Asthma is never a fun thing to deal with, particularly if you''re a kid. And if you''re the parent of a child with asthma it can be a frightening experience, especially when they are first diagnosed. But there are things that you can do and be aware of that can help your child better deal with their asthma on a daily basis. The most important thing to do is to never panic, regardless of how severe your child''s asthma is. Be prepared, plan ahead and everything will be fine.
Different things can trigger an asthma attack in different children. By knowing what your child''s triggers are you can better deal with an attack when it happens. Knowing our child triggers can also help you to take precaution to avoid an asthma attack. Here is a list of the more comment triggers:
- air pollution
- dust
- mold
- tobacco smoke
- certain foods
- exercise
- pet dander
- artificial scents found in perfumes, candles and colognes
- changes in temperature
Things you can do
Once you know what your child''s triggers are you can make some changes in and around the house to ensure that it''s a safe environment for them. If you aren''t 100% sure what your child''s triggers are yet, there are still things that you can do to help them.
- Clean your bathroom, kitchen and basement more frequently to avoid mold and mildew.
- Wash bedsheets and bedding once a week in hot water to avoid dust mites.
- Purchase a HEPA air cleaning system to help with potential air pollution and triggers in the air.
- Remove all carpets and curtains in the house, as they can retain triggers like pet dander and dust.
- You may want to consider finding a new home for any family pets.
- For nighttime asthma attacks, get your child a CPAP machine to help them breathe better.
- Supervise any sports activity to make sure your child doesn''t overdo it.
- When going out in the cold, make sure that they are bundled up and have a scarf over their mouth.
Along with the above things, it''s always a good idea to have an asthma action plan in place. This will help you, your child and any other family members in dealing with your child''s asthma and asthma attacks. Devised with the help of your child''s doctor you should have copies of it on the fridge, in your purse, in your child''s bedroom and on your child at all times. Most asthma actions plans for children use a colour coded system for easy understanding and quick reference.
- Green - a list of medications that your child takes on a daily basis and the amount the take.
- Yellow - a list of medications that your child takes when an attack is triggered and the amount they take.
- Red - a list of medications that your child takes when the asthma attacks becomes severe and the amount they take.
- A list of your child''s known asthma triggers.
- Each level will also list your child''s peak flow level, which shows how well your child''s lungs are working.
Having a child with asthma, regardless of the severity, can be a scary and stressful thing. But as long as you are aware of your child''s triggers, take some steps to make your house and your child''s life as trigger free as possible and have an asthma action plan, things will be fine.
Vern Marker is a freelance writer for the leading online retailer of CPAP masks. He currently enjoys writing mostly about health and fitness.