Your Child’s Asthma: Taking Control

Asthma is a long-term (chronic) disease of the airways in the lungs. It can't be cured, but it can be controlled. Get to know your child's asthma triggers and symptoms. And understand your child's treatment plan.

A child whose asthma is in control can do all of the things other children do. They will:

• Be able to play with other kids and take part in sports.
• Be able to sleep well. This means more energy for school and play.
• Miss fewer school days.

Some children have symptoms often (persistent asthma). Others have symptoms once in a while (intermittent asthma). Know your child's pattern of symptoms.

An Asthma Action Plan tells you what actions to take based on your child's symptoms. If you don't have an Asthma Action Plan, talk with your child's doctor. They can help you make one. If you do have an Asthma Action Plan, review it with the doctor at visits to be sure it is up to date.

Talk with your child's doctor about what to do when any of these symptoms occur:

• Coughing, especially at night
• Getting tired or out of breath easily
• Wheezing—this is a whistling noise when breathing out
• Chest tightness
• Fast breathing when at rest

Contact your child's doctor right away if your child has any of these symptoms:

• Very fast or hard breathing
• The skin is pulled in between the ribs and above and below the breastbone (chest retractions) when breathing
• If you or your child monitor asthma with peak flow readings, a peak flow less than 50% of your child's personal best

Call 911 right away if your child has any of these symptoms:

• Can't walk or talk
• Lips or fingers turning blue
• Your child is very short of breath and seems in severe distress

If you answer yes to any of the questions below, your child's asthma may not be in control. Work with your child's doctor to make changes to your child's treatment plan. Discuss any problems that make it hard for you or your child to stick to the plan.

• Does your child need to use a quick-relief inhaler more than 2 times a week (other than before exercise)?
• Does your child wake up at night with symptoms more than 2 times a month?
• Does your child have trouble doing regular, daily activities more than twice per week?

• Make sure your child has an Asthma Action Plan. Review it with your child's doctor.
• Understand your child's treatment plan.
• Know how to use each of your child's medicines.
• Know what triggers make your child's asthma worse and how to help your child control or stay away from them.
• Know your child's flare-up symptoms. Teach your child how to get help when a flare-up happens. Be sure daycare providers, teachers and other school staff, and other caregivers know how to treat a flare-up.