Living in St. Louis with children who suffer from asthma is no picnic. In parts of the area, up to one in five children has the disease, says Joy Krieger, executive director of the St. Louis Chapter of the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America. Nationally, the average is approximately one in 10.
If your child struggles with asthma, he or she probably won’t grow out of the condition, but Krieger suggests several steps to manage and treat its symptoms.
The first step to gaining control over asthma is finding an allergist to treat your child. “A lot of times, pediatricians feel that they can handle this chronic condition, and really, because this condition entails immunology, allergists are the ones who have the best medical background to take care of these kids,” says Krieger.
The second step is recognizing triggers that can cause an asthma attack. Viruses, cold air, and industrial air pollutants (such as particulate matter, ground-level ozone, and emissions from combustion) are triggers, but pet dander and dust mites can also kick up a reaction. “Dust mites are in our beds and we don’t even realize it,” says Krieger. “For kids with asthma, it’s enough to throw them into an attack.” She recommends washing bed linens in hot water at least every two weeks and using mattress and pillow covers that are “dust mite–proof.”
Stuffed animals also harbor these allergens. Limit the number of stuffed animals in the bedroom, especially in the bed. To kill mites, you can place a stuffed animal in a plastic bag in the freezer, or if the toy is dryer-safe, run it through a dryer cycle. Pets should be kept out of asthmatic children’s rooms entirely. “There’s no such thing as a hypoallergenic pet,” says Krieger.
With a rise in temperatures comes a rise in St. Louis’ allergy index. “You want the kids to go outside and have fun, but when they come back inside, completely strip them down so they don’t take any of the outside air inside with them,” advises Krieger. “Throw them in the shower or the tub and wash them down. That way, they get rescued from being exposed to all of those air allergens.”
And be sure children with asthma use their rescue inhalers 15 minutes before they venture forth for any activity. This also applies to children who only have exercise-induced or stress-induced asthma.
“A lot of people are confused; they think they’re supposed to take their rescue inhaler after they’ve already started wheezing or after they’ve finished exercising,” says Krieger. “That’s not right. You take your rescue inhaler 15 minutes before activity, before you have any signs.”
Karen Tobias has a 10-year-old daughter, Paris, who has severe asthma and is often hospitalized for treatment. Tobias urges parents to learn as much as they can. “When the asthma foundation has presentations, I go to them,” she says. “Teaching people the signs and what to do for asthma is very helpful, because I really didn’t know. Even though asthma ran in my family, my kids didn’t have it until now.”
Asthma disproportionately affects minority and low-income populations. But the Asthma and Allergy Foundation’s Project Concern can help provide financial assistance for asthma-related medical bills. “At first, the medicine was so expensive, I was getting it, but it was a struggle,” says Tobias. “The asthma foundation really helped me by paying for her medication.” To learn more, go to aafastl.org.
