Millions of children suffer from asthma. Adequate medical treatment is required to prevent worsening of asthma symptoms such as coughing, wheezing and shortness of breath. Further worsening of these symptoms can lead to an asthma attack.

Asthma can be deadly; it causes an estimated 25000 annual deaths worldwide. Thus parents should take all measures to prevent an asthma attack in their children.

Asthma treatment in children is same as in adults. For example, children can take the same medications as adults for controlling their asthma. However, the doses of the medications are changed, taking the height and the weight of these children into account. In addition, children are often given asthma medications through a home nebulizer. A home nebulizer turns the liquid medication into a mist, which children can breathe into through a facemask. Since many children have difficulty in breathing after using an inhaler, delivery devices that are appropriate for their age and capacity are used.

Also, as in adults, obesity, exposure to cigarette smoke, exposure to pollution and extremely cold or hot weather increase the risk of worsening asthma symptoms and having asthma attacks in children. That’s why children must engage in mild forms of physical activity (to maintain healthy weight), and avoid smoking, pollution and bad climate.