by Brian Chartier

Created on: June 18, 2008

Kachoo......!

Sound familiar? Our kids tend to sneeze alot or run around with a runny nose frequently. Are they the victim of a passing virus or can it be more serious than that?

I suggest that the answer is that it can be either or. Not very comforting for the concerned parent. It takes a physician or two to determine if your child is suffering from an allergic reaction, a virus or if in fact he or she is asthmatic.

Children are more vulnerable than adults. Their lungs are still developing and exposure to certain allegens or other harmfull matter can impact their bodies for many years. In some instances the damage can be permanent. Breathing-in harmful particles and chemicals adds stress to the human body. Everything must work a little harder. The lungs, the heart and other organs may feel the added strain that foreign particulates in the air or blood cn cause.

One way to combat, not beat, the problem is to clean the air in the home. This is after all where your children sleep and play.

If they have asthma then you can already relate to the challenges of raising a child in a home that needs to be relatively free of air-born particles.

Make your home safer. Remove and abstain from using products with a high V.O.C. count. V.O.C. stands for Volatile Organic Compounds. These can be found in many plasics, paints or adhesives. They can even be found in new carpets or fabrics and are often what gives-off the nice odor. Reducting your child's exposure to V.O.C.s may have long-term positive effects on the asthma condition. Like many things, listen carefully to what the pediatritian or other physicians may have to say about this. Common-sense not radical behavior is what is key in such a situation.

Monitor your child's condition daily. If possible, install a Central Air Purification System in your home. Eliminating or reducing the source of the problem may not cure your child but could contribute to a better quality of life for him or her.

Be informed. As a parent with an athsmatic child, you should always be learning and trying new things. There is much information either form your family doctor, pediatrician or other specialists. The internet also has much information on asthma.

Children are vulnerable to many things. Helping them understand and live with something such as asthma will help them grow into productive and contributing adults.

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