ALL ABOUT ASTHMA FOR KIDS 4-8

1. ALL ABOUT ASTHMA FOR KIDS 4-8 PREPARED BY

2. You�re not the only one who has asthma Does having asthma make you feel sad?

3. Does asthma make you mad?

4. Does asthma sometime make you feel scared and mixed-up?

5. You aren�t the only one with asthma Lots of other kids and grown-ups have asthma, too You didn�t do anything bad to get asthma

6. But you�ll always have asthma Asthma affects your breathing tubes and lungs

7. Sometimes your asthma is fine, or in control Other times, your asthma starts to act up or �flare up� or �attacks.� You feel signals or signs of asthma and you feel sick

8. What happens when your asthma acts up? your chest may hurt � it feels like someone is squeezing it and you can�t breathe

9. you may make a noise like a whistle (wheezing) when you breathe

10. Sometimes you can�t sleep because you wheeze so much and cough a lot too

11. your heart may beat very fast when you can�t breathe or maybe you get dizzy and have a headache, too

12. We all have different signals asthma is acting up your throat may get scratchy and your nose starts to run you may feel very tired

13. Why do you have asthma? No one really knows You can�t �catch� asthma from someone else the way you get a cold or flu If your mom, dad or brothers and sisters have asthma, you may have it too Once you have asthma, you�ll always have it but your asthma may not act up for a long time

14. What Triggers or starts your asthma signals? Allergy - to pollens in the air outside

15. - to dust mites

16. - to pets

17. - to cockroaches - to foods

18. Other things can trigger asthma to act up Cold air or a change in the weather

19. Smoke  Tobacco, barbecues, fireplace

20. Infections like colds, flu, or bronchitis Wash hands a lot to prevent getting sick

21. Strong smells and pollution Household cleaners, car exhaust, factory pollution, bug killers - even perfume can hurt us

22. Laughing hard, or crying or being angry Strong feelings can trigger asthma

23. Exercise and sports Sports and play is good for us but it can cause asthma to act up

24. If you control your asthma, then you won�t have asthma that acts up Stay away from your asthma triggers Eat healthy foods, play and exercise Use the peak flow meter the way your doctor told you to � it can let you know if asthma is sneaking up on you

25. Take the medicines the doctor gives you exactly how he tells you to use it Never share your medicines with anyone else Take the right amount of medicine � don�t use it too much but don�t forget to use it when the medicine plan says you should

26. There are 2 kinds of asthma medicines You may have to use an asthma medicine every day to stop asthma signals. These are called controller medicines You may only need to use quick relief or rescue inhalers before you exercise or when the weather or pollen is bad or when your asthma is acting up

27. Asthma medicines can be syrups or pills you may use more then one kind of medicine

28. or asthma medicine can be in an inhaler Some call it a puffer

29. or asthma medicine can be in a breathing machine  The name for the machine is nebulizer

30. Practice using your inhaler or puffer the right way Its better to use a spacer with your inhaler

31. But you can use your inhaler without one, too You can hold it away from your mouth

32. Or you can put the inhaler into your mouth � ask your doctor what is the best way for you to use it

33. It is important to learn the right way to take your medicines Some kids use their inhalers (puffers or rescue medicine) too much � if you have to use it more then 2 times a week or if your asthma is acting up a lot, then tell your mom and dad or the school nurse.

34. If you feel sick, nervous or sleepy when you use your medicine Tell your mom or dad or school nurse You may need to change medicines or change the way you�re using your inhaler or puffer

35. If you take control of your asthma You don�t have to be scared, sad, or mad You can be all that you can be!