Childhood Asthma
You can help your child learn to live with asthma by developing an Asthma Self-Management Action Plan, and learning to recognize triggers of asthma to avoid, symptoms and what they mean, and how to react when an episode becomes serious.
Work with your physician to develop this personal action plan, including strategies for reducing the frequency of asthma episodes and minimizing the severity of asthma attacks when they occur.
Each person has different warning signs before an asthma attack, and each attack can vary. Find out what exercise is good and bad; how to minimize asthma triggers in your environment. Help your child learn to use and care for his or her metered-dose inhaler (for taking asthma medications), peak flow meter (measures how well air moves out of the lungs), or nebulizer (a device for taking asthma medication in mist form).
Your child’s airways are very sensitive, and may react to things that can cause asthma episodes. Ask your physician for help in finding what makes your child’s asthma worse, and what you can do to help.
In your home, try to control dust mites; do not smoke and don’t allow smoking in your house; avoid strong odors and sprays; keep your child indoors when pollen counts are high; avoid sources of molds outside.
Mercy’s respiratory therapists and pulmonary rehabilitation professionals can help you follow up on your physician’s recommendations.
Call Mercy’s Cardiac/Pulmonary Rehabilitation program at 319-398-6651 to see if Pulmonary Rehabilitation can help your child, beginning now. All our programs are located at the Mercy Health Plaza, 5264 Council Street NE.
When should I call my physician or 911 for help?
If your child shows any of the following:
- Extreme shortness of breath
- Change in skin color
- Rapid breathing
- Wheezing you can hear
- Fingernails or lips are turning blue or gray
For more information from the Allergy and Asthma Network/Mothers of Asthmatics, Inc., click here www.aanma.org.
For more information from the American Association for Respiratory Care, click here www.aarc.org.
For more information from the American Lung Association, click here www.lungusa.org.
