Can you outgrow your asthma?

Do you ever have people tell you that you will outgrow your asthma? I do!!!

I have people say, "My brother had a room mate in college whose sister had a best friend that played on a softball team with another girl who outgrew her asthma. So you will too!!!" (It's always some variation of a long story like that......)

I'm sure they mean well, but it gets REALLY annoying. I have to tell them, "Well......I'm almost 50 years old - and I haven't outgrown my asthma!" 

I just read an article on WebMD called "Can Kids Outgrow Asthma?"

The article says that if a child has asthma like symptoms that disappear around age 5 or 6, it isn't asthma. The article says it's a temporary condition that doesn't turn into a lung condition.

The article goes on to say:

"Most kids who have symptoms like wheezing and shortness of breath beyond that age are considered to have asthma, and they may always have it. But for about half of them, symptoms go away around adolescence.

It isn’t clear why this happens, says Chitra Dinakar, MD, a pediatric allergist at Children’s Mercy Hospital in Kansas City, MO. The triggers that once caused flares don't, she says, but the kid still has asthma.

The break in symptoms is more common among boys, children without sensitivity to furry animals, and kids with less severe asthma."

The article also talks about going into remission. BUT -

"There’s always a chance of the symptoms coming back. Sometimes they reappear in adulthood, and they can be brought on by triggers different from before. In about half the kids whose symptoms decline during adolescence, they'll reappear when they hit their 30s or 40s, studies say."

That's what happened to me. I have new triggers now - perfume and spray cleaners. I blogged before about having to ask someone in our office to PLEASE not wear perfume, because it would cause an another asthma attack. SIGH.

The article also said:

"If your child has the following, she’s more likely to have persistent, lifelong asthma.

• A parent with asthma
• Eczema
• Sensitivity to airborne allergens (like pollen from trees, grasses, and weeds, or molds or dust mites)
• Food allergies (milk, eggs, or peanuts)
• Wheezing when she doesn’t have a cold
• A high count of a certain type of white blood cells

Smoking, weight gain, and other factors can also increase the chances of symptoms coming back."

For our family, asthma is VERY common on my side of the family and on Hubby's. So, there is a strong genetic trait. And we all have life long allergies.

So, in our case......no - my kids won't outgrow their asthma. Sorry about that guys!