A child with asthma can be a scary prospect for many parents; however, when you know what to do and when to do it, it becomes a far easier issue to deal with. Here are a few of he best asthma care tips for parents.

Air Purifier

The first thing you should invest in if you haven’t already is an air purifier for asthma. In simple terms, air purifiers suck in the dirty air in your home, and then expel clean air, improving the overall air quality of your space.

Considering asthma can be triggered by dust, pollen, pollution, and other airborne contaminants, having a way to keep the air in your home clean will give your child the best chance at avoiding a flare-up.

Identify & Avoid Triggers

Another crucial step is to identify and avoid any triggers your child may have. While this can be difficult, as your child can come across a new trigger when you least expect it, it is important to keep track of the ones you do know.

When you do this, it is much easier to avoid them, and if you can’t avoid them, at the very least, you will have a plan in place to deal with the potential flare-up.

Have an Action Plan

An action plan is a critical part when you are a parent to a child with asthma. This plan will include the steps you take when there is a flare-up, a full-on attack, and, in the worst-case scenario, getting to a hospital.

Your doctor should be part of this action plan, as they should include the medicines to take, when to take them, what to change during/after a flare-up, etc. Having an effective action plan can be the difference-maker during a difficult flare-up.

Identify Flare-Up Signs

Identifying flare-up signals is another simple yet important step to take. The benefits of this are obvious; when you can identify the signs of an oncoming flare-up, you can deal with them immediately and effectively.

It is also important to teach your child about these flare-up signs, so that when they are at school or a friend’s house, they can tell an adult and the flare-up can be dealt with.

Humidifier

Another appliance to purchase for your child’s bedroom is a humidifier. These nifty devices put moisture back into the air, and can help soothe the airways and lungs. Not only are they perfect for flare-ups, but also for everyday use.

You can also get personal humidifiers, which are perfect for travelling and keeping in the car, and can easily be used if there is a flare-up or your child is struggling to breathe and you aren’t at home.

Clean the House Regularly

While this is probably obvious to many, don’t underestimate the power of cleaning your house regularly, especially when it comes to dusting and vacuuming. Simply put, dust and pollen can cause flare-ups, and both dusting and vacuuming can lower these contaminants.

Always dust first, and dust from top to bottom to make all the dust land on the floor, then vacuum. If you have carpets, it is always best to do a deep clean at least once a month, as most vacuums can’t get into the deep nap of carpets.

Encourage Exercise/Physical Activity

Another thing to encourage is physical activity or exercise. This is down to the fact that if your child’s lungs are stronger, they are in a better position to deal with flare-ups and severe asthma attacks.

While this should be monitored, as too much activity can cause a flare-up, physical movement should be part of your child’s everyday schedule.

Keep Emergency Medicine in Stock

While you will have a good amount of your child’s regular medicine, it is always best to keep an emergency bag with medicine on the side that you don’t use unless it is needed. This ensures that no matter what, you always have exactly what you need, when you need it.

Best practice would include having one of these emergency packs in your home, and in your car. If your child’s asthma is very serious, asking their school to keep one in their office would also be a brilliant idea, and can avoid the need for them to call you, clarify what to do, which medicine to give your child, etc.

Asthma Diary

Another small step to take is to create an asthma diary. This handy notebook can help you keep track of flare-ups, the severity of the flare-up, the trigger, etc. This then allows you to predict when a flare-up will occur, thus allowing you to be more prepared for it.

While it may not always be accurate or useful, it is still something to do regularly and keep track of. It can also be a good thing to give to teachers or other parents when your child goes on a school outing, camping trip, or stays with a friend.

In conclusion, these tips are some of the best to remember when you have a child with asthma. Not only can they help you with everyday issues you may have, but also with flare-ups and when an asthma attack gets severe.