Pediatric asthma treatment: Helping children with asthma breathe more easily

At Children’s Minnesota we know pediatric asthma is complicated and our experienced staff is devoted to helping children and their families understand and control asthma. At our primary care clinics, we work closely with families and children to come up with a treatment plan that works. So your child can get back to being a kid.

Getting to know your child

Asthma is a chronic lung disease with episodes or flare-ups that come and go. Symptoms may include:

• Coughing
• Wheezing
• Shortness of breath
• Chest tightness

Each child’s asthma symptoms may be different and the triggers, things that make asthma worse, may be different. It is important to know what your child’s asthma symptoms and triggers are.

Whether your child’s asthma triggers are exercise, smoke, or having a cold, every child needs their own plan to control asthma—one that fits their individual needs. That’s why we spend time with each child, getting to know what makes your child’s asthma worse, so we can figure out how to make it better.

What to expect during the asthma check-up

During an asthma check-up, we will:

• Review of the history of symptoms and family history
• Complete an asthma control test to determine if your child’s asthma is under control
• Complete a breathing test (spirometry) for kids over 5 years of age
• Allergy testing, if necessary
• Develop an asthma action plan. An asthma action plan is a set of instructions that you and your doctor create to help you control your asthma. Action plans will outline what to do if you have a flare-up, what medicines you need to take, and when to call a doctor or go to the emergency room.
• Give the tools needed to deliver asthma medicine, such as spacers for your inhaler or a nebulizer machine
• Provide education around:
  • Basics of asthma
  • Asthma medicines
  • How to use inhalers
  • Asthma triggers and how to avoid them
  • What to do during a flare-up and when to seek help

In addition, patients and families can access the full range of services and resources such as child life, social workers, financial counselors and interpreters.