Asthma isn’t curable, but it is manageable. To better manage your child’s asthma, keep your child away from known triggers such as pet dander or cigarette smoke. And, educate yourselves on what to do if your child has an attack.

If your child is allergic to dust, you may need to remove the carpets or curtains in your home because that’s where dust lingers. And, if you smoke, going outside doesn’t help. The smoke is still on your clothes so it doesn’t take care of the problem. Quitting smoking is hard, but great for you and better for the child. It’s a win-win situation.

If your child has an asthma attack and has an inhaler, give your child two to four puffs, wait a few minutes, and give another two to four puffs. If you don’t see any improvement or if you don’t have an inhaler to begin with, call 911. If your child gets worse, there’s nothing you can do for him in the car.  But if you are in an ambulance they can give your child breathing treatments.