ver-diagnosis and over-treatment are now the bigger problems.
Therefore, until a concrete assessment is made, doctors may prescribe inhaled asthma medications that are generally safe for infants and children, in order to see if their symptoms subside.
These medications are more commonly used intermittently or on a short-term basis.
The decision to use longer-term treatment regimens will have to depend on longer term observation of symptom patterns and identification of criteria that are more consistent with asthma.
So, don’t be too quick to jump to conclusions.
Doctors aren’t miracle workers and they can’t pull rabbits out of their proverbial hats willy-nilly.
Patience and continued emotional and psychological support for your child is more important.
That being said, you should also consider consulting a paediatric respiratory specialist regarding your child’s condition and get an expert’s feedback on managing these asthmatic symptoms.
Although asthma cannot be cured, its symptoms can be effectively prevented, and outbreaks and/or attacks properly controlled, following a good management plan.
The plan should be reviewed by you as parents, and anyone else taking care of the child.
Caregivers should understand the plan and be able to act accordingly in the event an attack does occur.
Datuk Dr Azizi Hj Omar is a consultant paediatric chest physician. This article is courtesy of Malaysian Paediatric Association’s Positive Parenting programme in collaboration with expert partners: Nutrition Society of Malaysia, Obstetric and Gynaecological Society of Malaysia, Malaysian Mental Health Association, Malaysian Psychiatric Association, National Population and Family Development Board Malaysia, Malaysian Association of Kindergartens and Association of Registered Childcare Providers Malaysia. It is also brought to you by an educational grant from GlaxoSmithKline Sdn Bhd. The opinion expressed in the article is the view of the author. For further information, please visit www.mypositiveparenting.org. The Positive Parenting E-magazine is also available on our website.
Tags / Keywords:
Health, Positive Parenting, child health, asthma, coughing, wheezing
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