Diagnosing asthma
It is important that you visit your doctor to get a proper asthma diagnosis. This is the first step in being able to manage asthma. Whether you have asthma yourself or you are the caregiver of someone who has asthma, it is important to understand the condition, the symptoms and effective management.
Once you have been diagnosed with asthma, your doctor will be able to provide you with a written asthma action plan. This plan will include the most effective asthma medications to treat your individual symptoms.
Asthma is a manageable health condition. Although there is no cure, with good asthma management and education, people with asthma can lead normal, active lives.
Preventing asthma
Based on current evidence, some measures might assist in preventing asthma from developing. Exposure (sensitization) to environmental allergens has been associated with childhood asthma. Certain genetic factors can also increase the chance of a child developing asthma. For example, if you have asthma and/or allergic diseases, your child may have a higher risk of developing asthma and allergic diseases.
Clean, healthy environments are important, but try not to over-sanitize your home with cleaning products. Current research suggests that having common childhood infections might actually protect children from developing asthma.
There is no evidence that the use of dietary restriction as a prevention measure in the third trimester of pregnancy, or while breastfeeding, prevents or improves asthma.
More investigation is required on the potential link between asthma and exposure to farm animals and probiotics.
Pets and asthma
If your family has pets, it is not necessary to give them away unless your child develops evidence of a pet allergy (as assessed by your doctor or allergy specialist).
Infant feeding
Pregnant women and those breastfeeding are advised to:
- Breastfeed for the first six months of life – when possible. Breastfeeding is best for your baby. If this isn’t possible, a partially hydrolyzed formula can be used (ask your pharmacist for a recommendation).
- Do not smoke during pregnancy. Smoking is harmful to both you and your unborn baby. You should also avoid exposing your child to cigarette smoke at all stages of their life.
- Do not exclude foods which are potential allergy triggers (e.g. peanuts) from your diet while pregnant. There is no evidence that this will prevent allergies in your child.
- Introduce solid foods from around six months of age, while still breastfeeding.
- Introduce one new food at a time; if a food is tolerated, continue to feed your child that food as a part of their varied diet. If your child has a negative reaction to any food, avoid that food until your child is reviewed by a medical practitioner with experience in food allergies.
