Asthma is a common problem in children, and its effects can be serious. When your child has difficulty breathing, it’s scary for your child and for you. Your pediatrician can help treat and manage your child’s asthma, so you can both breathe easier.

It's easy for you to feel powerless when your child has an asthma attack, but there are tips and techniques you can try to manage your child’s asthma. The first step in managing your child’s asthma is to have your child tested for allergies. An allergic response to a substance can often bring on an asthmatic episode.

When you know what your child is allergic to, your child can try to avoid exposure to the substance. After allergy testing, your pediatrician may recommend allergy shots or sublingual immunotherapy drops to limit your child’s allergy symptoms.

Along with allergy treatment, your pediatrician will also treat your child’s asthma with:

• Short-term rescue inhalers
• Long-term asthma medications

Other important tips to modify your child’s environment to prevent asthma include:

• Using hypoallergenic sheets and pillowcases
• Vacuuming frequently or consider switching to hardwood floors
• Dusting furniture and other areas frequently
• Installing an air purifier in your house
• Keeping pets off of furniture and out of your child’s bedroom
• Keeping doors and windows closed in spring and summer

Even with the best precautions, asthma flare-ups happen. An asthma attack can become a life-threatening emergency, so be sure to contact emergency services if your child is:

• Unable to speak due to breathing difficulties
• Severely gasping and wheezing, even with medications
• Breathing so deeply that their chest gets sucked underneath their ribcage

Your child doesn’t have to be controlled by asthma, and it helps to have an action plan in place in the event of an asthma attack. Your pediatrician can help you be prepared. To find out more about managing your child’s asthma and how your pediatrician can help, talk with your pediatrician today.