Will My Child Outgrow His/Her Asthma?

— -- Question: Will my child outgrow his/her asthma?

Answer: It used to be thought that children outgrow asthma since many adults with asthma either may not have persistent symptoms or may not require daily medication.

However we now know that we can induce symptoms in most adults with a history of asthma as a child even if they don't currently have symptoms. This can be done either during an exercise challenge on a treadmill for example, or by doing an inhalation test called methacholine challenge.

Children with asthma who are more likely to have persistent symptoms as adults are those with more allergic asthma and those with more poorly controlled asthma.

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