieberman and most other experts recommend supplementing with 400 to 800 international units (IU) a day.

Add more magnesium. Even if you get a good deal of magnesium from your diet, “magnesium supplementation is as important as calcium supplementation,” Dr. Pizzomo says. He recommends taking 500 milligrams of magnesium citrate a day.

Kick in some K. Dr. lieberman also recommends taking 80 micrograms of vitamin K a day. But do this only with a doctor’s recommendation. Build your supply of boron. To be sure that you’re getting enough boron, Dr. Pizzomo suggests taking 3 milligrams a day.

Exercise

Pick ’em up and lay ’em down. In one study, half of a group of 84 sedentary women over age 60 began taking daily 20- to 50-minute walks. The rest of the women remained inactive. After a year, the sedentary women showed significant bone loss, but the walkers did not.

Once osteoporosis develops, weight-bearing exercise can help slow the rate of bone loss, Dr. Simons says. “But extremely strenuous exercise-for example, training for marathons-is counterproductive;” she adds. “In premenopausal women, it can lower your estrogen level to the point where you lose bone. And in postmenopausal women, it increases the risk of fractures:”

Pump iron. Resistance training can also help increase bone mass, which is why the American College of Sports Medicine recommends it for prevention of osteoporosis. Even if you can’t get out for a walk, a little resistance training, which is easy to do almost anywhere, can help preserve your bone mass.

Among the never-ending erectile dysfunction remedies there has to be a solution that is right for you. It is good that you talk with your doctor first before trying any solution.

This will help you make the right treatment decision. It will also help educate you along the path towards improvement of your sexual performance.

The Objective

Erectile dysfunction remedies are the main hope for men who want to regain their sexual strength. Herbal remedies are sometimes chosen because they are often much cheaper than any other erectile dysfunction treatment.

A full month of herbal tablets will sometimes cost as little as a few prescription pills. This means great savings, and it also means more opportunities to be “ready” if it works.

A similar objective is meant for men who use a drug such as invigorise or another. It is meant to help a man increase his ability to become aroused when the occasion arises (no pun intended).

Treatment Complications

In the process of seeking erectile dysfunction remedies, men often wait until the problem becomes chronic to get help. This results in a whole new set of problems which often leads to deeper shame and embarrassment.

Once a man has problems with erection, he becomes fearful during his future sexual relations. This is a situation that further leads to ED problems, and erectile remedies in cases like this are few and far between.

Some Encouragement

One of the most important aspects of erectile dysfunction treatment is in knowing that ED happens to a large number of men. If you are a man, you are not alone.

There are several different types of erectile dysfunction treatment available depending on the cause of your problem. This helps account for the fact that every man is unique. With all the options of treatment out there you are likely to find the right path of treatment for you.

Courses of Treatment

For some men the first route would be to try natural erectile dysfunction remedies. These involve the use of herbal supplements and natural aphrodisiacs.

This might be administered along with using one of a variety of sensual romantic settings such as a candlelit dinner and wine. It may also be used along with consuming a variety of sexually simulating foods such as raw oysters, chocolate, and the like.

When the problem of overall male health is in question, your body will not be able to get an erection. due to lack of blood flow. Muscular tension is a leading cause for loss of erection because your valves cannot trap blood in the penile glands.

Luckily, most problems are easily fixed with herbal erectile dysfunction treatments and get quick, lasting results. However, if your body has been severely damaged due to injury or trauma, your doctor may recommend that you have erectile dysfunction surgery.

One of the most popular surgical erectile dysfunction remedies is to insert a prosthetic device implanted inside the penis. This is one way to ensure that a man never fails. It can be expensive, but it does work.

The wheezing infant has confused health professionals for years. Many physician training programs taught that a child should not be diagnosed as having asthma before the age of two or, in some instances, age four. Other terms such as ” reactive airways disease,” “chronic bronchitis,” or “recurrent bronchiolitis” were used to describe infants and toddlers with recurring cough, wheezing, or labored breathing.

The current definition of asthma does not exclude any age group. In fact, guidelines from the National Institutes of Health make specific mention of the infant and toddler with asthma. The diagnosis of asthma is based not on age but on a child’s medical history and physical examination. If an infant or toddler meets the criteria and other possible diseases are excluded, the child is diagnosed with asthma. Yet there are some differences between infants and toddlers with asthma and older children and adults with asthma. Parents need to understand the special considerations for this youngest age group.

The Cold Connection

Many different types of triggers can cause an asthma flare in older children and adults. In infants and toddlers, however, the most common trigger is a cold caused by a respiratory virus, known as a “viral upper respiratory tract infection,” or URI. The usual pattern for an infant with asthma starts with a cold, then the cough gets worse, and finally labored breathing and wheezing begin. In young children whose asthma is not well controlled, other nonspecific irritants such as smoke or fumes can also trigger asthma symptoms. Allergies playa smaller role in these early years, although some children show allergic tendencies quite early in life.

Studies of the development of asthma have followed a large group of children from birth. These studies suggest that babies and toddlers with asthma fall into two categories:

Group One

The first group has asthma symptoms until age four or so and then no longer shows any symptoms. These infants and toddlers have asthma symptoms only with colds and have none when they are well. Parents of children in this group tend not to have asthma. Children in this group usually don’t have any signs of allergies, such as eczema. This is the only group that seems to “outgrow” asthma. Young children who have asthma symptoms only with colds might be treated with asthma medicines from the first sign of a cold until the last symptom is gone, and they may not need to take controller medicines in between. Consider this child’s situation:

Brenda got her first cold when she was two months old. The first day she had a runny nose, then she started coughing. The next day the runny nose disappeared, but the cough grew worse in severity and occurred during sleep. She also developed a “rattle” in her chest. Her cough continued for two weeks despite cough medicine and then gradually went away. She caught another cold a month later and almost immediately developed a hacking cough and chest congestion. Her pediatrician heard wheezing and prescribed albuterol by nebulizer. The albuterol helped temporarily, but her symptoms returned four hours later. These symptoms hung on for two weeks before disappearing. This pattern continued through a few more colds.

During a well baby visit, Brenda’s pediatrician prescribed an inhaled steroid to go along with the albuterol and advised her parents to start the medicines at the first sign of a cold. A month later, they began giving her medicines the first day her nose started running. This time her cough only lasted three days and seemed less severe. This plan was used for each cold, and the cough and wheezing were easily controlled.

In the spring following Brenda’s third birthday, her doctor recommended stopping this plan. Brenda had several minor colds over the next few years, but the harsh cough and wheezing never returned.

In youngsters like Brenda, asthma symptoms appear only with colds. Using a quick-relief medicine alone (albuterol) decreases the symptoms for the moment, but they return over two weeks. Adding an anti-inflammatory medicine (the inhaled steroid) to the albuterol at the first sign of a cold controls symptoms so they are not as severe and do not last long. This plan may work in some cases, but in other cases a child may need to take an anti-inflammatory medicine every day even when well to prevent asthma symptoms during colds.

Group Two

In the second category, infants and toddlers have symptoms not only during colds but also in between colds. Parents of children in this group usually have a history of asthma, and these children are more likely to show some form of allergic disease. They do not outgrow their asthma, although there may be periods of remission later in life. Some children in this group also experience a decline in lung function.

Young children who have symptoms in between colds benefit from daily controller therapy to guard against the inflammation that causes symptoms. Children in this group tend to have symptoms that are more severe and more difficult to control. Daily controller medicines may also guard against loss of lung function. Compare Brenda’s case with Michael’s below:

Four-month-old Michael developed a hacking cough, wheezing, and labored breathing after getting his first cold. His mother, who has had asthma all of her life, recognized the symptoms immediately and took her son to the doctor’s office. Michael was admitted to the hospital with “bronchiolitis” and treated with nebulized albuterol and oral prednisone. He was discharged with a nebulizer, and his parents were given instructions to give albuterol by nebulizer if the wheezing returned.

In the months following the hospitalization, Michael had several wheezing episodes. The albuterol made the wheezing disappear for a time. He also developed eczema. With the next cold, Michael had severe labored breathing despite several albuterol treatments and was hospitalized again. This time, he was diagnosed with asthma, and a daily inhaled steroid was prescribed as maintenance therapy. Two weeks later, the episodic wheezing stopped.

With each cold, he experienced three to five days of harsh coughing and wheezing, but these symptoms were easily relieved with albuterol. Throughout his school age and teen years, Michael continued to have brief, mild bouts of wheezing in response to a variety of triggers, and his symptoms got worse whenever the daily medicines were withdrawn.

His mother’s history of asthma, the appearance of eczema, and his wheezing in between colds suggested that Michael would have persistent asthma beyond infancy. Children like Michael need daily anti-inflammatory therapy to decrease symptoms, prevent asthma flares, and maintain good lung function.

When your infant or toddler is diagnosed as having asthma, keep in mind that he has about a fifty-fifty chance of “outgrowing” asthma. The chances of outgrowing it are better if all of the following are true:

• Your child only wheezes with colds.
• Neither parent has asthma (diagnosed by a physician).
• Your child does not have eczema (diagnosed by a physician).
• Your child does not have other signs of allergies.

No matter which group your child is in, he may need daily controller therapy with an anti-inflammatory medicine. You must also have an asthma management plan to use when your child has symptoms, even if daily medicine is not prescribed. You should be able to evaluate your young child for wheezing or labored breathing, because infants and toddlers cannot tell you how they feel or describe their symptoms.

Remember: a wheeze is a continuous musical noise when a child breathes out. Signs of labored breathing include breathing fast, flaring nostrils, and when the skin in between the ribs and underneath the rib cage seems to get sucked in, a sign called retractions. Review these signs with your child’s doctor or nurse practitioner so you can recognize them early and act promptly.

Using The Nebulizer With Infants And Toddlers

Infants are usually treated with inhaled medicines given by nebulizer at first. Parents generally learn how to use nebulizers easily, and young infants quickly accept them. It takes several minutes, however, to deliver medicine with nebulizers. Older infants and toddlers may not want to sit still for that period of time. Nebulizers can also be inefficient in terms of medicine delivery. In order to get the most benefit from the medicine, young children should wear a face mask while receiving the treatment, rather than using the “blow-by” method.

Metered dose inhalers (MDls) can be used to deliver inhaled medicines to infants and toddlers by using a valved holding chamber with a mask. Although this method requires more training for parents, it takes less time and delivers the medicine more efficiently than a nebulizer With either method, it may take some time for a child to become comfortable with the mask, especially a child between one and two years of age. When an infant or toddler fights the mask, it might be due to a fear of the mask, a poor mask fit, or applying the treatment at an inopportune time, such as when she’s fussy or wants to be more active.

You can help your infant or toddler get used to the mask by letting her play with it and by gentle, brief applications during nontreatment times. The mask should fit easily over her mouth and nose but should not extend above the bridge of her nose or below her chin. It might take several days of persistent mask application before a young child starts to accept the treatment with any consistency.

Choosing the treatment time is important. The treatment can be given more effectively while a child is sleeping or during “quiet times” when you are reading to her or watching television than at times when she’s cranky or unwilling to sit still.

Do Symptoms Always Mean Asthma?

The airways of infants are small, and other conditions besides asthma can cause wheezing. In young infants, an infection from a virus can cause coughs, wheezing, or labored breathing. The respiratory syncytial virus, or RSV; is the most common virus that can cause these symptoms in young infants, although other viruses can do the same thing. RSV usually appears in the late fall or winter. Some researchers believe that RSV infection can cause a child to develop asthma, while others think that RSV triggers asthma that was already present.

Since viral infections are the most common trigger of asthma flares in infants and toddlers, it is difficult to tell whether a first episode of wheezing is from the infection or from asthma. When wheezing or other symptoms keep coming back with every cold, however, it is more likely because the child has asthma.

Other disorders can cause asthma symptoms in young children. Gastroesophageal reflux, also called acid reflux, can lead to coughing and wheezing in some babies. This condition causes acid from the stomach to travel back up the esophagus, the tube that connects the mouth to the stomach. The esophagus is sensitive, and the acid sometimes irritates nerve endings in the esophagus and triggers coughing or wheezing. Sometimes stomach contents travel all the way up to the back of the throat and irritate the airway, again causing coughing or wheezing.

Acid reflux is easy to detect in young infants who spit up or have wet burps. But in older infants and toddlers, testing may be needed to detect it. The presence of acid reflux in infants or toddlers with asthma makes it more difficult to control their asthma.

Cystic fibrosis is another disorder that produces some of the same symptoms as asthma. Cystic fibrosis is a genetic disease that is most common in Caucasians. Your doctor may request testing to rule out this disease.

When asthma is not properly diagnosed or treated in a very young child, the quality of life for the whole family suffers. A prompt diagnosis and an appropriate treatment plan, however, will leave everyone in the family free to embrace the ordinary trials, tribulations, and joys of infancy and toddlerhood.