Health Tips for July 19

Health Tip: Managing Your Child's Asthma

It's difficult to prevent your child's asthma symptoms entirely, but you can help control them so they don't interfere with your youngster's daily life.

The American Lung Association offers this advice about controlling asthma:

• Avoid any triggers, which commonly include allergens, cigarette smoke and strenuous exercise.
• Talk to your child's pediatrician about asthma-controlling medications.
• Consider allergy shots. Although research is still being done on their effectiveness against asthma, they are proven in preventing allergic reactions that can be associated with asthma symptoms.
• Both you and your child should be well-educated about ways to manage asthma, including the use of an asthma inhaler and how to evaluate breathing with a peak flow monitor.

Health Tip: Easing Earache Pain

Earaches are common in young children, and can be quite painful.

The American Academy of Family Physicians offers this advice when your child complains of an earache:

• Take your child to see the pediatrician to diagnose an earache, and a possible cause.
• If a bacterial infection is behind the earache, an antibiotic may be prescribed. Make sure you administer the drug to the child exactly as ordered by the doctor. An antibiotic won't work if a virus is causing the earache.
• The doctor may prescribe pain-relieving ear drops.
• Apply a warm heating pad to the ear. Don't let the pad get too hot.
• Give your child an over-the-counter pain reliever such as children's acetaminophen or ibuprofen. Don't give the child aspirin.