Colds especially impact children with asthma: Not only are they ill more often, but they also have more severe symptoms. What concrete action can parents take to help their children manage the cold? Paediatrician Emmanuel Nellen shares his practical and easy-to-follow tips.
Children with asthma have more sensitive and chronically inflamed airways. For this reason you should avoid infections and do the following if your child does pick up a cold:
“As soon as a child with asthma is coughing more than usual because of a cold, they should see their doctor. It may be necessary to adjust their long-term therapy. Also, parents are often unable to tell whether their child is still coughing because of the last infection or if the next infection has already begun. During the cold season in particular, one infection often runs into the next if the child is especially susceptible”, explains paediatrician Emmanuel Nellen.
So the first port of call is the child’s paediatrician. If necessary, they will then involve a specialist, such as a pneumologist.
“Consistently following the prescribed, inhalative long-term therapy is important anyway, and even more so if the child with asthma has a cold or another type of respiratory infection. This is because inhaling asthma medication efficiently protects the airways from inflammation and prevents the bronchial mucous membrane from swelling as a result. Colds can aggravate the inflammation in the mucous membranes, leading to increased breathing difficulties and, in some cases, excessive mucus production. This is why the long-term treatment regimen is so important”, explains Emmanuel Nellen.
For the inhalation therapy to work properly, it is important to have the right technique. It is advisable to use a spacer such as the VORTEX® holding chamber when inhaling an asthma spray. Remember, the younger the child, the more important it is to use a spacer. This is because little children find it very difficult to coordinate the spray and inhaling deeply.
A spacer allows children to inhale the medication over several breaths. This is especially helpful if the child has a cold, as children with asthma may find breathing in difficult in itself when they have an infection. A holding chamber ensures that all of the medication is delivered to the bronchial tubes where it can work effectively, instead of only reaching the mouth and throat where the asthma spray can cause undesirable side effects.
If the asthma medication is inhaled with a nebuliser in combination with saline solution, it is important to use an effective inhalation device with a mask that fits perfectly. The PARI BOY Junior is a suitable option for children with asthma. If offers masks for infants and young children that fit snugly over the child’s mouth and nose. This ensures that the inhalant does not escape into the surrounding air, but can reach the bronchial tubes.
When the child has an infection, parents of children with asthma should take even greater care to clean and, if necessary, disinfect the inhalation equipment after the inhalation therapy. This removes any viruses and germs that may be in the equipment and prevents the child from becoming re-infected.
The same advice applies to children with asthma as it does to any other child with a cold:
Paediatrician Emmanuel Nellen advises: “To keep a cold at bay or to keep it as mild as possible, parents should watch out for the following:
- Strictly follow the prescribed long-term therapy.
- Avoid allergens such as pets, houseplants (because of potential mould) and pollen, all of which can exacerbate the inflammation in the bronchial tubes and cause breathing problems.
- Strictly avoid air pollutants and passive smoking.
- Wherever possible, reduce contact with people who have a cold.
- Take hygiene precautions (such as washing your hands).
- If your child is allergic to dust mites, use encasing barrier covers for mattresses, duvets and pillows.
- Make sure your child gets regular exercise.
- Give them a balanced diet with plenty of vitamins.
- Discuss the options for RSV prevention in accordance with the guidelines and the child’s age with the paediatrician.”
Emmanuel Nellen is a specialist in paediatric and adolescent medicine with his own practice in Ostfildern. After training as a medical technical radiology assistant, he studied medicine in Heidelberg-Mannheim and qualified in 2006 when he did his state exams. He then worked as a junior physician at the Stadt Hanau Clinic, at the Verbundkrankenhaus Bernkastel-Wittlich and the Reutlingen Regional Clinics. From 2014 to 2016 he was employed as a paediatrician in a practice in Rechberghausen.
Note: The information in this blog post is not a treatment recommendation. The needs of patients vary greatly from person to person. The treatment approaches presented should be viewed only as examples. PARI recommends that patients always consult with their physician or physiotherapist first.
An article written by the PARI BLOG editorial team.
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