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You may have noticed that your child does not get asthma except when she breathes through her mouth a lot. Asthma is not a psychological condition and it is unlikely that emotional upsets will cause asthma unless the child is already getting close to an attack. Laughter and crying are always done while breathing through the mouth and so this is why they will sometimes cause asthma.
Teenage Years 13 - 18:
The teenage asthmatic may begin to have less problems with asthma as by now the airways have grown and the immune system is not so sensitive to food allergies. Milk may still have a major effect on those with a tendency towards asthma or nasal problems such as Hay-fever or rhinitis. asthma is still likely to be triggered by virus' or chest infections, inhaling irritants, cold air, exercise and the other million things that can affect asthmatics.If the teenager has been unfortunate to have been on many courses of antibiotics and steroids in his life then the threat of further chest, sinus or ear infections remains high. While it is impossible to avoid catching virus' and or picking up bacteria commonsense and basic hygiene go a long way towards helping to remain healthy.
The asthmatic teenager may start off being shorter than his counterparts and physical development may be slightly slower but this will correct itself with time.
Teenagers want more independence over many factors in their life and asthma may be one of them. Because of this growing independence and also the fact that they will spend more time away from the home than ever before, they need to have a full understanding of their medication - how it works and when to use it. If you are not able to help them in this, a chat to with their doctor or pharmacist will help. Alternatively, drug companies are usually very cooperative in supplying brochures which set out clearly and accurately how their products should be used.
If your teenager keeps a diary of personal thoughts then perhaps they could jot down a few notes about their asthma each day as well. This would put them more in control and give them more responsibility in managing their own asthma.
Being one of the crowd is very important to teenagers and so some asthmatic teenagers become sensitive about having to use inhalers in public. They may deny that they have a problem while secretly be depressed or anxious about it. Speaking openly about the matter and continuing to treat your teenager as an ordinary person will help. Approximately one person in five has asthma in some form so it is likely that several people in their class at school will also be asthmatic.
Teenagers may need an updated Asthma Action Plan and this is the perfect way to give them more responsibility. It will put them more in the picture of what their asthma is all about and to also realise that having asthma does not have to be a big deal. Go with them to their doctor or asthma educator while they talk about their plan.
Don't forget that alcohol can be a powerful trigger for many asthmatics. Perhaps having a glass on wine or beer at home would be the best and safest place to find out if it is a trigger for your teenager.
Without being seen as an interfering parent you can help your teenager look for the tell-tale signs that asthma is approaching:
- Is there an increase in the "allergic salute"? (rubbing the end of the nose)
- Are dark shadows under the eyes returning?
- Have they been talking in their sleep?
- Are they feeling more tired than usual?
- Is their intake of reliever medication increasing this week?
(published with permission in writing from:http://www.buteyko.co.nz)
