Q: My 1 year 3 months old son was born premature. He catches cough/cold frequently. Last month he was sick with it for 10 days. He is also having a wheezing problem. Doctor says that he has an allergy problem and he will come out of it after 4-5 years. He has also advised to give him nebulizer whenever he gets this problem and we have already purchased the same. Kindly let me know what is wheezing, what are the reasons for wheezing and what precautions should we take to get rid of this problem? Thanks/Regards

A:Wheezing occurs in children because of the constriction of circular muscles which surround most of our respiratory passages or the bronchii or tubes which carry air down to the air exchange units of our lung. It is in these air exchange units that blood is oxygenated and carbon dioxide is expelled from our body. These muscles constrict because of the release of certain mediator chemicals from cells which line the air passages of allergic individuals. These cells collect in these areas because of an inflammation of the air passages brought on by underlying allergies to air pollutants like smoke, perfumes and dust mites, which we inhale. The advice to use nebulisers by your paediatrician is sound and he is correct in telling you to use the nebuliser whenever needed for your child. The baby will outgrow this problem in his lungs, as he grows older.