Do You Suspect That Your Child Has Asthma? Here's How A Pediatrician Can Help Prevent Attacks And Manage Symptoms

Does your child suffer from severe coughing fits when he or she is playing sports, has a cold or during the night? These are potential signs of asthma in children; asthma is one of the most common chronic conditions affecting children, and it can severely affect their quality of life. It causes them to miss school, interrupts their sleep and can even be life-threatening if it is poorly-controlled. If you think your child has asthma, you should make an appointment with a pediatrician; during the appointment, tell your pediatrician how frequent the coughing fits are, whether or not they are accompanied with vomiting and bring up any potential causes that seem to trigger them.

Your Pediatrician Can Help Control Your Child's Asthma

While there is no cure for asthma, your pediatrician will help you formulate a plan to control your child's asthma, preventing asthma flare-ups and reducing its effect on his or her quality of life. Every child's needs are different, so the treatment plan will be tailored specifically to your child and will include regular check-ups to monitor your child's lung function and tailor medication as necessary to maximize the effectiveness of the treatment without causing unwanted side effects. The most common form of treatment currently is the use of corticosteroid inhalers; your pediatrician will teach you and your child how to use the inhaler correctly and safely.

Learn About Potential Triggers For Asthma Attacks

Preventing triggers also helps reduce the number of asthma attacks your child will experience; tell your pediatrician if your child's asthma seems worse during certain seasons or in certain environments, as allergens are a common trigger for asthma. In addition to airborne allergens, you should also pay attention to possible food allergens. Dairy, in particular, can often be a trigger for an asthma attack. Your pediatrician can help you come up with a plan to reduce allergen exposure in order to better control your child's asthma.

Deciding When An Asthma Attack Is A Medical Emergency

A very important part of an asthma control regimen is for you, your child and all of your child's caretakers to know the warning signs of a severe asthma attack. In these cases, you will need to take your child to the emergency room. Your pediatrician will tell you the signs to watch out for, such as extreme shortness of breath or an inability to talk without gasping for air. Your pediatrician may also recommend using emergency services if your child has a moderate asthma attack that does not respond to an inhaler.

If your child suffers from asthma, it's vitally important that you make an appointment with a pediatrician and devise a solution to keep your child's asthma well-controlled. Children who suffer from poorly-controlled asthma often miss days of school due to being sick, which can cause them to fall behind in their classes. In addition, it can prevent them from engaging in sports. Coughing fits during the night interrupt your child's sleep, causing him or her to lack energy during the daytime. A regimen from a pediatrician, such as at Kitsap Children's Clinic LLP, for controlling your child's asthma attacks will improve his or her quality of life and help prevent complications from this chronic condition.