Today World Asthma Day is celebrated, a special date to become aware of this inflammatory disease of the respiratory tract that has become, thanks to its increase in recent years, the most common chronic disease in children. According to data from the Spanish Society of Pulmonology and Thoracic Surgery (SEPAR), asthma affects a 12 percent of children.
Promoting self-care and keeping those factors that trigger the disease in children at bay is essential for them to have a better quality of life. We have summed up here Eight tips to control asthma in children.
Remove asthma triggers from home, such as pollen, mold, house dust mites, the skin of cats, dogs and rodents, bird feathers, etc.
Avoid smoking in front of children and protect them from smoke environments. This advice also includes the period of pregnancy, since the children of smoking parents are at greater risk of developing the disease in childhood.
Practice exercise and sports outdoors: contrary to what one might believe, physical activity and asthma are not incompatible, since regular and moderate physical activity acts beneficially on the immune system and can reduce allergic inflammation.
Avoid sad and stressful situations for children as it has been shown that stress aggravates childhood asthma
Pay attention to the first symptoms of asthma (difficult breathing, occasional wheezing in the chest, chest tightness or cough) to prevent a more serious crisis.
Follow the treatment correctly in the dose, frequency and duration indicated by the doctor. It is important not to interrupt the medication and educate the child about the correct administration of the inhalers.
Before a crisiss, reassure the child, place him sitting in a comfortable posture (preferably with his arms resting on a table), apply the medication and make him breathe with pursed lips and using the abdomen.
Raise awareness of the child's asthmatic condition: Like children with allergies or food intolerances, help your child live with the disease and communicate it when you are or when it is not with you.
