The symptoms of asthma for most children include coughing, wheezing and difficulty breathing, and they may be brought on or triggered by having a cold, changes in the weather, exercise or exposure to cigarette smoke, pollen, mold, animals, and pollution. If you can learn the things that trigger your child's asthma problems, it can help to avoid them, although finding triggers is often difficult.
Asthma is usually easy to diagnose in a child who is wheezing and having trouble breathing, but it becomes more difficult if the child only has a cough, or cough variant asthma. You should suspect that your child may have asthma if he has a chronic cough that is worse at night or when he is running and playing, even if he never seems to wheeze.
Asthma Treatments
The main treatment when your child is coughing or wheezing and having trouble with his asthma is to use a bronchodilator, such as Albuterol, Proventil, Ventolin or Xopenex (a newer medication). These are also called 'quick relief' or 'reliever' medications. Except for Xopenex, which is only in a nebulizer form, these medications are available for use with a nebulizer, metered dose inhaler, or syrup. Younger children may be able to use a metered dose inhaler with a spacer and mask.These medications are usually used on and as needed basis. If you are usually them regularly, on a weekly or daily basis, then your child's asthma is likely being poorly controlled and he would benefit from preventative medications.
During an asthma attack many children also have to take an oral steroid, such as prednisone, prelone or Orapred, a newer, better tasting form of an oral steroid.
Asthma Prevention
The goal of treating asthma is that your child be symptom free and able to perform his normal activities. Asthma should not usually limit your child's activities, unless he is having an asthma attack at the time.In addition to avoiding triggers, asthma is prevented by taking a daily preventative medications. These include steroids, such as Flovent, Pulmicort, Aerobid, and Azmacort, which are used every day, even when your child is having no asthma symptoms. These are available as metered dose inhalers and newer dry powder inhalers. Pulmicort is also available in a form (Pulmicort Respules) that can be given with a nebulizer, which is convenient for younger children. Other preventative medications include long acting bronchodilators, such as Serevent and Foradil. These are also usually taken twice a day, even if your child isn't having symptoms.
Advair is a newer medication that combines a steroid, Flovent, and long acting bronchodilator, Serevent, into on easy to use dry powder inhaler. Available in three strengths, the usual dose is one inhalation twice a day.
The other main type of preventative medication is the leukotriene modifiers, such as Singulair (available as a chewable tablet for younger children) and Accolate.
If your child is already on a preventative medication and continues to need to use a 'reliever' medication on a regular basis, then your child likely needs to take another preventative medication or a higher dosage of his current medications. For example, if he is already taking Advair 100/50, then he may need to be increased to a higher dose, such as the 250/50 form of Advair, and/or Singulair might be added to his treatment plan.
