Unlocking Control: How Childhood Education Holds the Key to Asthma Management

Asthma is the most common chronic disease among children and increasing in prevalence around the world. It currently affects more than 300 million people around the world. Furthermore, issues of underdiagnosis and undertreatment of childhood asthma persist.  According to Paediatric Respiratory Consultant Dr. Ranjan Suri, from the London-based hospital Great Ormond Street Hospital, parents need to be aware of the symptoms and if their child has asthma, should educate their child about the condition. 

Children can develop asthma at any age but is most commonly seen in primary school age group. Children have smaller airways than adults, which makes asthma a particularly serious disease for them. Asthma causes inflammation of airways in the lungs, causing them to become red, swollen and sensitive. This inflammation makes the airways vulnerable to episodes of difficulty in breathing, called asthma attacks, when people come in contact with ‘triggers’. Symptoms of asthma include wheezing, coughing, chest tightness and trouble breathing, especially early in the morning or at night. 

There are many triggers that brings on asthmatic symptoms. The common asthma triggers include  infections (flu, common cold), weather (changes in weather, cold air), allergens (dust, pollen, animal fur), irritants (cigarette smoke, air pollution) and exercise.

'Triggers vary from person to person and, depending on the specific triggers, parents may need to make some changes at home and in other environments to reduce the child’s exposure to triggers.'

Dr. Suri

Treatment is usually quite simple and in the form of inhalers. Many children will be prescribed a steroid inhaler to prevent symptoms and a salbutamol type inhaler (blue inhaler) to relieve symptoms. In some children, a red (Symbicort) inhaler can be used to prevent and treat symptoms. It is very important that parents supervise the child, whatever their age, every time the preventative, steroid inhaler is used, usually twice a day. This greatly improves asthma control and reduces the need for acute reliever (salbutamol inhaler) medication. 

Dr. Suri further explains that if asthma is left untreated, asthmatic children may have less stamina than others or avoid physical activities to prevent coughing or wheezing. Therefore, it is important to know when to consult a doctor. “If parents notice any wheezing, coughing, chest tightness or repeated episodes of bronchitis they should get their child checked by a doctor. The doctor will test for asthma by checking for the symptoms through a clinical examination.”

'It’s essential for children to know how to ask an adult for help and for the people who care for the child to know the asthma basics to make it easier for the child to talk about their triggers and warning signs'

Dr. Suri 

“Teaching the child about asthma is an important step in controlling their disease. It is important to teach them about their medication, why they have to take the medicine and how it helps,” Dr. Suri adds. “Then, as children become older, they can take the lead in controlling their own asthma.” A key way to do this is by ensuring that all children with asthma have an action plan. An action plan would ideally tell the child and their parents about the symptoms of asthma to look out for, when to take their asthma medicines, what to do when their asthma gets worse, what to do in an emergency as well as what their asthma triggers are.

Discussing the prognosis for children with asthma, Dr. Suri adds that asthma has no cure but some children will experience a reduction or complete disappearance of their symptoms as they grow older. “As children grow so do their airways, hence inflammation can go unnoticed. There is no cure for asthma, so it is managed through treatments that aim to improve symptoms and prevent attacks.”

Dr. Suri concludes that with the right care and right treatments, children can have a normal life, avoid missing school, enjoy being active and most importantly breathe easily.