These are the signs we often miss in children with asthma and depression

The world’s fastest man is inspiring children to not let their diagnoses get in the way of their dreams.

After Noah Lyles won the gold medal in the 100-meter sprint with a viral photo-finish, he posted on X: “I have Asthma, allergies, dyslexia, ADD, anxiety, and Depression.”

“But I will tell you that what you have does not define what you can become,” the 27-year-old continued. “Why Not You!”

He then went on to secure a bronze medal for his performance in the 200-meter sprint (after which he revealed he had COVID-19).

His story highlights two childhood conditions — asthma and depression — both of which often go untreated during adolescence.

A past study from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found only 54.5% children with asthma are taking their medication as prescribed while previous research found 20-70% of people with asthma go untreated.

Previous studies also suggest an estimated 40% of children and adolescents with depressive disorders go untreated.

Experts discuss asthma and depression to bring hope that, with detection and the right treatment, children can reach their potential.

Asthma in children

Asthma is one of the most common chronic diseases in children, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

It affects the airways in the lungs.

Air travels through the airways, but during an asthma attack, these airways narrow and become swollen, making it harder for air to get in and out of the lungs. Mucus may also build up and block the airways.

Asthma affects roughly 27 million people in the U.S., but usually starts in childhood, including an estimated 4.5 million children under the age of 18, according to the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America.

Children with asthma may go untreated, however, because they under-report their symptoms or the doctor attributes their symptoms to another condition, according to previous research.

Additionally, people can appear well and in-office testing for asthma may often appear normal — especially if they're not currently having an active asthma attack, according to a study.

Asthma symptoms

The narrowing of airways often causes a “wheezing” sound, which can sometimes be audible without a stethoscope when there’s a severe asthma attack. Other typical symptoms include:

·     Coughing

·     Shortness of breath

·     Chest tightness

“Exercise, respiratory infections, allergen or irritant exposure or weather changes are common triggers,” Dr. Ashish Mathur, allergist/immunologist in Cincinnati with AllerVie Health, a national network of board-certified allergists and immunologists.

Types of asthma

Mathur notes there are many forms of asthma, including:

·     Allergic asthma

·     Non-allergic asthma

·     Exercise-induced asthma

·     Cough-variant asthma

·     Adult-onset asthma

·     Aspirin-exacerbated respiratory disease

Children predominantly have allergic, cough-variant, and/or exercise-induced asthma, with respiratory infections as the most common trigger for causing exacerbations in children, Mathur says.

Many Olympians, including figure skater Kristi Yamaguchi and Olympic diver Greg Louganis struggled with asthma , with one study finding approximately 16% European Olympians had the condition.

“I tell patients that having asthma should not stop you from being able to do the things you enjoy -- whether that’s playing sports, running after your kids or grandkids, enjoying the outdoors, or competing in the Olympics,” he says.

Though there are conditions that don't exacerbate asthma as much as others. For example, “sports like swimming cause less airway cooling and drying which can provoke asthma symptoms when compared with running or skating.”

But repeated short periods of exercise can result in fewer symptoms with each episode, he adds.

Asthma Treatments

There is no cure for asthma, but it’s possible to control it with the right medication.

Treatment of asthma has changed in recent years as have the guidelines on treating airway inflammation, Mathur notes.

One common medication that is effective at treating or preventing symptoms is an inhaler that has two medications — a steroid that reduces lung inflammation with a fast-acting bronchodilator that opens the lung airways, he says.

The doctor emphasizes the importance of using inhalers correctly, noting recent studies analyzing asthma medication inhalation techniques in groups of children found that 97% misused their inhalers.

“Proper inhaler technique is essential to assess control and often needs to be demonstrated in-office with an allergist,” Mathur says.

He recommends seeing an asthma specialist to accurately diagnose asthma, identify triggers and provide a personalized treatment plan to manage symptoms and reduce flare-ups.

As children grow up, they might notice a difference in their symptoms, but, contrary to popular belief, children don’t “outgrow” asthma since it is a chronic disease. Many may discover, however, that their symptoms improve as they get older, with approximately one-third of children with asthma continuing to have symptoms as adults, according to the American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology.

Depression in children

It’s often common for children to sometimes feel sad, but depression is not the same as sadness or grief, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics.

Depression symptoms

Depression is a mood disorder that requires a combination of symptoms that last for at least two weeks. These include:

·     Feeling guilty of things that are not one’s fault

·     Change of appetite that results in weight loss or weight gain

·     Loss of interest in activities that you used to enjoy

·     Feeling slowed down for no reason

·     Sleeping too much or too little

·     Difficulty concentrating

·     Feelings of hopelessness

·     Recurring thoughts of wishing to no longer live

“Childhood depression can differ from adult depression in notable ways,” Dr. Shannon Bennett, associate director of the Center for Youth Mental Health at NewYork-Presbyterian, tells Today.com.

“Youth may appear more irritable, angry or sullen, and not depressed or sad,” she adds.

Childhood depression often goes untreated because depressive symptoms may be mistaken for normal feelings of sadness while growing up, experts say.

For example, children may isolate themselves more than usual when they are depressed, Bennett says. And some children with depression may be embarrassed and reluctant to seek help.

Others may suffer in silence because of lack of access to mental health professionals.

“We all experience sadness, including children, but kids may have a harder time understanding or talking about their emotional experiences, so it is important to pay attention to changes in a child’s behavior.”

Chances of depression increases as children get older, becoming more prevalent in adolescents, she adds.

Approximately one of 11 adolescents has an episode of depression, with as many as 1 in 5 having depression as some point while they are a teenager, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics.

The United States Preventive Services Taskforce recommends all adolescents aged 12 to 18 years be screened for depression.

It’s also important to see a healthcare professional if you think a child might have depression because the signs and symptoms can overlap with other mental health conditions like attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) or be triggered by events such as trauma, according to the CDC.

Treatment for depression

Cognitive behavioral therapy is the “gold standard” for treatment, Bennett says, which centers on turning negative thoughts into more positive ways of coping, according to the CDC.

The treatment regimen may also include learning mechanisms for decreasing stress and opting for a healthier lifestyle like eating more nutritious foods, getting more physical activity and sleep, having a predictable routine and making sure there is adequate social support, the CDC adds.

“It is also important to remember that children are not just ‘little adults’ so treatment should be tailored to the age and developmental stage of each child in order to match their cognitive and emotional capacity to engage and benefit from the treatment,” Bennett says.

Growing up with a diagnosis

As Lyles has helped prove, success in any field, including sports, is possible with both asthma and depression, the experts say.

“With the right treatment, people with asthma can absolutely participate in sports, even at the highest level,” Mathur says.

Mental health experts also emphasize that depression is a very treatable condition, so with the right help, it’s possible to become an Olympian or anything else a child might want to be.

This article was originally published on TODAY.com