Tell your doctor or asthma nurse as much as you can about your child’s asthma, so that you, your child and the doctor can discuss and agree on the best and most appropriate treatment.
Key things to discuss include:
-
How often your child has symptoms of asthma - wheezing, shortness of breath, difficulty breathing and/or coughing.
-
Any changes to your child’s asthma that have happened since the last visit. If you think the preventer is/is not working, tell your doctor this.
-
What things trigger asthma symptoms in your child, and if your child has asthma symptoms when exercising or doing activity.
-
If your child has days off school or is limited in the activity they can do because of asthma.
-
How often your child needs to use reliever asthma medication (Bricanyl, Ventolin Respigen and Salamol) .
-
If you have trouble remembering to give your child’s preventer medication regularly (Flixotide, Pulmicort, Singulair, Beclasone Seretide, Symbicort).
-
If you have difficulty giving the medication to your child, if you find the device that has been prescribed hard to use.
-
If your child is using any other medications or treatments, including complementary (non-medical) treatments.
-
If your child uses a peak flow meter and you have a record of readings, or if you keep a diary of asthma symptoms – show this to the doctor.
-
If you are worried about your child’s asthma.