Author Archives: Jackie Aim

2 – 3 years old

Young girl drawing

© Crown copyright

  • At this age children will question everything and push their boundaries.
  • You still need to manage everything about their asthma, but they may question why they need more inhalers/medicine and sometimes they won’t be cooperative because they are too young to fully understand.
  • Children at this age need to have an instant reward or consequence for their behaviour. They won’t remember a few moments after why you are annoyed with them for not talking the inhalers.
  • Parents often have to be creative in finding ways to get children to take their medicine or inhalers. Some choose to make it into a game or get the child to practice using a favourite toy. Using positive rewards can help. Try using stickers so the child collects stars or similar on their daily chart when they have taken their medicine or inhaler. Give a reward and lots of praise when they have completed the task but avoid giving sweets. Try giving the child a choice of what game or activity they want to do after the medicine.
  • Sometimes children fight against taking inhalers. If you are having difficulty getting your child to take any inhalers you could try a technique called clinical holding. This technique can be challenging as you are setting parental boundaries which are important. If you need advice , see your  practice nurse, GP or pharmacist.

For children of all ages

The following pages are a guideline to what your child should be expected to cope with in relation to their asthma. You know your child better than anyone else so some of the age guidelines may vary from child to child.

  • Your child will need you to take them to regular appointments with their asthma team.
  • They will need regular reminders and supervision to take inhalers.
  • They will need you to arrange and collect their prescriptions.

Asthma warning signs at night

Information

  • Remember if your child’s asthma is getting out of control or an attack is coming on, an early sign may be waking at night with coughing or wheezing.
  • Follow your child’s action plan, give them 5 puffs of their blue reliever inhaler and check to see if it helps and how long for.
  • Seek medical advice day or night if you  think your child may be having an asthma attack

For more information on recognising the signs of asthma in your child see the topic ‘Warning signs of an asthma attack‘.

What about sleepovers?

Child's bed

Child’s bed

It’s fine to send your child for a sleepover as long as you have checked a few things first

  • Chat to the other parents who will be supervising the sleepover.
  • Make sure there are no pets in the house which are known triggers for your child (even if the pet left less than 6 months ago it can take that time for all the dander to be completely removed).
  • Make sure they can reduce other potential triggers such as aerosols, air fresheners.
  • Make sure you explain what inhalers and medicines your child needs, how to give them properly. Make sure you have asked that the other parents are happy to take on this responsibility. Leave a contact phone number where you can be reached.
  • If your child is well with no warning signs go ahead and enjoy the evening knowing your child is safe and well.
  • Remember a group of over excited children can be a trigger itself, so if you see any other early warning signs on the day of the sleepover, it may be best to reschedule to another date. No-one can know your child quite as well as you, and you don’t want a panicky call at 2am.

Other furnishings

Children on bunk beds

Children on bunk beds

  • Curtains attract more dust, try washable blinds if able.
  • Laminate floors gather less dust than carpets and can be easier for damp dust cleaning.
  • Avoid lower bunk beds as dust constantly falls on top of person in the bottom bunk. The dust includes dead skin cells which we all shed daily.
  • Fabric covered furniture and cushions in your living room can also be a source of dust mites. If your child is unwell resting or sleeping on this kind of furniture is not a good idea.

What you can try

Teddy bear in the freezer

Teddy in the freezer

Nobody can ever get rid of dust mites completely. The latest research shows there is very little that is effective in removing or reducing dust mites.

Some people with asthma have found attempts to reduce dust mites by house cleaning may help but so far this is not proven. If you want to try here are some things that you can do to try to cut down dust in the bedroom:

  • Dust using a damp cloth for all surfaces in the bedroom every day or so.
  • Vacuum the mattress and floors.
  • Change and wash all bed linen once a week.

There is no evidence that buying expensive air filters, ionisers, mattress covers ,washing soft toys or putting them in a  freezer would work.

British Thoracic Society/Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network (SIGN) guideline 158: British Guideline on Management of Asthma [pdf].

House dust mites

Dust mite

Dust mite

Children with allergic asthma are often extra sensitive to the house dust mite and their droppings.

  • The house dust mite can be found in every home no matter how often you clean. They are unavoidable, you will never fully get rid of house dust mites.
  • The dust mite levels are highest in the living room and bedrooms.
  • Dust collects on furniture, carpets and soft toys.

What can you do to help?

Brown inhaler

Brown inhaler

Some ways you can help are:

  • Remember to give your child their preventer in the evening.
  • Avoid bringing triggers into their bedroom such as aerosol sprays, plug in air fresheners, pets, cigarette smoke.
  • Keep room well ventilated.
  • Avoid anything which causes dampness such as drying clothes in bedrooms or using a humidifier. This can lead to mould which can make asthma worse.

Asthma at night

Child in bed coughing

Child in bed coughing

In the early hours of the morning everyone’s airways become a bit narrower and breathing is slower.

People without asthma don’t notice anything but children with asthma can find it harder to breathe at night.

If they have asthma they are breathing less easily at this time and may wake up with a night time cough and wheeze.

This can be a symptom of poorly controlled asthma but that doesn’t mean that there is always something in your child’s room causing their symptoms. It means that they have been in contact with a background trigger at some point during the day this could be pollens changes in weather, animals, colds etc.