What To Do When Your Child is Having Trouble Breathing

There are few things more intense or frightening as when it appears that your child is having trouble breathing. As a parent, you need to be able to do a quick assessment of the situation and take appropriate and precise action. The first thing you must do is keep your head about you. Secondly, you need to figure out why your child is having trouble breathing. Were they eating something and it went down the wrong pipe? Are they having an allergic reaction, an anaphylactic shock to something? Do they have some sort of lung disease such as asthma or cystic fibrosis? Once you figure out why, you need to go into action.

If the child is choking, are you able to remove the object that they are choking on. (if you have children, it might be a good idea to take CPR) If so, problem solved. If not, you must continue trying to dislodge the item while you are calling 911. The American Heart Association has specific guidelines on how to do this with back blows and chest blows.
If you have a teenager that is choking, you can do the Heimlich maneuver on them. However you do it, it is imperative to restore breathing to that child.

If they are having an allergic reaction and now they are having trouble breathing, you need to dial 911. If you have an epi pen, use it.
Give benedryl to them ONLY if they are able to swallow. Get them to the hospital or wait for the ambulance to arrive..but do it quickly.

Does your child have a lung disease? Asthma is the most common childhood lung illness in the United States.

My advice to pediatric asthma treatment or cystic fibrosis treatment
is that you find an outstanding Pediatric Pulmonologist. It is also important that this Pulmonologist have excellent Respiratory Therapists on staff to do teaching that your child or you can understand. It is important that a Pulmonologist be involved because of all of the new treatments and medications that have come about just in the last 20 years.

All of these are reasons to get your child to the Emergency Room as soon as possible.

Please remember that your child's breathing is a serious matter. If they complain of being short of breath or if you notice any signs and symptoms of them having any difficulty breathing, you need to get them help immediately.

The American Lung Association says, "When you can't breathe, nothing else matters..." This is very true.

Pediatric Asthma

My advice to pediatric asthma treatment is that you find an outstanding Pediatric Pulmonologist. It is also important that this Pulmonologist have excellent Respiratory Therapists on staff to do teaching that your child or you can understand. It is important that a Pulmologist be involved because of all of the new treatments and medications that have come about just in the last 20 years.

Things that are involved in treating pediatric asthma involve a Peak Flow Meter. It is important to know the peak flow meter zones and what each of them mean and what actions are necessary to take to help your child's breathing get better as soon as possible.

Which medicines are safe for what age group? A Pediatric Pulmonologist will know the ages or will know to look up to see which drugs should be used. As a parent, it is difficult to see a child who is having difficulty breathing. When do you call a doctor? What signs and symptoms should you look for? Here are a couple of things to look for when assessing the breathing of your child.

1. How fast are they breathing? A baby can breath around 40 times a minute normally, while an adult's normal breathing is around 15. If your baby is breathing over 50 times a minute that is cause for concern.

2. Are they making grunting noises when they breath at the end of each breath?
This is also a sign of breathing difficulties

3. Are their nostrils flaring. Are they going out when they breathe in?

4. Are they using all of their tummy muscles to breathe?

Is the baby not eating like they should? Are they less energetic than they should be?

When you see these signs in a baby, it is time to call the doctor, or just take them to the emergency room.

In an child it is different. They can tell you when they don't feel good or when their breathing is not right. However, here are some signs that their breathing is not normal.

1. Frequent coughing spells.

2. Breathing faster than normal.

3. Less active than normal.

4. Feeling short of breath. Can they say a complete sentence without having to stop and take a breath?

5. Breathing with their tummy muscles, like they have just run around the block.

All of these are signs of Asthma. All of these are reasons to get your child to the doctor as fast as possible or to the Emergency if the symptoms are serious enough.

Again, you will need to seek the advice and help of a Pediatric Pulmonolgist. The things that they will do to treat your child's asthma can include the following:

-Peak Flow monitoring
-Nebulizer Breathing Treatments with Bronchodilators and corticosteroids
-MDI (Metered Dose Inhalers) Therapy which can include the rescue inhaler, long lasting bronchodialators, and corticosteroid MDI's
-Allergy Medication

Please remember that your child's breathing is a serious matter. If they complain of being short of breath or if you notice any signs and symptoms of them having any difficulty breathing, you need to get them help immediately.

The American Lung Association says, "When you can't breathe, nothing else matters..." This is very true. I wish you and your child free and easy breathing.