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Prevention
By Mayo Clinic staffCareful planning and steering clear of asthma triggers are the best ways to prevent asthma attacks.
- Limit exposure to asthma triggers. Be proactive in helping your child avoid the allergens and irritants that trigger asthma symptoms.
- Don't allow smoking around your child. Exposure to tobacco smoke during infancy is a strong risk factor for childhood asthma, as well as a common trigger of asthma attacks.
- Encourage your child to be active. As long as your child's asthma is well controlled, regular physical activity can condition the lungs to work more efficiently.
- See the doctor when necessary. Check in on a regular basis. Don't ignore signs that your child's asthma may not be under control, such as needing to use a quick-relief inhaler too often. Asthma changes over time. Consulting your child's doctor can help you make any needed treatment adjustments to keep symptoms under control.
References
- Robinson PD, et al. Asthma in childhood. Pediatric Clinics of North America. 2009;56:191.
- Liu AH. Childhood Asthma. In: Kliegman RM, et al. Nelson Textbook of Pediatrics. 18th ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Saunders; 2007. http://www.mdconsult.com/das/book/body/10te0024376-12/727446153/1608/440.html#4-u1.0-B978-1-4160-2450-7..50145-6--cesec11_3422. Accessed July 18, 2010.
- Stewart LJ. Pediatric asthma. Primary Care Clinics in Office Practice. 2008;35:25.
- Expert panel report 3 (EPR-3): Guidelines for the diagnosis and management of asthma. Bethesda, Md.: National Institutes of Health. http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/guidelines/asthma/06_sec3_comp3.pdf. Accessed July 13, 2010.
- Updated information on leukotriene inhibitors: Montelukast (marketed as Singulair), zafirlukast (marketed as Accolate), and zileuton (marketed as Zyflo and Zyflo CR). U.S. Food and Drug Administration. http://www.fda.gov/Drugs/DrugSafety/PostmarketDrugSafetyInformationforPatientsandProviders/DrugSafetyInformationforHeathcareProfessionals/ucm165489.htm. Accessed July 13, 2010.
- FDA drug safety communication: New safety requirements for long-acting inhaled asthma medications called long-acting beta-agonists (LABAs). U.S. Food and Drug Administration. http://www.fda.gov/Drugs/DrugSafety/PostmarketDrugSafetyInformationforPatientsandProviders/ucm200776.htm. Accessed March 8, 2010.
- Bukutu C, et al. Asthma: A review of complementary and alternative therapies. Pediatrics in Review. 2008;29:e44.
- Mark JD. Integrative medicine and asthma. Pediatric Clinics of North America. 2007;54:1007.
- Lands LC. Nutrition in pediatric lung disease. Paediatric Respiratory Reviews. 2007;8:305.
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