This website uses cookies to enhance usability and provide you with a more personal experience. By using this website, you agree to our use of cookies as explained in our Privacy Policy.
Welcome to our new website!
Welcome! We hope you find our new website helpful and easier to navigate. It's now as easy to use on your smartphone as your desktop. Take a tour and please tell us what you think.
Asthma is a chronic (life-long) disease where the airways in the lungs are inflamed and narrowed, making it hard to breathe. It’s normal for airways to get mildly inflamed and narrow when exposed to smoke, pollution, and other irritants. However, children and youth with asthma get very narrow airways because of exposure to things they are sensitive to that shouldn’t irritate the lungs, like pollen or even the common cold. Did you know: asthma is the most common chronic disease in children? More than 1 out of 10 children will have asthma at some point in their life.
What you need to know
Asthma is a common chronic condition in children and youth
Asthma inflames and narrows airways, making it hard to breathe
With proper treatment, children and youth can live normal active lives
Viral-triggered Asthma: Some children are born with smaller airways. When they catch a cold, the airways get swollen, inflamed, and much narrower, making it much harder to breathe. These children will often outgrow their asthma.
Allergic asthma: Children with allergies sometimes develop allergic asthma. They have asthma symptoms when exposed to allergens such as dust, pollen and animal fur. They also have symptoms when they catch a cold and often with exercise. These children are less likely to outgrow their asthma.
Asthma symptoms may include:
Cough that is excessive compared to others
Wheezing (high-pitched whistling noise when breathing out)
Difficulty breathing or chest tightness
Ask yourself:
Can my child keep up with others while running around?
Do they have a hard time catching their breath?
Do they cough more at night or cough so hard they vomit?
Triggers: The first step of asthma therapy is to avoid triggers when possible. The most common trigger in children is the common cold. Other triggers include smoke, pollution, and allergens like dust mites, pollen, and animal dander.
Medications: There are two types of inhaler medications used to control asthma symptoms: relievers and controllers.
Reliever (rescue) medications:
Work quickly to relax airway muscles
Used when breathing is difficult
Ventolin® works within 5 minutes and lasts 4 hours. Can be used for up to every 4 hours during illness. The child or youth must see a health care professional if they need their rescue medication for more than 4 hours. They can also be taken 15 minutes before exercise
Oxeze® or Serevent are long-acting bronchodilators, used on a long-term basis in conjunction with an inhaled steroid controller medication (see below). Oxeze® starts working 5 minutes; Serevent starts working in 30 minutes. Both last 12 hours.
Inhaled Steroid Controller medications:
Reduce inflammation of the airways
Take 1–6 weeks to start working
Must be taken every day
Not effective for acute attacks
Examples include Flovent®, Alvesco®, Pulmicort®, Asmanex®
For metered dose inhalers (such as Flovent®, Alvesco® use a spacer device (such as an AeroChamber®) to prevent thrush and improve delivery
Dry powder inhalers such as Pulmicort®, Asmanex® are used without a spacer
May slightly affect growth (monitor with doctor)
May require cortisol monitoring when used in high doses
May cause thrush (rinse mouth after use)
Other medications:
Singulair®: non-steroid anti-inflammatory pill or sprinkle; takes up to 3 weeks. Side effects: headache, stomach aches, behaviour changes
Combination inhalers:
Symbicort®, Advair, Zenhale®, Atectura®
Provide long-term control and improved lung function
Taken twice daily; Symbicort® may also be used during attacks (for a maximum of 8 puffs/day)
Proper inhaler technique is essential to ensure medication reaches the lungs.
How to prepare
Avoid triggers:
Do not smoke near the child (including in the home or car)
Instruct your child or youth to wash or sanitize their hands before touching their nose or mouth to help prevent catching viral infections
Get annual flu vaccination
Check air quality (Air Quality Health Index)
Reduce allergens in the home (if your child or youth is allergic to these things):
Dust Allergy: Use dust-mite proof covers, reduce clutter, vacuum regularly, keep humidity level under 50%
Pollen Allergy: Keep windows closed during pollen season; use air conditioning
Animal Allergy: Limit animal exposure; keep pets out of bedrooms; consider an air purifier in the child’s bedroom
Mold Allergy: Clean mold with soap and water; use ventilation; seek professional help for large areas contaminated with mold, keep humidity level under 50%
Cockroach Allergy: Use professional exterminators for cockroaches and keep child away during treatment
Aftercare / What to do at home
Reduce exposure to triggers
Continue daily controller medications as prescribed
Asthma in Children, written by Dr. Tom Kovesi, Pediatric Respirologist and Professor of Pediatrics at the Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario (CHEO) and the University of Ottawa, Fifth Edition, 2024
Proper inhaler technique is essential to ensure medication reaches the lungs:
