My Child Has Asthma

Children are prone to acquire different types of diseases due to a very delicate immune system. Even so, not all asthma-like symptoms such as wheezing cough is indicative of asthma. That is why proper diagnosis is the first step in controlling asthma in children. Parents should be aware that wheezing cough is a very common symptom to all types of respiratory diseases. But if your child is experiencing tightness on the chest and shortness of breath that usually gets worst at night, then it might probably be asthma. The best thing to do is see a doctor to have a concrete prognosis of the child's condition.

Some studies have shown that children who are living in the cities are most likely to have an increased frequency of an asthma attack as compared to those who live in rural areas. The allergens and pollution are the usual triggering factors for asthma flare-ups. These risk factors are often present in big cities. Industrialization and modernization seem to be contributing in the frequency of asthma attacks. Studies have been trying to get the link between the two and found out that it is relatively associated in the prevalence of asthma attacks. Ensuring a clean and allergen-free home will usually help to lessen the likeliness of asthma flare-ups in children. Parents should always keep the house clean at all times and make sure that certain allergens like pets must be kept away from your child.

Medical management is one form of treatment for asthma. Most children fail to take their asthma medications regularly, maybe because of its unpleasant taste. Medicines just don’t seem to be appealing with kids. Parents would normally have a hard time to make their child take their medicines. But parents should still strictly impose compliance to asthma medication. They should educate their child on the importance of regularly taking their asthma medication. With proper guidance, your child will definitely come around. Keep in mind that failure to comply with their medication impedes the success of the treatment. Also, some parents discontinue their child's medication in the fear of drug dependency. Even if your child is not manifesting any symptoms, medications should always be administered unless otherwise instructed.

Early recognition of triggering factors is important in controlling asthma in children. Parents should be aware of the factors that trigger their child's asthma flare-up. In this way, they could instantly detect what's causing it and will immediately be able to eliminate it. They should also teach their child on how to recognize factors that might predispose to an attack. Educating your child regarding the triggering factors of asthma attack will help them understand what are the things or activities to avoid. This way, even if you are not around them they would be able to take control over their condition.

Until this day, there is no known cure for asthma despite the advancements in medical technology. Parents should be aware that medications prescribed by doctors are not intended to cure the disease instead it just serves as a prophylaxis to prevent asthma flare-ups. Keep in mind that asthma is a chronic condition, meaning your child will be dealing with it for a long time. Therefore ensuring that your child's asthma is always under control will decrease the likeliness of an attack.