If your child suffers from asthma you have probably read up about early symptoms of an attack, keep a close eye on their medication and ensure they are taking it regularly and try to keep the air in your house as clean as possible.
But are you missing some hidden dangers that could cause your child’s airways to constrict and narrow and leave them gasping for breath?
There are some well known potential triggers that can cause asthma flare-ups, such as dust mites and air pollution, but there are others you may not have taken into account.
Children often have strong emotional reactions, long periods of laughing while they play or crying when things don’t go their way. But did you know this could contribute to an asthma attack.
While it can often be hard to keep young children’s emotions in check, it is important to make sure they are not exacerbating their symptoms with their emotional reaction to situations.
For most of us the smell of cooking filling your home is a pleasant experience, but for many young asthma sufferers some of the aromas associated with cooking could affect their condition.
The common cold can spread like wildfire among children, but for those who suffer from asthma it is important they try to dodge the germs. A cold, which is a respiratory infection, can often trigger an asthma attack.
Breathing in second-hand smoke can begin the process which leads your child to struggle for breath. While parents may be well aware that their cigarette smoke should be kept away from their children, they sometimes ignore the smoke created by others. The safest thing to do is keep your child away from all smoky environments.
Perhaps the most unexpected trigger of asthma attacks in children is medication. You would not think something as simple as an aspirin can cause an asthmatic to have a severe attack, but it can do exactly that. It is important that great care is taken when giving medication to children with asthma, it may even be sensible to check with your doctor first.
While not all children will affected by these triggers it is important to be aware of them and other, less common triggers. The more you, as a parent, know about these the more you can protect your child against possible asthma attacks.