World Asthma day is an annual global campaign. The first World Asthma Day was held in 1998 and has been happening annually since then. It is organised by the Global Initiative for Asthma (GINA) to improve asthma awareness and care around the world.
Usually, World Asthma Awareness Day is held on the first Tuesday in May, however due to the Covid-19 outbreak, GINA announced they were postponing the worldwide campaigns until later in the year. In the meantime, we would like to share some information from Asthma UK which we feel may support parents at this time.
Colleagues at Aspire Training Team are not qualified to diagnose or confirm any childhood illnesses or infections and request that learners seek medical advice if they have any concerns.
Asthma is a chronic lung disease which causes breathing difficulties and affects sufferers to varying degrees, asthma is caused by swelling and inflammation of the bronchial tubes, sometimes in reaction to allergens, exercise, stress or changes in temperature.
Controlling a child’s asthma on a daily basis is crucial for their health and well-being.
According to Asthma UK, over 1.1 million children in the UK are being treated for Asthma. That’s 1 in 11 children, meaning that the average primary school class could contain 3 Asthmatic children. With that said, there has never been a better time for people working with children to undergo training that is required to prevent Asthma attacks from happening, be it in schools or elsewhere.
How to identify Asthma in your baby or child:
Coughing – If your child either has a cough that won’t go away or keeps coming back, a cough after doing exercise or being active or a night time/early morning cough – this is common in children with asthma.
Wheezing – Another asthma symptom is wheezing, a whistling sound when your child breaths.
Tight Chest – This can be difficult for parents to identify, but children might describe a tight chest as a ‘tummy ache’ or may rub their tummy or chest.
Breathlessness – You might notice that your child is breathing fast or using their whole body to help them breathe, for example, they may be shrugging their shoulders up and down.
Asthma UK recommend that if your child has 3 or more of these symptoms you should book an appointment with your GP. In an emergency in which your child is struggling to breath whilst sucking their tummy in, their ribs are sticking out, is obviously displaying sucking in at the front of their throat or not being able to finish sentences or eat due to shortness of breath, you should call 999.
Asthma UK have some great resources to help explain asthma to your child, as well as how to manage asthma. Click here to read more.
Aspire Training team have recently launched a new online bitesize course, Asthma Training for Schools & Carers. The course offers practical support for anyone who cares for children with asthma. It offers comprehensive guidance on how to monitor and manage a child’s asthma while they’re at school. It’s IIRSM approved & CPD accredited. Click here to find out more.
Asthma is closely linked to Air Quality. Take a look at how you can improve indoor and outdoor air quality for you and your family.
