Asthma and Your Child

Is there anything I can do to help my child avoid asthma attacks?

 

You can help your child avoid asthma attacks by keeping him or her away from triggers (also called allergens) that can start an asthma attack. Here are examples of triggers:

• Inside the house, dust mites and mold are the biggest allergen problems.
• Some children are allergic to animal dander (dry skin, feathers and fur bits).
• Cigarette smoke can also cause asthma attacks.
• Pollen is the biggest problem outdoors.

How can I keep my child away from these asthma triggers?

You can reduce the asthma triggers in your home by following these steps:

1. Cover your child's mattress, pillows and box spring with an airtight vinyl or nylon case that zips shut.
2. Remove carpets from your home, and use a damp mop to clean linoleum or wood floors. You may use throw rugs that can be machine washed.
3. Instead of drapes and cloth-covered furniture, use washable curtains or vinyl shades and furniture you can wipe with a damp cloth, especially in your child's bedroom.
4. Wash sheets, blankets and pillows, throw rugs and stuffed animals often, using hot water to kill dust mites.
5. Use pillows or comforters filled with polyester instead of feathers.
6. Use cotton or acrylic blankets that can be machine washed. Don't use wool blankets unless they can be machine washed.
7. Keep the humidity in your house below 50% when possible. Dust mites and mold grow best in damp areas. You may have to use a dehumidifier or an air conditioner to keep the humidity low.
8. Wipe bathroom surfaces with a solution of bleach and water, and use bleach to clean in the basement and other damp areas to reduce mold and mildew. Try to keep fresh air flowing into these areas, and use a dehumidifier to keep the air dry.
9. Try not to have pets with fur or feathers, or at least keep them out of your child's bedroom. If you have cats or dogs, shampoo and brush them often (outside of the house).
10. Keep your child's bedroom windows closed to keep pollen out.
11. Use a clothes dryer instead of hanging the laundry outside, to keep pollen from getting on clothes and sheets.
12. Don't smoke cigarettes, pipes or cigars in your home or allow anyone else to smoke there. Help your child stay away from cigarette smoke in other places. Teach your child never to smoke.

How can I tell if my child's asthma is serious?

 

Have your child use a peak flow meter every day. A peak flow meter measures how well air gets out of your child's lungs. People with asthma have lower air flow in and out of their lungs than other people. Measuring peak flow levels can help you see problems with your child's air flow before he or she has any symptoms of asthma.

A meter also helps tell you and your doctor how serious your child's asthma attack is. You'll be able to see when your child should take more medicine or when you need emergency care for your child. The peak flow readings may also help you find the triggers that make your child's asthma symptoms worse.

 

How is a peak flow meter used?

 

To use a peak flow meter, your child should follow these steps:

1. Move the indicator to the bottom of the numbered scale.
2. Stand up.
3. Take a deep breath.
4. Close his or her lips around the mouthpiece of the flow meter. The tongue should not go inside the tube.
5. Blow out as hard and fast as possible.

The indicator on the flow meter will move up. Write down the number where it stops. Have your child repeat steps 1 through 5 two more times. Write down the highest of the three numbers on the peak flow meter record chart.

Your doctor will tell you when to have your child use the peak flow meter and how to find out your child's "personal best" score. The personal best score is the highest score your child gets in two weeks of recording, when the asthma is under good control. After you know your child's personal best score, you compare the daily peak flow score with the personal best score.

 

What is the peak flow zone system?

 

Once you know your child's personal best peak flow score, your doctor can tell you how to do the next step. Peak flow scores are put in "zones" like the colors in traffic lights.

• Green Zone: This is a score that is 80% to 100% of the personal best score. It signals all clear. No symptoms are present, and your child can use medicines as usual.
• Yellow Zone: This is a score that is 50% to 80% of the personal best score. It signals caution. Your child may need extra asthma medicine. Follow your doctor's written instructions or call your doctor for advice.
• Red Zone: This is a score that is below 50% of the personal best score. It signals a medical alert. You should have your child use an inhaler right away. Call your doctor right away for more advice.

Below is a sample of a peak flow meter record chart. You would mark your child's daily scores on a similar graph to see whether your child's asthma is in the green zone, the yellow zone or the red zone.

Adapted from "Teach your patients about asthma. A clinician's guide."

Sample peak flow chart Adapted from "Teach your patients about asthma. A clinician's guide." Bethesda, Md.: National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, 1992; DHHS publication no. 92-2737.

(Rev. January 2000)

This handout provides a general overview on this topic and may not apply to everyone. To find out if this handout applies to you and to get more information on this subject, talk to your family doctor.

Visit familydoctor.org for more useful information on this and many other health-related topics.

Permission is granted to reproduce this material for nonprofit educational purposes. Written permission is required for other uses, including electronic uses.

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