Asthma in Children: Care Instructions

Asthma makes it hard for your child to breathe. During an asthma attack, the airways swell and narrow. Severe asthma attacks can be life-threatening, but you can usually prevent them. Controlling asthma and treating symptoms before they get bad can help your child avoid bad attacks. You may also avoid future trips to the doctor.

• 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.

• Make sure you know how to use your child's inhaler or nebulizer correctly. Talk to your child's doctor if you have questions.
• Your child may take controller medicine, such as an inhaled corticosteroid, every day. It keeps the airways from swelling. Your child should take it even when they are feeling well.
• Your child will take quick-relief medicine for an asthma attack. It relaxes the airways to help your child breathe.
• Some children can use one inhaler for both daily asthma control and quick relief of symptoms. Your child's doctor can tell you if this is an option.
• 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 with fur, cockroaches, stress, and cold, dry air.
• Keep your child away from smoke and the aerosol mist from vaping. Do not smoke or vape around your child or in your house, and avoid being around others who are smoking or vaping.
• If tests show that dust is a trigger for your child's asthma, try to control dust in your home.
• 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.
• Keep your child up-to-date on all recommended vaccines, such as the influenza, COVID-19, pertussis, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), and pneumococcal vaccines. Ask your doctor which vaccines are right for your child.