When to See Your Provider
Your health care provider is part of your childs asthma action team. So are you and your child. The team works together to keep your childs asthma in good control so that he can be as healthy and active as possible.
Schedule regular asthma checkups.
You do everything you can to keep your child healthy. Part of that is maintaining regular asthma checkups. These visits are the time to talk about your childs current symptoms and about the amount of medicine she is taking. Because symptoms can change over time, the medicines your child takes may also need to change. Asthma checkups are an important way to learn about any new ways to manage your childs asthma, whether its different medicines or different ways to deal with your childs triggers. Ask your health care provider how often to schedule these routine appointments.
Dont hesitate to get emergency care.
Even with good asthma management, there can be times when your childs asthma gets out of control, and he has a breathing emergency. When this happens, get medical care immediately.
Call a health care provider right away if your child:
- Feels faint, dizzy, or weak.
- Has trouble doing a routine activity, such as a household chore or walking to school.
- Has wheezing when he breathes in or out, especially if this is different from usual breathing patterns.
Call 911 or go to the emergency room without delay when:
- Your childs wheezing gets worse even after you have given her medicine time to start working. (Most quick-relief medicines work within 15 minutes.)
- Your childs lips or fingernail beds are turning blue.
- Nostrils are flaring each time your child breathes in.
- The skin between the ribs or base of your childs throat looks like it stretches every time she breathes in.
- Talking or walking at a normal pace is difficult.
- Peak flow meter reading is in the red zone.
Ask your health care provider for an Asthma Action Plan to help you know about any other signs you should look for, so you can quickly tell when your child is having a breathing emergency.
