Asthma in Children: Care Instructions

Make and follow an asthma action plan. It lists the medicines your child takes every day and will show you what to do if your child has an attack.

Work with a doctor to make a plan if your child does not have one. Make treatment part of daily life.

Tell adults at school that your child has asthma. Give them a copy of the action plan so they can help during an attack.

Your child may take an inhaled corticosteroid every day. It keeps the airways from swelling.

Your child takes quick-relief medicine for an asthma attack. This is often inhaled albuterol. It relaxes the airways to help your child breathe.

Your doctor may prescribe oral corticosteroids for your child to use during an attack. They may take hours to work, but they may shorten the attack and help your child breathe better.

Check your child for asthma symptoms to know which step to follow in your child's action plan. Watch for things like being short of breath, having chest tightness, coughing, and wheezing. Also notice if symptoms wake your child up at night or if your child gets tired quickly during exercise.

If your child has a peak flow meter, use it to check how well your child is breathing. This can help you predict when an asthma attack is going to occur. Then your child can take medicine to prevent the asthma attack or make it less severe.

Try to learn what triggers your child's asthma attacks, and avoid the triggers when you can. Common triggers include colds, smoke, air pollution, pollen, mold, pets, cockroaches, stress, and cold air.

If tests show that dust is a trigger for your child's asthma, try to control house dust.

Talk to your child's doctor about whether to have your child tested for allergies.

Have your child wash their hands often to prevent infections.

Have your child drink plenty of fluids.

Have your child get an annual flu vaccine. Talk to your doctor about having your child get a pneumococcal vaccine. Ask your doctor if your child is up to date on their COVID-19 vaccines.

Your child has severe trouble breathing. Signs may include the chest sinking in, using belly muscles to breathe, or nostrils flaring while your child is struggling to breathe.

Your child has an asthma attack and does not get better after you use the action plan.

Your child coughs up yellow, dark brown, or bloody mucus (sputum).

Your child's wheezing and coughing get worse.

Your child needs quick-relief medicine on more than 2 days a week within a month (unless it is just for exercise).

Your child has any new symptoms, such as a fever.