3 Important Steps to Take When Your Child is Having an Asthma Attack

First, use asthma medication correctly. Medication only works if taken at the right times and in the right amounts. If your child has had an attack after taking medication he may have lost faith in it. Help him by cultivating a routine in which he takes his preventive medication, if prescribed, just before he brushes his teeth.

Relievers, the drugs that alleviate asthmatic symptoms, also need to be used properly. They should be accessible to your child at all times and he needs to understand that he should turn to them as his first, rather than a last resort. It is also important not to overuse or abuse relievers and to watch his response carefully. If it is poor or lasts less than four hours, seek medical help without delay.

Second, know when to get medical help. However, efficiently you both manage to control your child's asthma there will probably still be times when he needs medical attention. While it is important not to show fear to your child, you may become worse if you do, or to overreact to his symptoms, it is essential to heed warning signs and to act promptly.

If your child has been hospitalized before, he may try to avoid it happening again, and so conceal the seriousness of the attack, but you must be objective. If his usual medication has not given any significant relief at the start of an attack, it is not likely to do so later. It is vital that your child's medication should be accessible at all times, but if he does come into contact with triggers that have caused an attack before and does not have his medication with him, contact your doctor straight away.

Plan ahead. If you receive a telephone call from your child's school to say he is unwell from asthma, telephone your doctor's surgery before you leave to collect him. Do not be afraid to insist that your child needs immediate attention; a child having an asthma attack is a priority.

Third, pass on information. As your child grows up, he will gradually become more independent and start to take more responsibility for his condition. The more he knows and the more confident he feels, the easier this will be.

It is more difficult for a child to make himself heard than it is for an adult, but he will stand a much better chance if it is apparent that he understands his asthma and knows what needs to be done. But take care not to alarm your child; your aim is to educate him about his asthma without making him afraid of his condition.