What can I do if my child has asthma?

You can help your child control their asthma so it doesn't bother them or make them sick. By following these steps, you can help your child have a healthy, active, life:

1.	Get help from your health care professional:
		Asthma can be managed but your child needs to be seen by a healthcare professional. King County Asthma Forum members provide quality, low-cost healthcare services throughout King County.
		Work with you child's health care professional to have an asthma action plan (PDF) for your child. Bring the plan with you to every clinic visit.
		If you don't have insurance, click here for information about free or low cost health insurance for children. Or, you can visit the Community Health Access Program website (CHAP) for information about health insurance and affordable health care in your community. You can also reach CHAP by phone, at (206) 284-0331 or toll free (800) 756-5437.

Learn more.

The more you and your child know, the better your child's asthma can be managed. Click here for resources that can help you and your child understand asthma better.

Reduce triggers (things that make your child's asthma worse).

If you smoke, quit. Click here for resources to stop smoking.

Make sure your child is not around anyone who is smoking. Secondhand smoke (even the smell from a smoker's clothing) can make healthy children sick but it is even worse for children with asthma. Click here for facts about secondhand tobacco smoke.

Click here for a list of smoke-free restaurants and smoke-free activities in King County.

If wood smoke is a trigger for your child:

Avoid using a fireplace as a heat source if possible

Try to limit your child's outside activities and make sure they keep their asthma medicine with them during a burn ban. Click here to find out about burn bans.

If air pollution is a trigger for your child:

Learn about local air quality alerts. These alerts are on local TV news reports, newspapers, and radio. Click here for information about local air quality.

When air quality is poor you may want to limit your child's outside activities. Make sure they keep their asthma medicine with them.

If dust or mold is a trigger:

Cover mattresses and pillows with allergen-proof zippered covers.

Replace carpet (if possible) with linoleum, tile or wood because carpets collect dust.

Reduce the dampness (humidity) in your house. Mold can be a special problem in damp weather. It is easiest to reduce humidity by opening windows, making sure that steam from cooking and running hot water (bath, shower, laundry) does not travel through the house. It is not usually necessary to buy a dehumidifier - a machine that takes dampness out of the air. If you decide to use a dehumidifier, clean it every day so mold does not grow in the dehumidifier.

For other ideas about how to improve indoor air quality, click here.

If perfumes or cleaning products are a trigger:

If your child's asthma is triggered by strong smells, like perfume, you can avoid wearing perfume when you know you'll be with them and avoid areas where people are wearing perfume or move the child to areas with increased ventilation.

Some commercial cleaning products that you purchase at the store have chemicals and scents that can trigger an asthma attack.
"Green cleaning" means using cleaning products that don't have these triggers. Click here for recipes for making green cleaning solutions that are safe for you and the environment and are low cost.

If pet dander is a trigger:

If the child's asthma is triggered by cats or dogs, consider keeping your pets in a different room away from the child or when visiting someone's home with pets, ask them to move the pets to a different room before arriving with your child and remove cat or dog hair from furniture.

Click here to find out more ways you can stay away from things that can make your asthma worse.

First, learn what triggers your child's asthma. When your child's asthma symptoms start, ask yourself what happened that might have started it. Your child's healthcare professional can also help you learn what your child's asthma triggers are. Once you learn what they are, you can help your child avoid them.

There are many things you can do to help your child avoid their asthma triggers.

Get your child's body moving.

Children with asthma are helped by regular physical activity just like children who don't have asthma. If physical activity is one of your child's asthma triggers:

a)	Follow your child's health care provider's instructions so their asthma doesn't bother them when they are active.
b)	Talk to your child about stopping when they are short of breath so they can do sports or other physical activities safely.
c)	Make sure to let your child's PE teacher or coach know about the asthma. Your healthcare professional or the school nurse can help you develop an "asthma care plan" to be used when your child is away from home.

Click here for more information about the benefits of physical activity.

Get involved.

Sharing what you know about your child's asthma could benefit others in your community. There are many groups that teach about asthma and help people with asthma live healthier lives. Some groups need help with community projects and activities.

If you live in South Seattle, click here for information about neighborhood asthma committees in your area. Click here (go to Getting involved in the community" page) for more ideas of how to work with asthma in your community.

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