Asthma is one of the most common long-term conditions in children in the United States. Nationwide, around 4.9 million kids have asthma. Despite how common the problem is, it can be tough to know how to help your child if they’re dealing with symptoms, and it can be even more complex to understand how to get them to take their medications consistently.
If your child struggles to take their asthma medication, some tips can make a difference. Learn more about this respiratory condition and the most effective ways of getting your child to cooperate with treatment.
Understanding Asthma
Asthma is a chronic lung condition that causes your child’s airways to swell, narrow, and produce a significant amount of mucus.
One way asthma affects breathing is when the muscles around the airways constrict. These are bronchospasms, making it difficult to draw in breath and resulting in wheezing, coughing, and chest tightness.
Asthma can occur for numerous reasons, including exposure to allergens. Everything from pollen to cigarette smoke can trigger an attack.
Some children may experience symptoms after strenuous activity, like running, while others could start feeling symptoms if they breathe in very cold air or chemical smells, including perfume. Even stress could cause symptoms.
Childhood asthma can cause signs that include:
- Wheezing
- Coughing
- Chest tightness
- Rapid breathing
- Flaring nostrils while breathing
- Lack of energy
In infants and toddlers, some of the signs to watch for include feeding problems, panting or other forms of rapid breathing, and retraction, which refers to the sinking of the skin below or between the ribs or above the breastbone when the toddler breathes. You may notice wheezing, but it’s generally not as obvious in younger children.
Asthma Treatments
The treatment of asthma in children usually relies on inhalers. These devices contain steroids that reduce inflammation and open up the airways. Nebulizers are also helpful. They spray a fine mist of medication via a mask that your child wears on their face. Some medications may work better with a nebulizer than with an inhaler.
There may also be maintenance treatments, involving inhalers or antihistamines. These need to be taken regularly, which can be a challenge for children.
Tips for Giving Your Child Asthma Medicine
Giving your child asthma medication via an inhaler requires that they sit or stand upright and keep their head up but not tilted. Your child’s pediatric pulmonary expert will usually recommend that you use a spacer with the inhaler to help the medicine reach as deeply into your child’s lungs as possible.
As simple as these instructions may sound, giving your child medication can be a challenge if they don’t feel like cooperating. That is why some strategies can make a difference.
Offer Options
One of the best ways of engaging your child with the process is to show them that they have some control over the treatment. For example, offer them the choice of holding the spacer or the mask themself or letting you do it.
Gently remind them that the treatment is not optional but that they can make active decisions about what they can do while they’re getting their nebulization. This can offer some degree of control.
Stick to a Routine
It can help your child prepare for treatments if they know when they’ll occur. If they have maintenance pills or inhalers, giving them every day around the same time is vital. This can reduce stress and make them feel like it’s a regular daily task instead of something that breaks the routine.
For longer treatments, like nebulizations, it can also be helpful to offer a visual guide of how long the process will take. Set a timer so that they don’t have to wonder about how many minutes are left.
Use Simple Language
Explain clearly to your child what the medications do and how they can help the symptoms. Don’t rely on medical terms but simplify what the medications do instead.
Often, you can find this information on the drug’s box or instructions, but if not, your provider can help. They may have pamphlets made specifically for children or for parents who want to explain the process to their children.
When your child takes their medication, offer praise. Giving clear signals that they have done the right thing makes it much more likely that they will continue to cooperate.
Consider Incentives
It could also be helpful to use first/then statements to incentivize them. For example, you can say something like, “First, you use your inhaler, and then, you can get a sticker.”
Another option is to keep an asthma diary to track treatments and offer stickers or other similar ways of decorating it for each day that they participate in their treatment.
These incentives not only help ensure that your child keeps up with their treatment but also that they start associating it with something positive.
Establishing a positive association creates good habits they can depend on for the rest of their lives.
Explain the Triggers to Watch For
An important aspect of asthma treatments is understanding what can trigger an attack. It will be up to you to explain these triggers in a way your child understands.
Some children do very well with visual cues, like flashcards showing an image of their triggers, for example. This knowledge will help your child feel that they have some control over their condition since they know what they should avoid.
Address Your Child’s Asthma With Help From Newport Children’s Medical Group
If your child has recently been diagnosed with asthma or you’ve been struggling with ensuring they take their medications, speaking with your child’s pediatrician is vital. They will be able to offer guidance and assist you in explaining to your child what the medication does and why they need to take it regularly.
At Newport Children’s Medical Group, our team of pediatric pulmonary experts provides the support you need to help your child. Contact our team to schedule an appointment.