Asthma & Children

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• QHow can I help my teen with an asthma treatment routine?

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  A Intermountain Registered Dietitians , Nutrition & Dietetics, answered on behalf of Intermountain Healthcare

  • Explain asthma and asthma treatment fully. Don’t assume that your teen knows the whys and hows of taking medication. Explain why some medications will be more effective if taken routinely. Also explain the consequences of not taking medication -- for example, your child may risk missing school or a special event.
  
  • Agree on a plan. First, work with your teen to create a plan that will help your teen to remember to take medications. Next, problem solve together. If your teen routinely forgets medication or resists taking it, try to tackle the problem together. Ask, “What don’t you like about taking your medication?” and “What can we do to make this easier?”
  
  •Offer rewards if necessary. Teens don’t usually need rewards or treats to take their medication -- but you might try them if your teen is having trouble staying motivated.
• QHow can I help my child use a nebulizer with a mask?

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  A Dr. Heath A. Cobb, MD , Pediatrics, answered on behalf of Intermountain Healthcare

  Young children are the most common users of nebulizers with masks. To help children adjust to the mask, try the following tips:
  
  • Invite the child to explore the mask and practice having it over his or her face or to pretend giving it to a doll or parent.
  • When appropriate, encourage the child to help hold the mask during the treatment.
  • If the child has difficulty holding still while using the mask, provide a small incentive or distraction.
  • If the preceding tips do not work, you may need to gently hold the child while using the mask.

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• QHow can I help my child stay on track with asthma medications?

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  A Dr. Michael Roizen, MD , Internal Medicine, answered

  Managing asthma in kids can be a challenge considering almost half of kids (adults, too) who need regular dosing of inhaled corticosteroids don't take what they need at least 25% of the time.
  
  The great news is I've got answers! Turns out that most teens actually enjoy getting reminders about their asthma self-care if they're delivered as digital taps on the shoulder -- TCOY (take care of yourself -- if you didn't know.) As Alicia Keys and Beyonce croon in "Put It in a Love Song," "Just text me on my cell phone!"
  
  One study found that 93% of teens who were getting text message reminders about their asthma medication said it changed -- for the better -- how they handled their asthma. Automated "robo" calls from pharmacists and doctors with reminders about taking medications and other health-related tips also work better than anything we've had before. Many of these services deliver a patient-education text, and it turns out kids like to get that, too.
  
  The very best way to improve your son's asthma control is to help him make his own wake-up messages that he programs into his cell phone. (For kids 15 years old and younger, encourage them to program their iPod. Cell phones aren't great for developing brains.) Your son can record the reminders, mix in music, set the alarm to deliver them, and -- presto change-o! -- you have a kid who's tuned in to his own asthma control.
  
  When kids control the timing and content of their own reminders, they feel independent -- and that lets you relax. The ADEPT study that looked at the benefits of using technology to increase teens' use of their asthma medicine found that peer support and musical clues increase adherence to the asthma-control routine from 40% to 70% (not perfect, but a whole lot better).
  
  Here's one more tip, Mom: You can improve your own asthma-control habits, too. Get tuned in to your health maintenance organization's (HMO's) or pharmacy's automatic call system that reminds you to pick up your son's asthma prescriptions.

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• QHow can I establish a good asthma treatment routine for my toddler?

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  A Intermountain Registered Dietitians , Nutrition & Dietetics, answered on behalf of Intermountain Healthcare

  Children have special challenges in taking daily medications. Below are some tips to help you and your child establish a good routine and work together to solve problems.
  
  • Prepare and practice together. Give very simple explanations of what you’re doing and why (“I’m going to put this mask on you to help you breathe better”). First “practice” the procedure on yourself, a doll, or a stuffed animal — then let your child have a turn at practice. Give toddlers as much control as possible by giving them choices (for example, where to have a treatment, or whether to sit on the bed or a parent’s lap).
  
  • Help your child relax. Try swaddling -- not just with a blanket, but also with your body. Make a soothing “sh-sh-sh” sound, or talk in a calm, soothing voice. Listen to lullabies or other relaxing music. Try rocking, bouncing, swaying, or walking with your child in your arms.
  
  • Distract your child. Offer musical or light-up toys, pop-up books, bubbles, or other distractions while you’re giving medication.
  
  • Give immediate rewards. After giving medication, follow up with a treat such as a special activity or book. Praise your child for taking the medication (even if it has been a struggle).
• QDoes going to day care have an effect on children developing asthma?

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  A Darria Gillespie, MD , Emergency Medicine, answered

  No, it doesn’t appear that going to day care either increases or decreases a child’s risk of developing asthma. Some studies show that recurrent wheezing may be more common in children age 12-15 months who are in daycare, but that is likely due to their increased exposure to viruses, and not asthma itself.
   
• QWhat is asthma in children?

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  A Dr. Sande O. Okelo, MD , Pediatrics, answered on behalf of UCLA Health

  In children asthma is a disease of the airways that is due to:

  1. inflammation (swelling and mucus) that is present much of the time
  2. bronchospasm (contraction of the muscles in the airways) 

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• QHow can I help my child adjust to an asthma diagnosis?

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  A Dr. Diana K. Blythe, MD , Pediatrics, answered on behalf of Pediatric Associates

  Most children with asthma do not get proper treatment. In the majority of cases, this is because they do not receive their controller medicine. 

  Controller medicines for asthma are meant to limit the asthma attacks. You take these medicines every day, even when you feel good. Often children do not receive their controller when they feel good which means they are a set up for another asthma attack. This means they end of using more of the rescue asthma medicine. The whole goal of the controller medicine is to need the rescue medicine as little as possible which is a sign that your asthma is under good control.

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• QHow can asthma affect a child's performance in school?

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  A Sky Ridge Medical Center answered

  Asthma can affect a child's performance in school in the following ways:

  • Kids with poorly controlled asthma show lower quality schoolwork and overall lower academic performance.
  • Kids with asthma are more likely to have behavior problems in school.
  • Kids with asthma miss more school days than kids without asthma. Kids with more poorly controlled asthma miss even more days.
  • Kids with poorly controlled asthma often have more sleep issues, which can also cause school and behavior problems.

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• QOn what signs and symptoms should a child use an inhaler?

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  A Dr. Diana K. Blythe, MD , Pediatrics, answered on behalf of Pediatric Associates

  Inhalers for asthma come in two main types, rescue and controller. If the inhaler is a controller medicine, it should be used every day to keep the asthma under control. If the inhaler is a rescue medicine, it should be used when a child has asthma symptoms.

  Among other things, acute asthma symptoms can include daytime or nighttime cough, shortness of breath, chest tightness, trouble breathing, wheezing or shortness of breath. If your child's asthma is showing these signs, continue using your child's daily controller medication and start using the rescue medication. If you are not sure which inhaler is the controller and which is the rescue, please call your child's doctor.