Managing a Child with Asthma
How Do I Know My Child’s Asthma is Well Controlled?*
You know your child’s asthma is well controlled if, with medication and proper treatment, your child:
- Lives an active, normal life
- Has few troublesome symptoms
- Attends school every day
- Performs daily activities without difficulty
- Has few urgent visits to the doctor, emergency department, or hospital for asthma
- Has few medication side effects
By learning about asthma and how it can be controlled, you will take an important step towards managing your child’s disease. We encourage you to work closely with your child’s asthma care team to learn all you can about asthma, how to avoid triggers, what medications to use, and how to correctly administer them. With the proper care, your child can live free of asthma symptoms and maintain a normal, healthy lifestyle.
See Also
You may find this Asthma Control Test helpful in determining if your child’s asthma is properly managed.
Will My Child Outgrow Asthma?*
Once a person’s airways become sensitive, they remain that way for life. However, about 50 percent of children experience a noticeable decrease in asthma symptoms by the time they become adolescents, therefore appearing to have outgrown their asthma. About half of these children will develop symptoms again in their 30’s and/or 40’s. Unfortunately, there is no way to predict whose symptoms will decrease during adolescence and whose will return later in life.
What to Do When a Child Has an Asthma Attack*
If your child is showing symptoms of an asthma attack:
- Give your child his/her reliever (bronchodilator) medicine according to the Asthma Action Plan.
- Wait 5-15 minutes. If the symptoms disappear, your child should be able to resume whatever activity he/she was doing. If symptoms persist, follow your child’s asthma action plan for further therapy. If your child fails to improve or you are not sure what action to take, call your child’s physician.
- Danger signs include: severe wheezing, severe coughing, trouble walking and/or talking, blue lips and/or blue fingernails. If any of these are present, go to the emergency department or call 911.
See Also
Instructions on how to create an Asthma Action Plan for children.
Explaining Asthma to Children
You should take into consideration your child’s age, maturity level, and severity of the disease before planning out the best way of explaining their condition to them. It is also important to discuss what happens in the airways, both during an attack and when the asthma is under control. Your child should understand how medications are used to control their asthma problems and asthma attacks. It is also important to let your child know that many children have asthma and still lead normal lives.
See Also
The Asthma Wizard may be helpful in explaining asthma to your children.
Signing your child up for a local Asthma Camp is a great way for your child to learn more about his/her condition, and to meet other children with asthma.
Related Topics
Children with asthma do not have to be discouraged from engaging in Sports Activities.
*copied from MedicineNet