You will know that when your child has asthma, the rest of the family may also be affected in some way and the whole family has to accept are living with the changes this may bring. Each family member can be affected in different ways. As a parent you want to do the best for all […]
Some people with asthma find they feel at their worst first thing in the morning. You may not have slept well, you may be bothered by secretions. You may feel your muscles are stiff or sore until you get moving again. Take your peak flow measurements before using your inhaler. Have your inhalers beside your […]
“Ongoing friendship and mutual support from joining local groups “ “The way to keep moving forward is to talk to others living with same condition” “Look on internet, but only at the good stuff, as lots of scary stuff out there!” “In some situations you’re in, it can be hard not to become angry… what […]
How do you identify the source of your child’s breathlessness? If your child is breathless – sit them down. Zone into their breathing and note what they are feeling. Carry out your child’s breathing control exercises for 2 minutes. If they still feel breathless follow their asthma action plan and help them to take their […]
Your child’s normal breathlessness caused by activity or exercise. Breathlessness related to your child’s anxiety. Breathlessness caused by a tendency to reactive airways / asthma.
Exacerbations of asthma are mainly caused by respiratory viruses and bacteria which lead to increased inflammation and chest infections. The two vaccinations recommended for patients with asthma are: Influenza (flu) vaccine (all people with asthma every year). Pneumococcal vaccine (recommended for people with severe asthma and for anyone with asthma over the age of 65 […]
Self management is about growing in confidence and gaining new skills, to help you manage your child’s condition. Eventually as your child gets older, they will be able to take over and learn to self manage their asthma. This will be done with support from your health care professionals, carers and family. This does not […]
Asthma is a condition that affects the lungs. It causes swelling and narrowing of small tubes that carry air in and out of the lungs causing shortness of breath, cough or wheeze. There is no cure for asthma but the symptoms can be well controlled with treatment and avoiding irritants (triggers) that make it worse. […]
Estimates vary but around 1 in 11 or 1 in 13 children in the UK have asthma. This means the majority of children with wheeze caused by viruses will ‘grow out’ of their symptoms by school age. Children with asthma are often wheezy and have symptoms even when they don’t have a cold, for example […]
Colds are very common in young children. Viruses or infections are often associated with wheezing in pre-school children. Only very few of these children will go on to have asthma. Coughs and colds are a frequent trigger for wheezing in asthma. Asthma might be considered if chest infections do not improve after antibiotic treatment especially […]
