Pediatric asthma.

Asthma is one of the most common chronic illnesses affecting children. However, distinguishing true asthma from recurrent respiratory symptoms is often a challenge for primary care providers. Many risk factors can help predict persistent disease, including presence of allergies or eczema, family history, symptoms apart from obvious infection, and the severity of previous episodes. Because neither cure nor prevention is currently a viable option, the treatment is aimed at minimizing symptoms and maximizing asthma control.