Tips for Helping Your Child with Asthma
If your child has asthma, you might be very worried about him or her. You might feel helpless with regards getting your child to a point where he or she can function and not know what to do. Here are some steps that you can take help your child get his or her asthma under control so that he or she can live a relatively normal life.
1. Minimize Allergens in the House
The first thing that you want to do is identify triggers for your child's asthma. These are usually allergens such as cat dander, tree pollen, or air fresheners. In order to cope with these, put mats by the door so that people can wipe the pollen off their shoes before they come in. Keep cats and other animals that might trigger your child's asthma out of the house. Don't use air freshener and ask people to not use them when your child is around. Making your house relatively asthma-trigger free will allow your child to rest up and feel normal within the bounds of your home.
2. Teach Your Child to Use the Inhaler On His or Her Own
Next, you need to empower your child to manage his or her asthma on his or her own, as early as you can. This will allow your child to feel much more on top of his or her life. By teaching your child to use a rescue inhaler, you can allow him or her to play soccer or attend gym class without worrying that he or she isn't going to be able to breath, since the inhaler will take care of that. The worst thing about asthma to your child is potentially being excluded from activities. Make sure that this doesn't happen by teaching your child how to use the rescue inhaler or alert an adult that he or she is having breathing difficulties.
3. Manage Cold Air
Sometimes, a coughing jag can be triggered by your child breathing in cold air. Make sure that you limit this possibility by buying your child a scarf that he or she can wrap around his or her mouth. This means that the air that he or she will be breathing in will at least be heated by his or her body first. This will allow you to ensure that the cold air in the winter does not trigger your child's asthma while still allowing them to play outside in the snow.
For more information, check out http://www.oakbrookallergists.com and talk to a health care provider that specializes in asthma treatments.