Parents should make sure that the child plays an important part in managing his or her own asthma.
For example:
- Small children (even 6- and 7-year olds) should know the names of the their medications, and how the medicine helps.
- All children over the age of 4 or 5 should know what triggers their attacks, so they can avoid those triggers.
- All children over the age of 4 or 5 should understand what their symptoms mean. They should know when they need to take their medication if an attack is coming.
- Older children should be responsible for taking their medicine at the right time.
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Need To Know It is important that your child develop self-confidence about his or her ability to manage asthma and learn to communicate to parents and others when asthma symptoms are occurring. |
Working Out A Plan
To successfully help manage your child's asthma you, your child and the doctor should work out a written plan of action:
- Identify the triggers responsible for your child's asthma. Know how to avoid them.
- Know what medication needs to be taken, even when there are no symptoms.
- Know how to recognize the earliest warning signs of an asthma episode and what to do about it.
- Know how to use a
peak flow meter to predict when an asthma attack may occur. - To determine how well the medication is working.
- Know what to do in emergencies.
- Know when to contact your doctor.
- Find out about asthma support groups and summer asthma camp (see Additional Sources Of Information).
Both you and your child should become familiar with this plan.
