It’s very easy to recognise the symptoms of asthma. The common symptoms of asthma are:

Shortness of breath or Breathlessness: You feel like you can’t get enough air in or out of your lungs, and find it especially difficult to breathe out.

Frequent or persistent cough: You have a cough that doesn’t go away for many days, and you find that you often cough at night or after exercising.

Wheezing: You hear a whistling sound every time you breathe out.

Tightness in the chest: You get a tight feeling in the chest, like someone is squeezing or sitting on your chest.

It’s not necessary that every person with asthma shows all of these symptoms. For instance, some people may have disturbed sleep at night due to excessive coughing, while others may experience breathlessness while exercising. It is important that you watch out for the symptoms, so that you can help your doctor diagnose your condition accurately.

It’s very easy to confuse asthma and a recurring cough, as both tend to have similar symptoms. Therefore, the actual problem is often incorrectly treated, or not treated at all. However that’s no reason to worry; because, you can have asthma diagnosed at an early age.

• Medical history

It is important to give your doctor accurate information about your symptoms, medication, allergies and other health related problems you may be facing. This will help your doctor diagnose your problem quickly and correctly.

• Family History

Asthma is often hereditary. Thus, it is important to be aware of your family’s medical history, as in knowing if someone in your family had the same problem. This will help your doctor look in a little deeper into your complaint and determine whether or not you need to be tested for asthma.

• Physical Examination and Tests

While most diagnoses are based on medical history, your doctor may also recommend a breathing test, to be completely sure of the problem and treatment to be given.

• Peak-flow meter test

A peak-flow meter is a small, handheld device that helps determine your lung power. All you have to do is blow into the device, and it will show you how strong your lungs are.

• Spirometry test

After knowing your symptoms and examination, if the doctor suspects that you have asthma he/she may conduct a spirometry test to determine your lung capacity. The spirometer measures the amount of air your lungs can hold, as well as how well the air moves into and out of the lungs. The results appear as values and a graph.

While both tests help in diagnosing and monitoring your progress when you have asthma, they are not recommended for children below 6 years of age. Therefore, you need to work closely with the paediatrician, to make sure that your child’s asthma is diagnosed early and correctly. You need to pay attention to finding out the triggers, watching out for symptoms and monitoring the child’s progress to control asthma from a young age.

Asthma is a problem, yes. But, with proper treatment and asthma action plan, you can control your asthma completely, and almost forget that you have it.

• Avoid your triggers

Everyone’s asthma is different, and so, their triggers are different as well. To completely control your problem, it’s important that you identify your triggers and avoid them as best as you can.

• Regular medication

Your doctor will usually prescribe two kinds of medicines – quick relief (Reliever or Rescue) and long term (Controller). The quick relief medicines provide immediate relief, while the long-term ones prevent symptoms and attacks. It is essential that you take these medicines as prescribed, to keep your asthma completely under control. Both, Reliever and Controller medicines are taken via inhalers, which play a vital role in treating asthma.

• Using the Peak-flow Meter

A peak-flow meter is a small device, which helps you monitor your asthma. It measures your lung power by calculating how well you can blow air out of your lungs. With your doctor’s help, you can set a target for your lungs, and be able to regularly measure your progress. Visit a Breathefree clinic to learn how to use a peak-flow meter efficiently to control your asthma.

• Asthma action plan

An asthma action plan is a written plan that you develop with your doctor to help control your asthma. The asthma action plan shows how to control your asthma on a daily basis, such as what kind of medicines to take and when to take them. The plan also tells you what medicines to take and steps to follow if there is an increase in your asthma symptoms and during asthma attacks. The plan explains when to call the doctor or go to the nearest hospital.

• Regular doctor visits

It’s important to visit your doctor on a regular basis, irrespective of whether your symptoms are in control or not. Always talk to your doctor about your symptoms, asthma medication and other medicines you may be taking. This way, your doctor will be able to create an effective asthma action plan that works to help you control your asthma, prevent attacks and live a full life.

Asthma attack may occur when you come in contact with a trigger. The muscles around the airways suddenly tighten and there is excess secretion of mucus by the lining of the airways. All these factors cause your symptoms to suddenly worsen.

Symptoms of an asthma attack are:

• Breathlessness

• Wheezing

• Severe coughing

• Chest tightness

• Anxiety

By recognising the symptoms early, you can stop an asthma attack, or prevent it from getting worse. A severe asthma attack can be a life-threatening emergency.

What to do during an asthma attack?

If you take your Controller inhaler medications regularly, the chances of your getting an asthma attack are very low. The first thing to do when you or someone around you is having an asthma attack is to be calm and relax, and then follow these steps.

• Sit upright and loosen your clothes.

• Take your prescribed Reliever inhaler without any delay.

• If you find no relief in 5 minutes after using the Reliever inhaler, take the other doses of the Reliever inhaler as prescribed by your doctor.

• If there is still no relief, it is important that you call your doctor or visit the nearest hospital without delay. Do not exceed the Reliever inhaler dose without consulting a doctor.

• If you or anyone around you is having the following symptoms, it is important to visit the nearest hospital immediately:

• Discoloured (blue or grey) lips, face, or nails

• Extreme difficulty in breathing

• Difficulty talking or walking

• Extreme anxiety or panic caused by breathing difficulty

• Chest pain

• Rapid pulse and a pale, sweaty face

When a child is diagnosed with asthma, the parent is faced with an array of questions – Why my child? Will my child grow up normally? Will my child be able to play all their favourite sports?

But there’s no need to worry about asthma. With a thorough understanding of the problem, symptoms, triggers and treatments, it’s extremely easy to keep your child’s asthma under control, so your child can have a healthy and normal life.

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), asthma is the most common breathing problem among children around the world. Millions of children have asthma and manage it well. So, you are not alone.

Contrary to popular belief, asthma in children is not the same as asthma in adults. While adults show some of the typical symptoms such as breathlessness, wheezing, coughing and chest tightness, children may not show the same kind of symptoms. Most asthmatic children will have cough as the prominent symptom. A persistent cough (one that lasts for more than 3-4 weeks) could be an indicator of asthma in children.

It is important to remember that with the correct treatment and management, it is possible to control asthma completely, which means your child can do everything a child wants to do.

Asthma is completely treatable, so you don’t have to worry about your child’s asthma and growth. Inhalers are the most effective way of treating asthma. Medication is given through inhalers, so that it reaches the lung directly and causes minimal side effects. There are two types of asthma medications – Controllers and Relievers. Controllers are used to prevent symptoms and attacks over time. It is important to remember that controllers do not provide immediate relief. Relievers provide immediate relief and are used during an asthma attack. Using the Controllers regularly can also help in reducing the need for Reliever medications.

There are certain things you need to pay attention to, if your child has asthma :

• Identify your child’s asthma triggers and avoid them.
• Consult your child’s paediatrician on how to manage your child’s symptoms.
• Follow the asthma action plan created for your child.
• Learn and teach your child how to use the inhalers and other medications correctly.
• Label the Controller and Reliever inhalers, so that there is no confusion.
• Ensure that your child always carries his/her Reliever inhaler, no matter where he/she goes – school, park and other trips.
• Explain asthma to your child in an easy way, so he/she can understand it. It will also help if you explain how the inhalers help him/her and how he/she can avoid emergencies related to asthma.
• In case of an asthma attack, the first thing you need to do is stay calm and reassure your child that everything is going to be okay. While doing this, follow the asthma emergency instructions to help your child through the attack.
• Inform family, caregivers and school about your child’s asthma, share the asthma action plan with them and don’t forget to give them your emergency contact information
• The most important thing to do though, is to not stop your child from being a kid. If your child wants to dance, play sports, swim or practice martial arts, let them. Just because your child has asthma, doesn’t mean they can’t have a fun-filled childhood.