The Child With Asthma

Abstract

Asthma is a fairly common illness affecting at least 5 per cent of all children. It is characterised by attacks of wheeziness which lead to difficulty in breathing. In an attack there is a temporary involuntary contraction of the breathing tubes which traps air within the lungs, so the difficulty is one of emptying the lungs rather than of filling them. Apart from acute attacks, however, asthma need not be a particularly severe impairment for the child in or out of school though proper medical treatment is essential.