Asthma: Information for patients and families (The Primary School)
They can go to school, play sports, play the trumpet--or whatever they love to do!When you breathe, air moves from your nose or mouth into your lungs by passing through small tubes, called airways.
People with asthma have trouble breathing because these airways get narrower, making it hard for air to move in and out.
The muscles around the airways also get irritated and squeeze, making them even more narrow. With-- asthma, the irritation also leads to more mucus, which can clog the airways.
Breathing with asthma can feel like breathing through a thin straw - it is hard to move air in and out, and can be very tiring.Asthma is different for everyone.
The most common symptoms are coughing, chest tightness, getting tired easily, and wheezing.Wheezing is a high-pitched whistling sound that comes from the air trying to get in and out of the lungs through narrow airways.
In some children, cough may be the only symptom, and may increase at night or while napping, making it hard to sleep. Some people with asthma have symptoms almost every day.
Others have symptoms once every few months. But asthma is a chronic disease, which means it never really goes away, so people with asthma should always have their medications ready.Sometimes, asthma symptoms can suddenly get worse.
This is called an asthma attack. During an asthma attack, it can be so hard to breathe that it is hard to talk.
If a child is having an asthma attack, you might be able to see them using muscles in their neck, or between the ribs, to help breathe.
Severe asthma attacks are dangerous, require medicine, and may require going to the hospital! Talk to your doctor, so you know what to do.An asthma trigger is something that makes your asthma symptoms start up or get worse.
Everyone has different triggers, but a common one is cigarette smoke. Cigarette smoke can be harmful even when not in the air because it can get caught in clothes and furniture and still trigger asthma.
Knowing your triggers and staying away from them can help you control your asthma. Make sure that nobody in the home smokes, and try to keep your home free of cockroaches and mold.
On heavy air pollution days keep children with asthma indoors, when possible. Avoid standing too close to cars or buses when their engines are running.
Make sure you always have your medicines with you, as you will need them if your asthma is triggered.If a trigger is something like a cold, asthma symptoms usually improve once the illness goes away.
If your asthma is brought on by exercise or sports, it can be tempting to avoid those things, but exercise is an important part of being healthy for everyone--including people with asthma.
With the right medications, a person with asthma can live a very active life. Talk to your doctor to make sure everyone in the family with asthma has the right medicine and action plan to stay healthy.There are two main types of medication that can help with asthma - relievers and controllers.
Both play an important role in helping to manage asthma, but are used very differently. Relievers, sometimes called rescue inhalers, work within minutes to relax the muscles around the airways and can stop an asthma attack while it’s happening.
People who have asthma symptoms more than a few times a week need to also have a controller medicine. Controllers reduce mucus and swelling, but have to be used every day to work.
They don’t help right away, but over time can make lungs healthier. This will help people with asthma have fewer symptoms, and fewer asthma attacks.
But during an asthma attack, only relievers will help right away. There are many different kinds of controllers, so talk to your doctor to make sure you have one if you need one.Both of these medication types are usually taken with an inhaler.
For children, inhalers should be used with spacers. The spacer helps get the medication deep into the lungs instead of just in the mouth.
If the medicine cannot get into the lungs it won’t help. Babies and younger kids may need a nebulizer machine which turns a liquid medication into a mist that can be breathed in.
They can be life-saving during an asthma attack! The main thing is that every person with asthma has their own medicine plan, clearly understands how and when to use each medicine, and feels confident that their medicines work for them.
This plan is sometimes called an asthma action plan.It is very important that people who take care of kids with asthma have their medicines and know how to use them.
If you have a child with asthma, make sure their school or day care has the reliever medicine as well as your consent to use it.
Ask the school nurse or principal if you need to sign a medication form. They may need this to be able to give the medication to your child for breathing problems at school!
Each person can have different asthma triggers, and a common one is cigarette smoke. Medicines include both relievers and controllers and can help a person with asthma lead a very active life and not have to miss out on school.
So work with your doctor to develop an asthma action plan specific for your child and don't let asthma hold your child back.
develop an asthma action plan specific for your child
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