What's the most pervasive chronic disease in children?

Asthma accounts for more visits to the hospital and emergency room than any other childhood illness.

What is asthma?
Asthma is a chronic inflammatory disease of the lung's air passages that can make breathing difficult. There is no cure for asthma and it will not go away, but there are very good treatments to control it.

In this episode of Your Health, Dr. Gregory Janos of Sutter Independent Physicians in Sacramento explains how we're learning more all the time about how to better manage asthma before it gets out of control.

Online guides for parents
Parent's guide to managing your child's asthma
This guide includes information on asthma myths, asthma triggers, asthma medications and how to communicate with your health care provider.

Physicians featured in this segment
Karen Buchler, MD
Sutter Gould Medical Foundation
Gregory Janos, MD
Sutter Independent Physicians

PATIENT RESOURCES

Videos Childhood asthma (wmv)

From Our Health Library Asthma in children Frequently asked questions about asthma Symtoms of asthma in children When to call the doctor

Online Tools Should allergy shots be used for allergic asthma?