Treatment for Asthma in Children
Once the doctor has decided that your child does have asthma, it is time to classify the level of asthma. This helps the doctor prescribe the right types and amounts of treatment.
Your child’s asthma treatment should be part of an overall asthma management plan that you develop with his or her doctor. Treatment involves 3 areas, which are monitoring, medication, and prevention.
Many different medications are used to treat asthma in kids and do a good job of controlling the symptoms. These generally fall into 1 of 2 categories—quick-relief medicines and controller (or preventive) medicines.
Children, especially very young ones, often take asthma medicines in a nebulizer treatment. A nebulizer is a “breathing machine” that transforms liquid medicine into mist form so that it can be inhaled through a mask. This works well for infants and toddlers, though it may take some getting used to.
As a parent, you may be reluctant to have your child take medicine at such a young age. So, you may be interested in looking into more natural treatment methods. Some of these are showing promise, but it’s essential to discuss your options with your child’s doctor. No alternative or complementary treatments used for asthma in children have been shown to be as effective as the FDA-approved controller and rescue medications. Not treating childhood asthma effectively can be life-threatening.
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