Understanding Asthma
What is it?
Asthma is when the small airways in your child’s lungs get swollen and tight, making it harder to breathe. This can cause coughing, wheezing (a whistling sound when breathing), chest tightness, or shortness of breath. Some children only have symptoms with colds, while others have symptoms more often.
Common Types
- Occasional wheezing with colds (often in children under 2): Some kids wheeze only when they get sick. Many outgrow this, but if it happens often it may turn into asthma later.
- Ongoing or diagnosed asthma: Children who already have an asthma diagnosis may have flare-ups that come and go. These kids may also take a daily medicine to help keep symptoms away.
When to Manage at Home
✅ You can manage your child's Asthma at home when:
- Symptoms are mild (occasional cough or mild wheeze, no distress).
- Your child improves quickly after using their rescue inhaler (albuterol).
- Your child is breathing comfortably and can talk normally.
How to Treat at Home
🏠 Home remedies for Asthma:
- Give the rescue inhaler (albuterol) with a spacer if your child has symptoms. Repeat every 4 hours if needed, as long as they improve after each dose.
- Keep giving your child their daily asthma medicine if their doctor prescribed one.
- Avoid triggers like smoke, pets, pollen, strong smells, or cold air.
- Encourage your child to drink fluids.
- For children under 2 with colds, you can use saline drops and gentle suction if they are congested.
- If your doctor recommended it, give the rescue inhaler before sports or exercise.
Safe Medications
- Rescue medicine: Albuterol inhaler or nebulizer. This is the quick-relief medicine to use when your child has symptoms like coughing, wheezing, or chest tightness. Use as prescribed by your child’s provider, following their Asthma Action Plan.
- Daily controller medicine (if prescribed by your provider): Examples include Flovent or Pulmicort (inhaled steroids), Symbicort or Dulera (combination inhalers), or Singulair (a daily pill). These help prevent symptoms and should be continued every day if prescribed.
When to Contact Poppins
📱 Contact us again when:
- Your child has mild or moderate symptoms and you need guidance.
- You’re unsure about the difference between rescue and daily medicines.
- You’d like support with your child’s asthma action plan.
- You want follow-up after an ER visit or flare-up that is not an emergency.
When to Visit Your Pediatrician
🩺 Go to an in-person appointment when:
- This is your child’s first wheezing episode or you’re not sure if it’s asthma.
- Your child needs their rescue inhaler more than twice a week, or is waking at night from coughing or wheezing.
- Your child may need lung function testing (often done for kids over 5 years old).
- You want to review or update your child’s Asthma Action Plan.
When to Go to the ER
🚨 Seek immediate emergency care if your child is:
- Is gasping for air, struggling to speak, or can only say a few words at a time.
- Has blue or gray lips or fingernails.
- Has chest retractions (skin sucking in around the ribs/neck) or very fast breathing.
- Does not get better within 20 minutes of using their rescue inhaler.
- Looks listless, very tired, or suddenly worsens.
If your gut tells you something is wrong, don't hesitate to reach out. Need help? Reconnect with our on-demand team of medical staff available 24/7.
