3 Steps To Helping Your Asthmatic Child

[jacob london]

The first and most important step to take is to decide to take charge
of your child's asthma. Parents of asthmatic children suffer a range
of contradictory feelings. Strongest is the natural concern for their
child. Are you giving them the best treatment, or is there something
you have not thought of or are unaware of? Then there are the doubts
about being over or under protective. If they have non-asthmatic
siblings do you treat all of your children the same? Perhaps there is
some guilt that asthma may have been inherited and it is your fault
your child has the condition.
Let's take charge of the situation and dispel this myth straight away.
You have not willed it onto your child. It is nobody's fault or a
judgement of some sort any more than an inherited ability that makes
someone more likely to be good at sports or singing. You can also take
charge by educating yourself about the condition. Do not waste time
worrying if there are better treatments or medications for your child.
Find out. Use the medical profession, library and internet. The best
prescription is knowledge.
The next step is to be aware of your child's health. One problem with
having an ill child is their inability to clearly explain how they
feel. An asthmatic child may not come to you in the middle of the
night and mention difficulty breathing, or persistent coughing.
Instead they may leave their condition to worsen until their lungs
have expanded enough to start pressing on their stomach. At this point
they may mention they feel sick.
Some children just take a rest when their breathing becomes difficult
and never mention they feel out of breath.
If you suspect your child may have asthma you probably know the
classic signs to look for: coughing, wheezing, shortness of breath,
changes in color of skin, nails, or lips, and a tightness of the
chest. But also be aware there are other signs that suggest there may
be a problem: nausea, lethargy, and low appetite. Also notice if your
child has to hunch forward as they exhale if they are feeling short of
breath.
If possible take a look at your child's breathing as they sleep. This
will enable you to see how they breathe when they are relaxed. Then
you will be able to tell when their breathing becomes labored.
Next, ensure your child takes any inhaled medication properly. Many
asthma medications are delivered by inhalers and it is often difficult
for a child to understand and perform the necessary sequence of
breaths to take these medicines. How long did your child take to learn
to blow their nose properly? I know of one child who insisted they
were holding their breath while they kept their lips firmly together
as they breathed through their nose. Many children feel they cannot
hold their breath for the required interval and end up dramatically
gasping for air. If your asthmatic child has to take medicines through
a metered dose inhaler it is often best to use it with a spacer or
aero-chamber.
You need to be prepared for an asthma attack. Know what to do. If your
child suffers an asthma attack keep calm and resist the urge to cuddle
your child. Though this is perfectly natural it will constrict their
chest and make it harder for them to breathe.
If you are driving your child to ER or a physician while they are
having an asthma attack you must still buckle them into their child
seat. Do not hold your child. Imagine what would happen if there was
an accident.
To deal with asthma effectively you have to understand the disease and
understand your child. You may be tempted to let your doctor make all
the decisions, but there is so much more you can do than just
administer medication. You can improve the condition by making changes
to the home environment, to your child's diet, to how they breathe,
and to the exercise they take. The more you know about asthma the more
effectively you can control it.