Ways to Treat Asthma Among Children Below the Age of 11 Years

 

What is asthma? 

Asthma is an extremely common chronic condition. It affects nearly 10% of children and a large number of adults too. 

When someone has asthma, their airways go into spasm which causes tightness of the chest. The linings of the airways become inflamed and produce phlegm leading to extreme difficulty in breathing. 

Symptoms: 

1. Coughing is very common

2. Wheezing

3. Shortness of breath in adverse condition

4. Tightness in the chest that make it tough to breathe

5. To have an increase in sticky mucus and phlegm 

For children it becomes tough to handle such situations at times and they often feel bad about their condition. But there are few ways in which they can control their asthma and can lead a life which is not tough to lead. 

Let’s talk about these ways in detail. 

Ways to Treat Asthma Among Children Below the Age of 11 Years 

1. Monitoring asthma is very vital 

Having a proper track of asthma is very crucial in case of children. This track record will help their doctors in giving them proper treatment.

For children 5 years of age and older, doctors can diagnose and monitor asthma with the same tests used for adults, such as spirometry and peak flow meters. 

They measure how much air your child can quickly force out of his or her lungs, an indication of how well the lungs are working. This will help doctors in determining the level of medication a child needs as going wrong with medication can be extremely hazardous. 

2. Undergo proper asthma treatment

It is imperative for children having asthma to undergo a proper asthma treatment and not take the treatment frivolously. Children often stop taking such treatment and therapy seriously once they feel better but asthma can fire back and thus, treatment must go on. 

Things required during treatments: 

Inhaled corticosteroids: 

These are the most common long-term control medications for asthma. These anti-inflammatory drugs include: 

1. Fluticasone

2. Budesonide

3. Beclomethasone Ciclesonide

4. Mometasone 

Portable home oxygen concentrators 

These concentrators help in providing oxygen therapy at home without any hassle as they are lightweight and can be used easily at home. The best part about the usage of these concentrators is that there are certified technicians who can help you with the process of using these concentrators. 

These certified technicians have all the knowledge about the working of oxygen concentrators and will help you in receiving oxygen therapy at home. Moreover, they will also guide you about its utilization and set-up. 

Biologics 

Nucala, an injectable medication, is given to children every four weeks to help control severe asthma. Children age 6 and older may benefit from the addition of this therapy to their current treatment plan. 

3. Be calm and composed at the time of asthma attack 

It is crucial for you to stay calm at the time of an asthma attack as children get scared quickly and this can further worsen their situation. 

It is highly recommended to be calm as reducing the stress and keeping the casualty calm really helps them to control their symptoms. Panic can increase the severity of an attack. 

Take one to two puffs of the reliever inhaler (usually blue), immediately – using a spacer device if available.

Ask the child to sit down, loosen any tight clothing and encourage them to take slow, steady breaths. If they do not start to feel better, they should take more puffs of their reliever inhaler. 

Summary  

Children are sensitive and get scared quickly. That is why it is essential to maintain calmness around them at the time of an asthma attack. This will help them immensely in controlling the attack.