Asthma – Children, Young People & Families

Your child may have been given a Peak flow meter to monitor asthma symptoms or to diagnose asthma. Here is some information about peak flows and keeping a peak flow diary.

How to use a peak flow meter | Asthma + Lung UK
4th April 2023

Inhalers are an important treatment to help manage your child’s asthma. Sadly, there is not a permanent cure for asthma yet, although scientists and researchers are working hard on this. The treatment and medication that your doctor or nurse prescribes for your child’s asthma is to control symptoms and to keep your child as well as possible.

One type of inhaler is known as a preventer, and this contains a steroid to reduce inflammation of the airways and to keep that inflammation away – in other words, it helps to prevent asthma symptoms. Sometimes, young people, parents/carers have questions about the use of inhaled steroid medication: see Common concerns about your child’s asthma medicines; Asthma and Lung UK.

It’s important to remember that inhaled steroid medicine is usually the best way to treat your child’s asthma, lower their risk of symptoms and prevent asthma attacks.

The other inhaler is known as a reliever inhaler, this usually contains salbutamol and is often a blue inhaler. It is used to relieve symptoms when present.

Other common questions parents have about inhalers are how to know when an inhaler is empty or if inhalers are bad for the environment. The most frequently used inhaler prescribed for young children is a metered dose inhaler and should always be used with the correct Spacers.

The videos below will show you the correct technique for using an inhaler and a spacer:

How to use a spacer with a mask for a baby or child

How to use a spacer without a mask for a child

As your child gets older, if it suits them and if they have been shown how to use it and can demonstrate that they can use it effectively, they may be offered a dry powder inhaler device which is used without a spacer.

Here are three of the common ones for older children. The video will show you the correct way to use them:

How to use a Turbohaler inhaler

How to use an Easi-Breathe inhaler

How to use an Accuhaler inhaler

Please do not purchase a nebuliser for your child to use at home. If your child requires treatment with inhaled nebulised medicine, they need to be receiving urgent medical treatment.

Air pollution can affect your asthma in different ways. You may find that outdoor air pollution, such as fumes from cars, can make your asthma worse, making it more likely for you to have an asthma attack.

Air pollution can also make you more sensitive to your triggers, such as pollen or exercise, making them more likely to cause an asthma attack.

There are long-term effects too; exposure to air pollution at a young age is thought to contribute to the development of asthma in later childhood.

If you have asthma, it’s important to be aware of air pollution levels and know what to do if the levels are high. The British Thoracic Society recommend using the DEFRA’s UK wide forecasting, to check the air quality in a specific area. There is also useful advice on what to do if the air pollution is higher than normal.

Top tips to manage your asthma during high pollution days:

• Ensure your child uses their preventer inhaler twice a day, every day, even when they are well, as prescribed and with a spacer if one has also been prescribed. Rinse mouth out after use.
• Carry your child’s reliever inhaler and spacer on every trip and ensure they have an in-date reliever inhaler and spacer in school/nursery/childminder/relatives.
• Avoid pollution hotspots like main roads, junctions, bus stations and car parks, and use quieter back streets as much as possible. If you can, go out earlier before pollution levels have had a chance to build up.
• See your family GP if your child is getting symptoms three or more times a week whether it’s pollution or something else acting as a trigger.
• Please see the Air Pollution And Asthma Leaflet for further information.

What steps can I take to improve outdoor air quality for me and my family?

• Putting a stop to idling is a simple way we can all help to clean up the air that we breathe. Some vehicle journeys cannot be helped but leaving your engine running when parked (idling) creates unnecessary pollution.
• Walk or cycle instead of travelling in the car – you breathe in more air pollution in a car than if you walk or cycle.
• Switch off your engine when you’re at a standstill if you are driving.
• Use parcel pick up points to help reduce city centre congestion.
• Combine errands for fewer trips if you are using a car.
• Consume less energy – gas and electricity are big contributors to air pollution

The Clean Air Hub has everything you need to know about air pollution

It’s important to stop our homes getting damp and to stop mould from growing. Damp leads to condensation, which encourages mould and other fungi to grow. Lots of things can cause this, from cooking to washing and drying clothes.

Condensation is more likely to happen in cold places in your household, like windows or rooms with external walls.

Top Tips to preventing damp and mould:

• To prevent condensation, dry washing outside or in a tumble dryer. If you can’t do that, try a well-ventilated room or airing cupboard. You could also consider using an extraction fan in the kitchen and bathroom. This will help prevent damp and mould.
• Keep your home warm – By keeping your home between 19°C and 21°C in colder months, you can prevent condensation. Fix any leaks or water damage. This reduces high humidity and prevents mould. Citizens Advice can help with any concerns around benefit allowances to help with heating costs
• If you are renting, you should tell your landlord about the problem, and they should arrange to fix the underlying cause. Shelter and Citizens Advice both have advice on dealing with damp and mould in a rented home.
• If damp and mould is affecting your or your child’s asthma, please arrange an appointment for an asthma with your GP or practice nurse.

Prolonged exposure to damp conditions and in particular mould growth can lead to respiratory problems or make them worse. Especially for children living with asthma.

It’s important to resolve damp conditions as soon as possible. Sometimes this requires daily management until a resolution can be found and sometimes it involves more extensive works depending upon the source of the damp.

If you are living with damp and mould, you can self-refer to make a complaint and request an inspection. In most cases, if you have a private landlord, you must report the disrepair to the landlord before contacting the local authority.

• Shelter provides information on how to make a report landlord and includes templated letters: Damp and mould
• For the Torbay local authority the Housing Standards referral is here; I need a housing inspection to ensure my home is safe – Torbay Council
• For Plymouth; I need to report a landlord or get housing advise
• For Devon Local Authority please contact each individual housing association for the process.

Useful links:

• Understanding and addressing the health risks of damp and mould in the home – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
• Repairs – damp – Citizens Advice
• Leaflet for damp and mould: https://www.nea.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/Dealing-with-damp-and-condensation-2019.pdf

Tiny particles from tobacco smoke can drift all through your house. These particles can remain at harmful levels for up to five hours. Breathing in this smoke may cause your nose or throat to get irritated, and you might cough or have trouble breathing.

Children are particularly at risk as breathing in tobacco smoke affects how their lungs work and makes them more likely to develop a long-term lung condition when they grow up. Passive smoking is also very bad for children with asthma as it often worsens it. Even if you smoke outside, the smoke on your clothes can set off or worsen asthma.

For advice and support on how to give up smoking:

• Devon: Stop For Life
• Plymouth: One You Plymouth
• Torbay: Torbay Stop Smoking
• NHS: Quit Smoking

Dust mites thrive in damp places, and are found in bedding, soft furnishings, and carpets. An allergy to dust mites is very common and normally affects people with asthma or allergic rhinitis.

Top Tips to prevent dust mites:

• Use synthetic pillows and acrylic duvets
• Wash all bedding at least once a week
• Choose wood or laminate flooring instead of carpet, if possible, especially in the room where your child sleeps
• Fit blinds that can be easily wiped down instead of curtains, especially I the room where your child sleeps
• Discourage soft toys, allow the child to have one or two favourites that can easily be washed. Wash soft toys regularly at 60 degrees. Put soft toys that can’t be washed at 60 degrees in a plastic bag in the freezer first (for at least 12 hours) and then wash them at the recommended temperature.

Pet Allergy is when a person has a reaction to a pet’s skin cells, saliva or urine. Sometimes people are allergic to dander – the dead flakes of skin that pets shed. Any animal with fur can cause pet allergies.

Top Tips for managing pet allergy:

• Limit where your pet can go in the house. Do not allow your pet to sleep in your child’s bedroom.
• Wash your pet and any surfaces they touch regularly
• Consider replacing carpets with wood flooring or vinyl.
• Try a high efficiency air filter (HEPA). This won’t remove all allergens though.
• As a last resort, you may have to rehome your pet if your child’s reactions are becoming difficult to manage.

Useful guide on Pet allergy from Allergy UK

Allergies to tree, grass or weed pollen can cause hay fever, which can affect lung conditions like asthma. Speak to your GP or Practice nurse if you or your child are experiencing hay fever symptoms which are affecting asthma symptoms.

Top Tips for preventing hay fever:

• Put Vaseline around your nostrils to trap pollen
• wear wraparound sunglasses to stop pollen getting into your eyes
• shower and change your clothes after you have been outside to wash pollen off
• stay indoors whenever possible
• keep windows and doors shut as much as possible
• vacuum regularly and dust with a damp cloth
• buy a pollen filter for the air vents in your car and a vacuum cleaner with a HEPA filter
• try to stay at home and avoid contact with other people if you have a high temperature or you do not feel well enough to do your normal activities
• Manage your asthma well and take your preventer medication regularly.
• Antihistamines or Nasal steroid may be suitable talk to the pharmacist, GP or practice nurse

Please see more information on hay fever on the NHS website and from allergy UK

Children and young people are often susceptible to colds, flu, or other respiratory infections and for those with asthma these can lead to a flare-up of asthma symptoms. Getting an annual vaccination against flu can help. There is a nasal spray for children, and this is usually available at school for some groups from a doctor’s surgery.

Exercise can sometimes trigger symptoms of asthma such as difficulty breathing, wheezing, coughing or chest tightness. However, exercise is very important for physical and mental health wellbeing. If your child’s asthma is properly managed, they should be able to keep up with their friends during PE and general play time.

If your child is having asthma symptoms 3 times per week including for PE, please make an appointment with the GP or asthma nurse.