Asthma is one of the most common chronic diseases in children in Germany and usually begins around the age of four. An age at which the small patients still need the whole family as a motivational aid. Here a balance should be found between a very consistent, but also self-evident handling of the disease.
What is asthma?
Asthma is a chronic respiratory disease with attacks of coughing and shortness of breath. The reason for this is an inflammation of the bronchial mucosa – caused by viral infections of the airways or allergic reactions to certain substances. During an attack, there is a spasmodic constriction of the bronchial tubes, and the inflamed bronchial mucosa forms more mucus. This, in turn, clogs the bronchial tubes.
Recognizing asthma in a child
Whether a child has asthma may not be so easy to recognize. Very young children in particular still have difficulty explaining exactly what they are suffering from. The following symptoms may give a clue:
- Frequent colds, which only slowly subside again.
- The child is floppy
- Long-lasting cough at night without the presence of a cold
- Coughing during physical exertion, when laughing, air pollution (for example, cigarette smoke, car exhaust), in cold weather or fog
- Whistling or humming sounds when breathing.
Important: If you suspect allergies, you should always consult a doctor with your child. Because if left untreated, they can progress to a chronic stage. Not infrequently, a so-called floor change takes place. This refers to the transition from one form of allergy to the next. A typical case is the change from a hay fever disease (nose) to asthma (bronchial tubes).
Asthma: how do I motivate my child?
Taking care of a child with allergies is a considerable burden for the whole family and demands a lot of consistency from the caregivers – occasionally even against the child’s resistance. After all, the child doesn’t always see why he or she has to take his or her medication, inhale and take regular measurements. Remember: Every child wants to be as “normal” as possible and to be treated “like the others”. Permanently, it may perceive the disease as exclusion. Tips:
- Do not put the sick child too much in the center of family events, otherwise he will feel even more affected. This weakens his stamina and resilience. In addition, what is known as illness gain can set in: The child learns that he gets a lot of attention in the event of a seizure and uses this consciously.
- Explain your child in detail about all treatment measures and consequences. After that, remain calm and consistent in all therapeutic actions and do not engage in evasive and delaying tactics. This will help the child to accept the irrevocability and self-evidence of the measure.
- Do not scold your child if he has deliberately not avoided the trigger(s) of his allergy and throws a fit. It is punished enough and will learn from this incident on its own. Strengthen his self-confidence so that he learns to deal with the disease on his own. This includes, for example, that the child performs as many hand movements as possible during therapy on his own. Do not forget an occasional (!) Praise.
Inhalation: Helpful, but unpopular
To the most popular therapy measures it does not belong, inhaling. Especially if the complaints are just low, the motivation to cooperate is often not too high. If the children are still very small, they may be afraid of the device. Then they should try to involve it in a game or give the device a funny name. It can be helpful to indicate the inhalation time by a funny animal alarm clock (that moos or cackles). Older children can be read to or play a quiet game while inhaling. If a child cannot be persuaded to inhale regularly, he or she may be able to switch to a metered-dose inhaler at the appropriate age. Ask your caring physician about this.
Monitoring success: Peak flow measurement
A simple way to monitor the success of asthma therapy is called peak flow measurement. It measures the volume of air during exhalation (in liters per minute). The higher the exhalation volume, the better. Because that means that the bronchi are wide.Again, try to find a playful way to use the device and let the child be as independent as possible when handling the device. Don’t just use it to monitor the medication, but incorporate it into positive experiences. For example, if the values improve more and more during sports, this gives the child a tremendous sense of achievement.
Helpful adjunctive therapies for asthma.
In addition to drug therapy, there are a number of alternative treatment methods in asthma treatment that support the treatment. For children in particular, they enable a much more active approach to the disease – in contrast to drug therapy.
- Climate change: actually no problem to spend the family vacation in a climate zone that is good for the child, for example sea air, high mountains or desert climate. It benefits not only from being allergen-free, but also from the stimulating climate.
- Respiratory therapy: it is mainly used to train the respiratory muscles in allergic asthma. The children (from preschool age) also learn to help themselves during an asthma attack. Physically, by adopting postures that facilitate breathing, or by using the so-called lip-brake when exhaling. Proper breathing techniques can also help reduce anxiety during an attack.
- Relaxation methods: In young asthmatics, the psyche plays a major role, because mental stress can trigger asthma attacks or negatively affect the course of the disease. Here, relaxation techniques such as autogenic training or progressive muscle relaxation can help.
- Training: there are also special training programs for children with asthma from preschool age. They are offered by allergy and asthma clinics and allergy outpatient clinics and provide extensive knowledge and independent handling of the disease.
Asthma and sports
Often children suffering from asthma are exempted from physical education, although this would not be mandatory. On the contrary, part of the treatment is to increase the condition. This is because regular exercise improves lung function, which also lowers the threshold for the occurrence of an asthma attack. A prerequisite for participation, however, is that the attending physician gives his or her approval and that the child is well adjusted with his or her medication. In addition, the child should always have his or her emergency medication with them. It makes sense for parents to have a discussion with the supervising teacher about what to do in an emergency.
Saying goodbye to your animal friend?
Again, what applies to all triggers is that only consistent refraining from contact can help. As difficult as it certainly is: if an animal hair allergy has been identified as the cause of the asthma, the animal in question should not be kept in the household. If the child absolutely does not want to separate from the animal, there is still the possibility of keeping it exclusively outside, which is possible, for example, with dogs and cats. In this way, they can reduce contact to a minimum.
Prevent asthma attacks
In addition to environmental stress, physical exertion as well as viral infections, allergens are often the triggers for asthma in children. Pollen, animal dander, food, dust mites, mold spores, food additives, and chemicals are the main triggers. Therefore, the only preventive measure is to avoid coming into contact with the triggers:
- Try to avoid constant infections of your child. This can not always be reconciled with his desire for social contact. An annual flu vaccination is advisable for all asthma patients.
- Refrain from smoking. It is a common trigger for asthma attacks.
- Make the apartment mite-proof in case of house dust allergy: 1) Better than carpets are smooth floors, for example, made of wood or stone, 2) Make sure that there are as few dust traps as possible in the apartment and especially in the children’s room, 3) Plush animals must be cleaned regularly (packed in a plastic bag for 24 hours in the freezer, then briefly wash out), 4) For the bedding there are special covers; pillows and blankets must otherwise be washed every four to six weeks at 60 degrees for at least one hour.
- Children who react to air pollution or have a pollen allergy should spend as little time as possible outside during heavy pollen counts or smog. At night, they sleep better with the window closed.
