Overview

During an asthma attack (also called a flare-up), the airways swell and narrow. This makes it hard for your child to breathe. Severe asthma attacks can be dangerous. But you can help prevent these attacks by keeping your child's asthma under control and treating symptoms before they get bad. Symptoms include being short of breath, having chest tightness, coughing, and wheezing. Noting and treating these symptoms can also help you avoid trips to the emergency room.

If you notice that your child has any problems or new symptoms, get medical treatment right away.

How can you care for your child at home?

Follow an action plan

• Make and follow an Asthma Action Plan. It lists the medicines your child takes every day and will show you what to do if your child has an attack.
• Work with a doctor to make an Asthma Action Plan if your child doesn't have one. Make treatment part of daily life.
• Tell teachers and coaches that your child has asthma. Give them a copy of your child's Asthma Action Plan.

Take medications correctly

• Your child should take asthma medicines as directed. Make sure your child's inhalers aren't empty, ask your pharmacist if you're not sure. Talk to your child's doctor right away if you have any questions about how your child should take them. Most children with asthma need two types of medicine.
  • Your child may take daily controller (preventer) medicine to control asthma. This is usually an inhaled steroid.
  • Some inhalers have more than one type of medicine. Your child should take their medicine as explained in their Asthma Action Plan.
  • Your child will use a quick-relief medicine (reliever or rescue) when they have symptoms of an attack. This is often a salbutamol or Symbicort inhaler.
  • Make sure that your child has quick-relief (reliever or rescue) medicine (like Symbicort) with them at all times.
  • If your doctor prescribed steroid pills for your child to use during an attack, give them exactly as prescribed, until they are finished. It may take hours for the pills to work. But they may make the episode shorter and help your child breathe better.

Avoid asthma triggers

• Keep your child away from smoke and vapour. Do not smoke or vape or let anyone else smoke or vape around your child or in your house.
• Try to learn what triggers your child's asthma attacks. Then avoid the triggers when you can. Common triggers include colds, smoke (including smoke from wildfires), vapour, air pollution, pollen, mould (including snow mould), pets, cockroaches, stress and other strong emotions, and cold air.
• Make sure your child is up to date on immunizations and gets a yearly flu vaccine. Ask your child's doctor about the pneumococcal vaccine.
• If you or your child are around anyone with colds or the flu, wash your hands often.

When should you call for help?

Call 911 anytime you think your child may need emergency care. For example, call if:

• Your child has severe trouble breathing.

Call your doctor or nurse advice line now or seek immediate medical care if:

• Your child's symptoms do not get better after you've followed their Asthma Action Plan.
• Your child coughs up dark brown or bloody mucus (sputum).
• Your child has new or worse trouble breathing.
• Your child's coughing or wheezing gets worse.
• Your child has a new or higher fever.

Watch closely for changes in your child's health, and be sure to contact your doctor or nurse advice line if:

• Your child needs quick-relief medicine on more than 2 days a week within a month (unless it is just for exercise).
• Your child coughs more deeply or more often, especially if you notice more mucus or a change in the colour of the mucus.
• Your child is not getting better as expected.