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Article Series: Asthma
Asthma Causes, Triggers & Treatments
How
To Care For An Asthmatic Child
If you are caring for someone you love who
suffers from asthma and especially if that someone is your
child, you undoubtedly understand what it is like to live with
the anxiety of knowing that at some point something will trigger
an attack. It is not an 'if' situation. And while you personally
may be doing all that you can to learn about and improve their
circumstances it is important to remember that you can only
go so far. Some circumstances will be beyond your control,
despite the preparations you make ahead of time.
When your child starts to go to school and looks to act more
independently it will become apparent that he or she will have
to take more responsibility for their health and condition.
However, as a parent most of the responsibility falls upon
you, initially, to help your child learn to live with and control
their asthma.
First it is important to understand what
is happening to their body during an asthma attack. Your doctor can help explain
how the body is over reacting in an immune response to some
allergen or trigger. This causes the bronchial passages to
tighten and narrow, making it more difficult for them to breathe
naturally.
It is vitally important to seek out and take note of anything
that seems to create discomfort for the child and try to avoid
them. It may be necessary to consistently explain the cause
and effect for some little ones. As an example, some children
can be extremely reactive to pet dander and dust mites. While
you may be able to create a hypo-allergenic environment in
your home, it will be necessary to help your child understand
the reaction that follows being close to certain animals -
no matter how lovable they may be.
Foods can be an issue for many asthmatics and it will be helpful
if a child is too young to remember all the details that they
carry with them a list of foods that need to be avoided.
Another important issue is that if a child requires an inhaler that they have it with them at all times. Especially, of course,
their blue puffer inhaler, that has the rescue medicine and
that may be required during an asthma attack. Along with this
it is good to have in place an “asthma action plan”. This is
information written down that details what symptoms to watch
for and what they mean, how to adjust the medicine in line
with the symptoms, and when the symptoms become serious enough
to call 911. If possible, have this information printed and
laminated on a card so that it wears well.
Your child will need to learn how to properly use their inhaler.
If there is any difficulty in getting the hang of it, your
doctor or a trained asthma specialist will be happy to go over
the instructions with you and your child.
Ultimately it is good to realize that children can be wonderfully
adaptable. When parents demonstrate a calm and sometimes matter-of-fact
forthrightness, children will then often respond calmly and
reassured as well. This can be so important especially when
an attack is under way.
No one should underestimate the stress that is involved in
caring for a child with asthma. The worry is constantly there.
However, ideally you will want your child to live the most
natural and normal life that they can achieve. Part of this
is having the attitude that an asthma condition can be controlled
with proper care, common sense and a calm outlook for the future.
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by SolveYourProblem.com
: 2008
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