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A peek inside their chest: preventing asthma attacks in children
Navigating your child’s asthma during the current healthcare crisis

Are you worried about your child’s asthma during the NHS crisis? As healthcare staff and resources
become more strained many parents are finding themselves worrying about needing emergency care
for their children. While childhood asthma is a common condition, the possible short- and long-term
complications should not be undermined. According to the NHS, asthma attacks kill 3 people every
day and someone has a potentially life threatening asthma attack every 10 seconds. A large
proportion of this is made up of children and teenagers. But with the right care, asthma can be
managed, and asthma attacks can be prevented. There are proactive steps to take to reduce asthma
attacks and work with your healthcare provider to ensure your child receives the care they need.
Shukri, mother of 11-year-old Abdullatif says an asthma action plan saved her sons life. “Abdullatif
was playing football in the back garden of a friend’s house one Saturday afternoon in February. The
cold weather and the exercise must have triggered an asthma attack, but thankfully his friend’s mum
Wafaa was aware of his severe asthma and even without a medical background was able to
recognise the signs, notified us and immediately took him to the nearest emergency department
where he was treated with inhalers. She saved my sons life that day.”. Shukri had mentioned the
asthma action plan to Wafaa as she had been advised by the asthma nurse to inform friends and
family and says, “I now make sure that I always have a picture of the action plan on my phone to
show or send it to others easily”.
What is an asthma action plan?
A guide written with the help of a healthcare provider to help someone with asthma manage their
condition. You can also find a free form on asthmaandlung.org.uk and fill it in with your doctor or
nurse. The form includes information about triggers and contact details of the doctor/ asthma nurse
looking after your child. It can be shared with friends, family, your child’s school, or even printed out
and hung up on the fridge at home. It aims to help people recognise the symptoms of an asthma
attack early and act before it gets worse. Importantly, the form is divided into a green, yellow, and
red zone which easily helps tell the user the severity of the child’s asthma and what action to take. In
Abdullatif’s case, he was wheezing and finding it hard to speak which indicated to Wafaa that he was
in the red zone. This prompted her to encourage him to use his blue inhaler, contact his parents, and
call for an ambulance.
What else can I do?
It is important that your child is seen by the doctor/ asthma nurse yearly to provide guidance,
manage medications and keep the asthma action plan up to date. Other things to do include:
1. Stay up to date with vaccinations; did you know that children with asthma qualify for free
yearly flu vaccine? Contact your GP or your local pharmacist for more information.
2. Avoid triggers; if your child has known triggers such as allergies or smoke, do your best to
avoid those where possible.
3. Using inhalers; it is important that your child takes all their medications as prescribed. Make
sure that they take the preventer medication (brown inhaler) regularly even when symptoms
seem to be under control as this reduces future asthma attacks. If you are unsure about
inhaler use, information can be found on asthmaandlung.org.uk, or you can speak to your GP
or nurse.
4. Keep your home clean; dusting, vacuuming, and washing bedding regularly reduces allergens
in the home.
5. Follow the action plan; if symptoms are getting worse or your child is needing their reliever
inhaler more than usual, book an appointment with the asthma nurse before things get
worse.
It is important that children are supported with their medical condition. Having uncontrolled asthma
can limit children’s day-to-day experience and possibly negatively impact them in sports, play,
attending school and socialising with friends. A child with well controlled asthma however, can live a
near normal life where the only reminder they have of their condition is at the time of taking their
medication.
Empowering your child to take initiative
If your child is old enough, it is important to empower them to take initiative of their medical
condition. This can help them build their confidence and better manage their asthma in your
absence. When children understand their condition, they are more likely to make healthy choices
that prevent them from having asthma attacks. You can support your child to take these steps by
explaining what asthma is in simple terms or watching educational YouTube videos aimed at their
level together. It also helps to go through what the possible triggers are and how they can avoid
them. If your child has a phone or tablet, they could keep a picture of their action plan on there so
that they can refer to it and share it with their friends and teachers. Ensuring that your child is aware
of what an asthma attack is and how it might make them feel may help them recognise it early when
it does happen. Finally, it is important that your child knows how to use their inhaler correctly and
that they always carry their reliever (blue) inhaler with them in case they need it. Doing this can help
your child be more proactive in managing their condition which can reduce their asthma attacks and
improve their overall health.
What are the possible triggers?
Many things can trigger an asthma attack. Common triggers which you may already be aware of
include cold weather, exercise, and allergies such as pollen, dust mites or animal fur. Other triggers
include infections such as a cold or a flu. Smoke can also trigger an asthma attack. If there are
smokers in the household, it is advised that they do not smoke indoors as this reduces the child’s
exposure to the smoke. Humidity, mould, and damp can also worsen asthma for children. If this is an
issue, you can speak to your landlord or council for support. Lesser-known triggers for asthma
include emotions such as stress and certain medicines called “non-steroidal anti-inflammatory”
painkillers. Examples of these include ibuprofen and aspirin. Paracetamol is safe in asthmatics and
should therefore be used instead if your child does need a painkiller. Some children are more
sensitive to certain triggers than others, it is important to identify these and try to avoid them as
much as possible to help control your child’s asthma and reduce asthma attacks.
Fact or Myth?
Although asthma is a common condition, there are some common misconceptions around it. One is
that children with asthma should avoid exercise as it could trigger an asthma attack. Exercise is not
only beneficial for general health and growth of a child, but it also helps improve the health of the
lungs and reduces asthma symptoms in the long run. Consider notifying your child’s PE teacher that
your child may need more time to warm up and that they may need to avoid certain things such as
exercising in cold weather and high-intensity sports such as running to avoid asthma attacks. Another
misconception is that asthma is a psychological condition. Asthma is a long-term disease that affects
the lungs. While symptoms can worse because of stress, this is not the root cause for the disease.
While vitamins and supplements are good for your child’s overall health, there is no evidence that
they can cure asthma. This is another common misconception, and it is vital that you do not take
your child off prescribed medication to try herbal remedies without consulting your doctor or asthma
nurse as it may risk your child’s symptoms getting worse.
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A peek inside their chest: preventing asthma attacks in children

Navigating your child’s asthma during the current healthcare crisis

What is an asthma action plan?

What else can I do?

Empowering your child to take initiative

What are the possible triggers?

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