Asthma Management

Overview

Has your child shown any signs of asthma or has already been diagnosed with this long term childhood disease? So far, asthma is incurable and you’re never sure when your child may experience another attack. The key to managing asthma is to be aware of the when’s, how’s, and why’s. Treating asthma in children can improve their daily breathing, reduce asthma flare-ups, and ease other problems caused by the disease.

Before we jump into the blog, here are some quick tips regarding asthma management to keep in mind.

Long-term Asthma Management Tips

1. Use prescribed medications as directed, even when your child feels fine.
2. Know the signs of flare ups
3. Keep Rescue Inhaler Handy
4. Avoid Triggers like smoke, pollen, or pets.
5. Keep the home clean and dust-free.
6. Encourage regular light physical activity to keep lungs strong.
7. Recognize warning signs like coughing, wheezing, or shortness of breath.
8. Provide a balanced diet rich in fruits, vegetables, and whole grains.
9. Regular Check-ups
10. Teach proper inhaling technique
11. Well-rested kids are less likely to have asthma flare-ups.
12. Stick to the plan

What to do if your child experiences a flare up?

Managing asthma can be made easier with the right and up-to-date information. To help you understand better, exacerbation or flare up is the worsening of an existing condition and to control it better at home we’ll first take a look at some symptoms, followed by the medications for at home avoidance and management.

Common Exacerbation Symptoms:

Here are some exacerbation symptoms to keep in mind in order to avoid and manage them if they occur:

1. Increased wheezing
2. Persistent coughing
3. Shortness of breath
4. Difficulty speaking
5. Bluish lips or fingertips
6. Use of neck or chest muscles to help with breathing
7. Inability to perform daily activities
8. Increased rescue inhaler use

Steps for Managing Exacerbations:

1. Remain calm and reassure the child
2. Encourage use of inhaler as directed
3. Help them sit upright. It makes breathing easier as compared to lying down.
4. Loosen tight clothing
5. Monitor breathing. Rapid, shallow breathing can indicate a worsening exacerbation.
6. Keep them hydrated
7. Contact Healthcare Provider if symptoms are severe

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Long-term Controller Medications for Asthma:

These medicines are taken daily to prevent the frequent occurrence of asthma symptoms. Some of these drugs are:

Inhaled corticosteroids: Common and used to reduce airway inflammation.

Leukotriene modifiers: May be used alone or with corticosteroids to control inflammation.

Combination inhalers: Contains both corticosteroids and long-acting beta agonists.

Theophylline: Opens airway, but not much use now.

Tools for managing asthma and their proper usage:

Metered dose inhaler (MDI) gives you a certain amount of medicine with each breath. Shake before use, exhale fully, hold inhaler in correct position, Take a deep breath, pump the medicine into your mouth, then hold your breath for as long as possible (and for at least 5 seconds).

Dry powder inhaler (DPI) releases dry powdered medicine when you inhale forcefully through the device. A nebulizer turns liquid medicine into a fine mist, which is inhaled through a mask or mouthpiece.

How to know if your child’s asthma is under control?

Childhood asthma management isn’t difficult when done properly. If you are unsure whether your child’s asthma is well controlled, the first step is to contact your child’s pediatrician or another health care professional who specializes in asthma care.

Effective management for your child usually includes:

• No coughing more than two days in a week.
• Waking up at night due to cough no more than 1 time / month (or no more than 2 times / month for children 12 years and older).
• Requires two or less emergency treatments per week (excluding pre-exercise treatments).
• Have not received more than one course of oral steroids, such as prednisone, in the past 12 months.
• Able to participate fully in daily activities without respiratory limitation.

Take this stepwise approach to asthma treatment as the perfect opportunity to review your child’s asthma management and control strategy with a healthcare professional. Your child’s pediatrician and other asthma experts are there to receive updates on your child’s asthma concerns so they can help bring it under control in the best ways possible. Don’t hesitate to share any updates with them because your child’s health matters the most.

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When to seek emergency medical care for asthma symptoms?

Being up to date with the at-home asthma management techniques can reduce the chances of a medical emergency. However, to provide the best care for your child, it’s important to know when to immediately contact your health provider and get them involved. Here are some symptoms you need to keep an eye on;

• Difficulty breathing or severe wheezing, especially at night or early in the morning.
• Unable to speak more than short sentences due to labored
• Breathing Having to stretch chest muscles to breathe
• Low peak flow readings when using peak flow meters
• No improvement after using a quick-acting (reliever) inhaler