YOUR CHILD’S HEALTH/ASTHMA: OTHER FORMS OF MANAGEMENT
Drugs form the mainstay of the modern treatment of asthma. Most other forms of treatment are unproven and have a limited place, if any, in the treatment of asthma in children. While allergens probably have a role in the triggering of asthma attacks, there is very little evidence that desensitisation (a series of injections designed to make the child less allergic to certain substances) makes any difference either to the frequency or the severity of attacks. Physiotherapy may occasionally have a role to play for some children with asthma, but generally the child is better off participating in regular exercise and sporting activities.
Consideration should be given to factors which may trigger attacks of asthma. Cigarette smoke should be avoided. Exposure to animals that cause symptoms (often household pets) should be minimised or avoided, and the child may be better with non-allergenic bedding if he is affected by goose-down or feathers. In some selected cases, carpets may need to be removed to minimise dust, but this is not usually necessary.
These measures should be balanced with the need to minimise drastic changes to the child’s and family’s living conditions. Change in environment of any significant degree may not be indicated in children with mild or minimal symptoms.
Some of these precipitating factors can and should be avoided. However, most trigger factors cannot be identified, let alone avoided. This means that the mainstay of management of asthma is pharmacological — the appropriate use of medications to prevent and treat symptoms.
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