Being a parent is a huge responsibility and a great joy at the same time. The little ones change your life entirely; their happiness becomes your ultimate goal. You always want to see your child healthy. Children are sensitive to allergies and diseases as their immune system isn’t fully developed. So, compared to an adult children need more care and attention when it comes to health issues.
Asthma is one of the most common health issues among children and it is really critical for parents to understand the condition in order to be able to raise a child with asthma. As a parent you need to comprehend that your child needs different care and treatment than a normal child if he is suffering from Asthma. Basically, your child has a twitchy bronchi & bronchioles causing narrow airways and therefore difficulties in breathing.
This (Asthma Attack) might happen frequently if you don’t understand the condition completely because then you won’t be able to keep your child away from what triggers these attacks.
Dr. Promilla Butani, a child specialist doctor in Delhi, guides you how to prevent asthma attacks and not to panic every time your child goes through it.
1. Recognize the Triggers
This can be tricky because the factors that trigger asthma are different for every individual. Most of the pediatricians suggest that parents can easily figure out the asthma triggers if they pay attention to their child and notice the situation when a child feels breathless. There can be many different reasons/factors which cause asthma attack such as cold and flu, allergens, exercise and other physical activities, strong smells, temperature, food allergy, smoke are the most common factors. If you succeed to find out the triggers you can prevent your child from the asthma attacks or at least control the frequency
2. Keep a record
As mentioned earlier, recognizing the triggers of asthma can help you a lot in prevention, as a child specialist my advice is to keep a record in your diary every time you notice a trigger or a specific condition that reflects symptoms of asthma in your child. And like every doctor would say – recognizing the root of problem solves the half of it. You can also keep of how often your child gets these attacks and all this information shall be shared with your pediatrician as it would guide you both to come up with a plan to ensure maximum prevention for your child.
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3. Consult an Asthma specialist
Your pediatrician can advice you about various aspects of raising your child with asthma including diagnosis & emotional front but a doctor who specializes in asthma treatment will prescribe the right kind of medical attention for your child and help you manage their asthma
4. The right kind of Atmosphere
As a parent the first and the foremost point to be taken care of at home is to keep it clean always! All household items shall be dusted regularly because the small dust particles and dirt is one of the major triggers of asthma. Beds & carpets need the most attention as dust can be easily accumulated there.
Also, don’t allow your family members or guests to smoke in your home and other places like your car as the smoke may leave your kid breathless.
In winter, when it is cold outside the air becomes dry and dry air can lead to excessive coughing and eventually an asthma attack. You can use a humidifier to keep the air moist.
5. Ensure sufficient water intake
If you are thinking what water has to do with asthma, let me tell you that drinking sufficient amount of water keeps our body hydrated therefore less breathing problems. As an experienced child specialist I recommend you to encourage your child to drink lots of water throughout the day. You can also use fruit & herbs infused water to make it tasty and interesting for your kid.
6. Take care of their diet
A healthy body needs healthy eating habits and when it is asthma, you need to take special care of your child’s eating habits. This means avoiding fried foods and foods with artificial additives and including vitamin C in their diet. Vitamin C is proved to be effective in controlling asthma in children especially when it is preceded by cold or flu. Therefore, high intake of Vitamin C can relieve asthma to a great extent.
7. Say No to Pets
Children and pets are a lovely combination and they are quite likely to enjoy each other’s company. No matter how bad your child wants to adopt a pet but if he is suffering from asthma, as a parent it is your responsibility to not have a pet because pet hair and saliva have adverse effects on a child suffering from asthma.
Hope this information comes in handy for all you parents out there who are dealing with child’s asthma. If you have more doubts or questions to ask kindly feel free to get in touch at info@drpromillabutani.com.