The Basis Of Asthma Treatment
Before I can tell you about the specifics of treating childhood asthma, you must learn a few basics about the disease.

The two stages of asthma
There are really two parts to an asthma attack. The first, called the early phase, begins in minutes and can last for hours. It is caused by a clamping down of the muscles that surround the airways. When these muscles contract, they narrow the breathing tubes, making it harder to move air in and out of the lungs. This process is called bronchospasm. The second part of the attack is called the late phase. It begins in hours and can last for weeks. The cause of the late phase is the over-reaction of the "defense systems" in the lungs. When triggered, these defense systems call up an immune system response causing inflammation.

The makings of an inflammatory response in the lungs
Special cells in the lungs, called mast cells, release chemicals that call up this inflammatory response. One such chemical, histamine, makes the lining of the lungs leak, just like it does to lining of the nose in hay fever.