Living with Asthma in children

Children’s Statistics

Did you know that 5.9 per cent of children aged 0-4 years have asthma to some degree. Though it is noticeably worse in built up towns due to pollution in the cities and large towns.

Symptoms in a young child

Symptoms of a cold causing wheezing where there is no other explanation. A dry nighttime cough, shortness of breath after exertion such as crawling, walking or playing.

Minimizing the triggers

By removing the triggers as much as possible, it will help make attacks less likely things that can help trigger an attack are dust mites, pollen, fur, and smoke. If you child suffers more than two attacks a week he will probably be prescribed inhalers, they can also be given a breathing mask which may make the drugs easier to administer, although it might be a little scary at first it will help him or her breath easier.

Children

Pre- school children obviously need help with managing their medication, and an adult must give it to them till they learn how themselves. Even so mum or dad should routinely check to make sure they are keeping the medication in check. Never treat a child with asthma different to their siblings for fear you will cause an attack as this could cause problems in the family with sibling resentment. Don’t be afraid to discipline them all the same. As long as long as your Childs school is aware of the problem and the medication that is needed your child should on the whole enjoy a normal full time education. Without to many problems.

At home they should have as normal a life as possible like playing, exercise, and normal activities. Be able to get good nights sleep without fear of an attack. With normal lung function and no need to be rushed to casualty. Have little if any side effects from the medication, and most of all they should feel happy and content that their asthma is being controlled leaving them to concentrate on living a full, healthy normal life. Free from asthma controlling their life. Every day is a new day and your child should thrive and grow and have fun and asthma should not get in the way. If you follow the asthma plan your doctor or asthma nurse gives you, there should be few problems because of asthma.

Remember

Remember if your child is at pre-school, playgroup, with a child minder baby sitter or anyone else make sure they are aware of the fact that your child has asthma and that they no how to administer your Childs medication and what they should do in the case of a sudden severe asthma attack. Keep in mind that a normal cold can sometimes trigger a more severe asthma attack. So if your child has a cold remember it can set his or her asthma off.

Medication

Medication is usually two inhalers one for every day use the other for emergency relief. Your doctor make get you to do a peak flow reading for a while to try and determine what causes the attacks and when attacks are likely. The peak flow meter is like a plastic tube that you blow into and they give a reading of breath output so that the doctor can see from the chart at what points the breathing becomes more laboured and therefore try to work out what the child was doing and where he or she was.