Managing Your Child’s Asthma in the Winter

27 Dec Managing Your Child’s Asthma in the Winter

If you are a parent of a child with asthma, then you know just how difficult it can be in order to manage your child’s condition and to help keep them safe and comfortable. There are many different irritants and situations that can make asthma symptoms so much worse. Is one of these irritants cold winter weather?

Unfortunately, there is no way to prevent winter weather from happening and no way to keep kids completely away from the outdoor air. However, there are things that you can do to help manage your child’s asthma in the winter.

Let’s start with the basics. First, why does winter weather seem to make asthma worse?

Simply put, that cold, harsh air in the winter causes muscles in the airway to contract, making those airways quite narrow. Those constricted airways can make it more difficult to breathe and make asthma attacks more common-which is why it can seem like kids are experiencing more attacks during the winter.

If you want to make sure you are doing your part to help keep your child’s asthma under control during this time of year—here are a few tips to help you manage their asthma symptoms:

• Try to encourage kids to do more inside physical activities, instead of outdoor activities, where the air can be more cool and dry.
• Make sure to replace your home’s air filter regularly—especially at the beginning of the season.
• Remember that changes in temperature and humidity can trigger asthma so try to keep your interior temperature regular and consider a humidifier to keep humidity levels stable.
• Make sure your child is getting their regular flu shot. The flu can make their asthma symptoms worse.
• Do not use wood-burning stoves or fireplaces during this time of year as smoke can be a major irritator to your child’s asthma.
• Do your best to keep your home as clean as possible. Mold, mildew and dust can be major irritants to your child’s asthma—so keep this in mind when you start pulling holiday decorations out of the attic.

In addition to trying to avoid these irritants, make sure that you and your family have an asthma action plan in place, and that your child not only has their inhaler nearby but that they have a plan for maintenance medication as well. Depending on your child’s situation, they may want to take a dose of maintenance medication before going outside during this time of year, particularly if they feel outdoor air is making their asthma worse.

If you have more questions about your child’s asthma and the winter effects, then call Continuum Pediatrics at 817-617-8600 to schedule an appointment.