Can Asthma Be Managed?

Asthma has, for many years, been a significant health problem, and continues to remain so. Being one of the most chronic bronchial diseases, it is also the most commonly diagnosed disease in children. Asthmatic children suffer symptoms that can directly impair their ability to enjoy their childhood.

In general, an asthma attack occurs when a person suffers a recurrent attack of shortness of breath and wheezing caused by the swelling of the bronchial tubes, which in turn, narrows the air passage and reduces the flow of air in and out of the lungs.

Beware of those nasty triggers!

The main factors causing a person to develop asthma are still not known. It could be a combination of genetically-inherited factors and environmental factors, or it could be one of these two factors acting separately. What is known is that there are many triggers for an asthma attack. An asthmatic person must consciously avoid these triggers as they could provoke an allergic reaction and lead to an asthma attack.

The action plan

Asthma cannot be cured, but the good news is, your child’s asthma symptoms can be controlled with proper planning and management.

An action plan developed in coordination with your child’s physician can help you and your child manage and prevent asthma attacks. The objective of this action plan is to inform your family members or your child’s caretakers what to avoid in preventing an asthma attack, or what to do in the event of an attack.

Your child’s personalised asthma action plan should include all relevant and vital information in the event of an asthma emergency. To start with, here is a list of crucial information that should be included:

• All the triggers that could provoke your child’s asthma symptoms and how to avoid them.
• The regular asthmatic symptoms that your child suffers, such as shortness of breath, coughing, wheezing, and chest tightness, and what to do if this happens.
• The name and dosage of the daily asthma medication that your child takes even though no asthma symptoms occur.
• The name and dosage of the fast-relief medication that your child takes when the asthma symptoms start to occur, and the relief medication when the attack actually occurs.
• All emergency phone numbers and locations of emergency services as well as phone numbers of family members to get in contact with in the event of an emergency.
• Some instructions when to contact your child’s physician, whom to call if the doctor is not available, and a list of places where emergency asthma medication can be easily obtained.

It is also crucial that your asthmatic child has enough knowledge about this chronic disease and the medication involved in order to manage and prevent an asthma attack. Sit your child down and explain to him, depending on his age and level of understanding, the effects of asthma. Train him to keep track and faithfully follow his daily medication schedule and how to use an inhaler correctly.

All children using the inhaler therapy should use a spacer device for more effective delivery of the medication as it does not require coordination. Younger children will require a spacer device with a face mask while older children can use a spacer device with a mouth piece. Explain to your child that in order to use an inhaler with the spacer device properly, he must first:

1. Shake the inhaler well before taking the cap off. Then, he must insert it to the spacer device.
2. He must then push the canister to allow the mist into the spacer device slowly, and breathe in while pushing down on the canister to allow the mist into the lungs. Then, instruct him to breathe normally 5-8 times.
3. If your child requires another inhalation dose, he must wait 1 minute before repeating the above technique.
4. Remind him that the inhaler and spacer must always be kept clean and dry (clean it once a week).

These steps should also be written in your child’s asthma action plan and distributed to whoever is in charge of your child, be they teachers or caregivers.

An asthma action plan can help reduce your child’s asthma exacerbations by identifying triggers and facilitating early recognition of an asthma attack. Early treatment with a bronchodilator (inhaler) can reduce the severity and frequency of asthma attacks. If you or your child suffers from asthma, then develop an asthma action plan today.