Creating an Effective Asthma Regimen for Kids to Reduce Stress
Raising a child with asthma is no easy endeavor. Being that asthma is the most common chronic disease among children, many parents out there find themselves experiencing considerable worry about this condition. From constantly watching for symptoms and remembering to administer medications, and trying to creating a sense of normalcy while balancing risks, there's a lot to manage. What's more, recent research also suggests that increased parental stress is associated with exacerbated asthma symptoms in children. For children that require daily medication, integrating that into the day becomes important for their health, and peace of mind for the whole family.
Establishing an Asthma Regimen
Establishing an asthma regimen within a child's current routine can be one of the best ways to reduce day-to-day stress over medication. When it comes to preventative asthma medications, consistency is also key to controlling symptoms over time.
Planning for Emergency Care
A significant part of parental stress with asthma stems from the desire to protect kids and to constantly monitor them, especially when apart. One way to help moderate this concern is to create awareness of emergency warning signs. Both caregivers and children should be aware of warning signs like gasping for air, extremely deep breaths in, trouble speaking, and persistent coughing or wheezing. These symptoms could signal the need for a quick relief medication or further care, so practice with your child what to do and how to get help at school or elsewhere. If these symptoms happen often or change in severity/frequency, bring it up to your child's medical provider.
