Wheeze/ Asthma Management Plan

Feeling well – no symptoms

Continue with regular medications

Your child’s reliever inhaler helps when they have symptoms.

Your healthcare professional will advise:

Name of the inhaler, the dose and strength, and the colour.

• You may be advised to give 2 to 10 puffs ONLY if needed. No more than every 4 hours.
• Always use a spacer.
• Useful for some children taken before exercise.

Your child will need to take their PREVENTER inhaler every day.

Your healthcare professional will advise:

Name of the inhaler, the dose and strength, and the colour.

• Give as many puffs a day as prescribed.
• Always use a spacer.

Feeling poorly

Getting a cold

Slight cough or wheeze

Chest hurts

Waking at night with cough

Your healthcare professional will advise:

• The Reliever
• The Colour
• The Dose and Strength
• As long as this is effective, your child can stay at home.
• Always use a spacer.

Continue to use the PREVENTER at the usual dose.

Working hard to breathe

If your child's breathing is getting worse and this is NOT better after Reliever:

Give 10 puffs of RELIEVER (BLUE) through a spacer

1. Call for help. Sit up your child up – do not let them lie down. Try to keep your child calm.
2. Give one puff of the reliever inhaler (with the spacer) every 30 to 60 seconds, up to a total of10 puffs.
3. If you have not got your child’s reliever inhaler, or it is not helping, or you are worried at anytime, call 999 for an ambulance.
4. If an ambulance has not arrived after 10 minutes and your child’s symptoms are notimproving, repeat step 2.
5. If your child’s symptoms are no better after repeating step 2, and the ambulance has still not arrived, contact 999 again immediately.

Your child’s wheeze/ asthma triggers

We advise writing down a list of the things that make your child’s wheeze/ asthma worse, so you can try to avoid or treat them.

The PDF below has a section to fill this in and is available for printing or you can pick up a copy from the department helpdesk.

Inhalers and spacers

Follow the link below to learn how to use your child’s inhaler and spacer properly. (Scroll down to the child section)

www.asthmaandlung.org.uk/living-with/inhaler-videos

Air pollution and smoking

• Air pollution may make your child’s wheeze / asthma worse.
• Pollution can quickly irritate your child’s airways and trigger asthma symptoms.

Top tips for high pollution days

1. Stick to your child’s preventer routine so they can cope better with pollution and their other triggers.
2. Carry your child’s reliever inhaler and spacer with you to quickly deal with any symptoms.
3. Check the pollution forecast in your area with DEFRA's UK-wide forecasts (https://uk-air.defra.gov.uk) or on a weather app.
4. Avoid pollution hotspots such as main roads, junctions, bus stations and car parks and use quieter back streets as much as possible. If you can, go out earlier before pollution levels have had a chance to build up.

Smoking advice for parents

• Do not smoke around your child. Children take more smoke into their lungs than adults and are at greater risk from the toxins given out in the smoke.
• Children are more likely to have chest infections, wheezing and coughing.
• If you need to smoke, please go outside making sure that you are well away from the door, so that the smoke does not get blown back indoors.
• Even if you do go outside to smoke, you will bring smoke particles back in on your clothes. So ideally, you would not smoke anywhere in or around your home.

Preventative medication

Your healthcare professional will advise:

• Name of the medication
• The Dose, frequency and duration
• Any additional information

How else can I help my child?

• If your child is taking a preventative medication, give it every day even when your child is well.
• Make sure you are aware when your child’s inhaler is empty or about to run out.
• Make sure whoever administers the inhalers to your child understands how to use an inhaler and spacer. Please ask before leaving the department if you are unsure.