A diagnosis of asthma in your child might seem like devastating news, but you can manage and treat this condition with the professional care and guidance of a pediatrician in Westminster. Your child’s pediatricians will be your go-to resource for information about preventing attacks, treating symptoms, and getting the care that your child needs. Consider the following ways in which a pediatrician can help with the management of childhood asthma.
Making an Asthma Action Plan
When your child is first diagnosed with asthma, the team at a practice of pediatrics in Westminster, such as Indian Crest Pediatrics, may create an asthma action plan. This plan looks like a stoplight, with green for everyday asthma management, yellow for when your child is having trouble breathing, and red in case your child has an emergency. The plan provides you with specific action steps to take at each stage. Your child’s green stage might include taking daily medication to inhibit allergies and using a preventive inhaler to open up the breathing passages.
Monitoring Your Child’s Symptoms
Your child’s pediatrician may want to see your child every 1 to 3 months for monitoring, especially if your child has frequent asthma attacks, is young or has other chronic health conditions. These visits might also include guidance from a respiratory therapist or a pediatric allergist. Your child’s doctor might ask you to maintain a journal of your child’s asthma symptoms for 30 to 60 days. The physician might also ask you questions about how any medications are affecting your child, such as causing hyperactivity or sleepiness.
Working With Your Child
As your child gets older, he or she will become a partner in his or her own care. You, your child and the pediatrician will all work together with asthma management. This becomes especially important as your child gets old enough to administer his or her own inhaler or medication. If your child is becoming active in after-school activities like soccer or track, asthma management might also include working with coaches to monitor symptoms. The pediatrician may ask your child to monitor his or her own symptoms and to report any changes in frequency or severity.
Sources
How Is Asthma Treated and Controlled?, www.nhlbi.nih.gov
Asthma, www.aaaai.org
