10 things you need to know when your child has bronchial asthma

The article was professionally consulted by Dr. Nguyen Van Dinh - Head of Respiratory - Asthma - Allergy - Clinical Immunology Unit, Vinmec Times City International Hospital.

You may find asthma attacks come on causing your child to wheeze, have trouble breathing, or have coughs or chest tightness, but when the symptoms go away, your child is completely back to normal. However, if left untreated, this "normal" period can shorten while episodes of shortness of breath become more frequent. Here are 10 things parents need to know when their child has asthma.

The answer is yes . The prevalence of asthma in the world is about 11-13% of children, severe asthma attacks can be life-threatening if not promptly treated and emergency. Not only that, if asthma is not controlled, children have to miss school regularly, limit their physical activities, make them lose sleep, and are often uncomfortable with symptoms such as coughing, wheezing, shortness of breath, etc. feeling of heaviness in the chest and accompanying allergic symptoms.

Fortunately, asthma is now manageable, but not completely curable. Depending on the child, once the disease is under control, you can see a long period of time your child will no longer have symptoms of asthma. But you absolutely should not be subjective or let your child self-medicate because asthma attacks can reappear when your child has a respiratory infection or when your child is an adult.
The ultimate control goal is not to let asthma interfere with your child's living and learning activities, family and school play a very important role in building a comprehensive development environment for the child in both physical and psychological. Therefore, you should actively capture information and act with medical staff to build a healthy future for your baby.

70-80% of children whose asthma is related to allergies. This means that there are environmental factors (in food, air, medications, toys) that can trigger allergies and trigger asthma attacks in children. In these cases, your child needs to be tested for allergies to identify specific allergens to help you and your child actively control their diet and surroundings.
In the case of bronchial asthma in children due to unavoidable environmental factors such as pollen, house dust, ... the child may be prescribed specific immunotherapy to build immune tolerance to the that anomaly.

There are many factors that can trigger and aggravate asthma symptoms in your child, so you should eliminate those factors as much as possible in your child's living environment, you should also consult your doctor about methods exposure to these agents. Some common factors such as: Tobacco smoke, dust, allergens as described above, respiratory infections, certain medications, stress or strong emotions, obesity.
So can I have a pet? Always consult your doctor first. Raising animals helps to build love for animals, responsibility and helps children to relieve their psychology. So, if children are not allergic to our fur or secretions, they can still play with pets. If on the contrary, your child has an allergic condition, you can ask the doctor to raise other animals with your child such as: Turtles, fish,...

Explaining the condition to your child is very difficult because the child is often confused and afraid, the information can be difficult to grasp for the child. However, you cannot be with your child continuously all day to watch your child. So if your child is aware of the condition, you should be open to sharing about his or her illness. It is very dangerous if the child does not know the information about the disease and how to treat and prevent it.
You can gently explain and break it down many times to let your child understand the importance of asthma screening, equip them with a solid knowledge of the related issues and practice the steps of treatment together. in case of an acute asthma attack at home. You should also encourage your child to avoid psychological pressures that affect the child's condition and development. Make sure your child is not too worried but also not negligent about the illness.
Remember that asthma control depends very much on your child, if your child uses medicines (inhalation, inhaler, inhaler) improperly or irregularly or even quit voluntarily, all efforts to control asthma will become so useless

The type and dose of each drug is not fixed for all children or all stages of child development. Many mothers are concerned whether the treatment drugs are safe for their children?
You also do not need to worry because asthma medications, especially topical ones (inhalation, spray) are safe for children if used correctly. However, no medication is completely safe, so your child should be seen periodically to have the dose of the controller medication adjusted to the smallest possible dose.
Basically, the treatment drugs are divided into two goals: relieve and prevent attacks. Children will be provided with inhaler / inhaler and instructed on how to use it at home to relieve an asthma attack, depending on the severity of the disease, the child only needs a spray / inhaler to prevent the attack or needs a combination of oral medications.

If bronchial asthma is well controlled, your child can completely go to school and participate in sports activities, moreover, practicing sports helps the children's cardiovascular and respiratory systems be healthier, so now Sports activity is recommended in children with controlled asthma. Sometimes administering a short-acting bronchodilator 20 to 30 minutes before a child's physical activity helps to reduce the impact of exercise on asthma, but it's a good idea to talk about physical activity first. with treating physician.
If your child has frequent episodes of shortness of breath during and after physical activity, see your doctor to rule out exercise-induced asthma.

You should make sure you know the signs of an asthma attack when your child is not in the hospital. Work with your doctor to develop a specific asthma action plan. This action plan will help you step by step assess the severity of the situation as well as the next steps to handle such as when to continue monitoring, when to be hospitalized.

We need to remember that the holistic development of the child is the ultimate goal. Besides asthma control, psychological comfort at home as well as at school plays an extremely important role. Many children suffer from psychological shock, depression or low self-esteem because they are not mentally prepared. In addition to explaining and encouraging your child's spirit, you should also openly discuss your child's illness with his teachers and friends, helping him get steady support from family and friends. Miss.

Your child needs to be examined, diagnosed and monitored by asthma specialists such as an Allergist or Respiratory Doctor.
Besides, you can join more asthma communities to share knowledge, support and help each other under the guidance of experts such as asthma clubs of institutes or schools, local direction.
Once diagnosed with asthma, your child will need strict adherence to keeping the disease under control. Vinmec Asthma, Allergy and Clinical Immunology Clinic has developed a treatment protocol and care guide to help patients achieve optimal and long-term treatment effects. When you have any concerns or concerns about your child's asthma, please contact us for support.