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Child Asthma: Managing Your Child's Asthma

While there is not yet a cure for asthma, you can take certain steps that can help you manage your child's asthma.

Recognize Asthma Triggers

Work with your child's physician to determine what is triggering their asthma attacks. Learn more about common asthma triggers.

Medications

Your child should take asthma medication as instructed by their physician. If your child's symptoms worsen, do not increase or decrease their medication without discussing these symptoms with their doctor. You may have to contact a physician, allergist or immunologist to form a new treatment plan.

Monitor Your Child's Asthma

The key to managing asthma is to take medications at the first sign of symptoms. Early symptoms could include coughing, tiredness and chest tightening. Additionally, many physicians choose to use a peak flow meter in monitoring asthma patients. A peak flow meter is a small, hand-held device used to measure how quickly air flows from the lungs. It can detect the narrowing of your child's airways, sometimes even before they begin to feel symptoms. This could signal the need for your child to take asthma medication and prevent an episode. Peak flow meters will determine if your child falls within the green zone (doing well), yellow zone (getting worse) or red zone (medical alert). For more information and instructions on how to use a peak flow meter, please consult your physician.

Create an Asthma Action Plan with Your Physician

Your asthma action plan should include emergency contact information, details on your child's condition, and instructions on what to do if your child falls within the green zone (doing well), yellow zone (getting worse) or red zone (medical alert) based on their peak flow meter readings. The American Lung Association provides a sample asthma action plan.