How to Treat Children With Asthma
When your child suffers from asthma attacks, you may become frightened when he begins wheezing and struggles with his breathing. In order to stay calm and not frighten your child further, it is imperative that you and the pediatrician develop a treatment plan to stop asthma attacks and to prevent future ones.
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Instructions
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Develop an Asthma Action Plan for your child with her pediatrician, which will cover daily medications, such as the preventive medicines and their dosages and times taken. It also focuses on what triggers to avoid, and when to notify the doctor in case of an emergency.
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Control the triggers that may be worsening your child's asthma. If the pet dander from the family dog sets it off and you cannot bear to get rid of it, then keep the dog off the furniture or carpets and out of your child's bedroom. Keep her away from mold and pollen by keeping the windows closed during allergy season and keeping her inside from late morning until early afternoon when the counts are most prevalent.
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Stop an immediate asthma attack, with bronchodilators, quick-relief medicine for coughing, wheezing and breathing problems. While these medications come in other forms, most asthma sufferers use a rescue inhaler, most commonly known as Albuterol.
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Select preventative daily medication for your child to control his asthma. Intal is less potent than other preventative steroid inhalers, so some doctors prefer it for children. It can be used as an inhaler or administered through a nebulizer, 2 puffs, 3 times a day. If you prefer a steroid inhaler like Flovent, make sure your child uses his rescue inhaler first, and to rinse his mouth out with water to avoid thrush. Often a pediatrician may prescribe Singulair, an anti-inflammatory pill, along with an inhaler as a preventative course.
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Record your child's symptoms in a daily log. They have been controlled, if he has been able to participate in all of his everyday activities, has only had to only use his rescue inhaler one to two times a week, and his wheezing has not woken him more than once a month.
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Take your child to the pediatrician for doctor checkups one to twice a month, so that the doctor check your child's symptom's and check her breathing using the peak flow meter.
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Track your child's breathing at home, after the doctor shows you how to use the peak flow meter. Have your child take a deep breath, then blow into the tube, so that you can decipher how well his lungs are functioning by how much air he can blow in a second.
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Call the doctor or 911 if the rescue inhaler is not controlling an asthma attack or if your child's score on the peak flow meter drops below 50% of her best number.
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