Teach Your Child to Control Asthma Flares

The main goal for parents is to prepare their children for adult life. But you, as a parent of a child with asthma, have an added responsibility. You must teach your child to manage asthma.

You may have received advice about your child’s asthma from a variety of people and sources. You, however, know your child better than anyone else does, and only you will know the best strategies for teaching your child asthma management skills.

Controlling asthma requires teamwork between you, your child, your child’s doctor and those people who are part of your child’s day-to-day life. Ask your doctor to help by developing an individualized asthma management plan and an action plan for your child. These plans are detailed sets of written instructions that you and your child can follow.

As part of an individualized asthma management plan you should teach your child to:

• Avoid what brings on asthma episodes.
• Use a peak flow meter and record readings.
• Keep an asthma symptom diary.
• Communicate with his or her doctor.
• You should also talk to people in your child’s daily life about the need for your child to avoid asthma triggers.
• An action plan gives you and your child steps to follow when asthma symptoms occur. As part of this plan, your child should learn to:
• Recognize and tell you if early-warning signs of asthma occur.
• Understand the importance of taking asthma medications as prescribed.
• Know when to tell you that asthma medications are running low.
• Know how and when these medications are taken.
• Know what to do and what medications to take when asthma occurs.

It is never too early to teach your child about asthma control. Teaching your child to manage asthma now will prepare him or her for being away from home, being in school, participating in outside activities and staying overnight with friends or family.

In most cases, when asthma management skills are learned at an early age, controlling asthma as your child grows older becomes much easier. Remember, the asthma management skills you teach now will build the foundation your child needs to grow into a healthy, happy adult.