What is asthma?

Asthma is a common respiratory (lung) condition that makes your airways narrow. When your child's airways are inflamed (swollen) due to asthma it can be difficult for your child to get air in and out of their lungs.

Asthma affects each child differently. Many children will grow out of their asthma.

How asthma is treated depends on a person's age. This article is about asthma in children aged from 6 to 11 years.

You can read more about asthma in younger children or in adolescents and adults.

What are the symptoms of asthma in children 6 to 11 years?

Symptoms of asthma can vary depending on whether your child is having a mild to moderate or severe episode of asthma.

Wheezing is a key feature of asthma. It sounds like a high-pitched whistle when your child breathes out. This is caused by the narrowing of their airways.

Mild to moderate episode

The symptoms can include:

• Breathing problems — chest tightness, working harder to breathe, sounding out of breath at rest, or finding it harder to speak in sentences.
• Wheezing — you hear sounds like a whistle when they breathe out.
• Coughing — may happen at night or early in the morning, in cooler weather, while laughing or during exercise.

Coughing alone doesn't mean your child has asthma.

An asthma episode usually lasts for 2 to 3 days. Most asthma episodes are mild.

Severe episode

If your child's symptoms flare up very quickly (in seconds to minutes) this can be a severe episode. During a severe episode, your child may also:

• struggle to breathe
• become distressed (upset) or exhausted (extremely tired)
• go limp
• make deep sucking movements with their throat or chest

A severe episode of asthma is also known as an asthma attack.

What causes asthma in children 6 to 11 years?

Asthma often does not have a clear cause. It can run in families and can be related to:

• eczema
• hay fever
• allergies

Many things can trigger asthma, and each child will have different reactions to triggers.

Common triggers can be:

• viruses, like cold and flu
• cigarette smoke
• exercise
• pollen
• dust mites and pet hair
• dampness or mould

Asthma can also be triggered by weather conditions such as during a thunderstorm.

Knowing what can trigger your child's asthma is important to help lower the chances of them having an asthma episode.

When should I see my doctor?

If you have noticed asthma symptoms in your child, take them to your doctor.

When to seek urgent care

Seek urgent care if your child:

• is extremely short of breath
• is unable to say more than a few words per breath
• is sleepy, confused or exhausted
• says their reliever inhaler is not helping
• has pale or clammy skin
• is blue around their lips
• has collapsed or become unconscious

How is asthma in children 6 to 11 years diagnosed?

Asthma can be diagnosed by your doctor.

Your doctor will ask about your child's symptoms. They will also ask about:

• the pattern of symptoms — the time of day they happen
• what triggers symptoms
• your home environment — if there are pets or carpet
• if your child is around people who smoke or vape
• if your child has allergies
• if there is a family history of asthma or allergies

Your doctor will also check how your child is breathing. They may arrange for your child to have lung function tests such as:

• spirometry
• fractional exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO)

During a spirometry test, your child will breathe into a mouthpiece attached to a machine that tests how well their lungs are working. The test is not painful. Your child will need to take some big breaths and follow the instructions. The appointment takes 20 to 30 minutes.

A FeNO test measures the amount of nitric oxide that your child breathes out.

How is asthma in children 6 to 11 years treated?

The 2 types of medicine often used in children with asthma are known as relievers and preventers. The most common way to take asthma medicines is using an inhaler also known as a 'puffer'.

Relievers

Relievers help to open your child's airways so they can breathe more easily. The most common reliever is salbutamol, also known as Ventolin. These work quickly to relieve symptoms.

It's important that your child always has their reliever medicine (usually a blue puffer) with them.

Preventers

Preventers help to stop an asthma episode from happening. They need to be taken regularly. Preventers calm down the redness and swelling in the lungs. Preventers help make your child's lungs less sensitive to triggers.

If your child has symptoms of asthma more than twice a week, they may need preventer medicine.

Read more about asthma medicines.

How does my child take their medicine?

Your child will take their asthma medicine with an inhaler. There are many kinds of inhaler devices.

Your child may use a pressurised metered-dose inhaler (MDI) with a spacer and mouthpiece. You or your child 'puff' the dose from the inhaler into the spacer. Your child then takes one deep breath and holds for 7 seconds.

Children younger than 7 may find it easier to take 2 breaths in and out and then hold for 5 seconds.

If your child is aged 10 or 11 years old, another option is a dry powder inhaler. A dry powder inhaler is a device that sends the medicine into your lungs as a dry powder. Your child needs to be able to breathe in strongly and deeply to use a dry powder inhaler, so it's not suitable for young children.

Some asthma preventers come as tablets. If your child's asthma isn't well controlled using preventer inhalers, your doctor might suggest adding another preventer medicine that comes as a chewable tablet. Ask your doctor about the benefits and possible side effects of this medicine.

Asthma action plan

An asthma action plan helps you understand when asthma is getting worse and what to do. Talk with your doctor about getting a written plan.

The plan should include:

• Details of your child's usual asthma medicines.
• What to do if asthma symptoms get worse.
• What to do in an emergency.
• When and how to get medical care — include your doctor's contact number.
• The phone number for an emergency contact person.
• The name of the person who wrote the plan.

Make sure you keep the plan in a place that is easy to find.

Give anyone who is caring for your child a copy of the plan.

What to do when my child is having an asthma episode?

If your child is having an asthma attack, you should follow their asthma action plan or the Asthma First Aid steps:

1. Remain calm and have your child sit upright.
2. Shake the reliever puffer and give them 1 puff through their spacer, if they use one. Ask your child to take 4 breaths through the spacer.
3. Repeat until 4 separate puffs have been given.
4. Wait 4 minutes. If your child is not improving, repeat with another 4 puffs of the reliever.
5. If your child is still not improving, call triple zero (000) and ask for an ambulance immediately. Tell them your child is having an asthma emergency. Continue to repeat steps 2 and 3 while you wait for the ambulance.

Living with asthma for children 6 to 11 years

If your child gets the right treatment, they can continue to enjoy sport and live an active life.

To help prevent an asthma episode when your child is playing or exercising you can:

• encourage your child to warm up and cool down before exercise
• make sure they use their reliever before playing sport
• teach them to notice their asthma symptoms so they know when to stop and take their medicine

What are the complications of asthma in children 6 to 11 years?

If your child's asthma isn't managed well, they are more likely to have more severe symptoms and have an asthma attack.

They may need to go to hospital for treatment. They may also be at risk of respiratory failure.

Can asthma in children 6 to 11 years be prevented?

There is no way to prevent your child from developing asthma. However, asthma symptoms can be prevented with medicines.

You can help by not smoking around your child. Breathing second-hand smoke can increase the chances of your child developing asthma.

Smoking during pregnancy is also linked with higher chances of your baby developing asthma.

Resources and support

• The National Asthma Council has more information about asthma action plans and first aid for asthma in children.
• Asthma Australia has a range of resources about asthma in children in English and languages other than English.
• The Royal Children's Hospital Melbourne has information on how to use a spacer in English and other languages.

You can also call the healthdirect helpline on 1800 022 222 (known as NURSE-ON-CALL in Victoria). A registered nurse is available to speak with you 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.