The Causes, Symptoms, and Treatments of Allergies and Asthma

Asthma and Allergy Facts

Children aren't immune from the troublesome side effects of allergies and asthma.

• Hay fever (allergic rhinitis) is a seasonal condition that affects more than 35 million Americans. The American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology reports that allergy-related diseases affect more than 20 percent of the U.S. population and are the sixth-leading cause of chronic disease in the United States.
• Nearly five million children suffer from asthma, which accounts for 10 million school absences, more than 2.7 million physician visits, and about 200,000 hospitalizations annually. The annual cost of treating these asthmatic children is estimated at $1.9 billion.
• Childhood asthma differs from adult asthma in that infants and small children may not show the usual symptoms. Kids often exhibit symptoms such as rapid respiration, noisy breathing, chest retractions, and chest congestion. Physicians who aren't specialists may treat these symptoms as an infection, not realizing that the underlying cause is asthma. Correct diagnosis and management of childhood asthma may require an asthma and allergy specialist who recognizes the uniqueness of childhood asthma.