Does your child have asthma, hayfever or eczema? An action plan may help
For some families, managing asthma, hayfever, eczema or other inflammatory conditions means needing a little extra care.
It’s a pretty big club: In Australia, around 411,000 children 15 have asthma,1 up to 30%2 of children have hayfever2 and 30% have eczema.3 Plus, these conditions are interconnected, so it’s possible for children to have more than one. If your child’s asthma, hayfever or eczema is severe, or if they live with two or more of these conditions, talk to your GP about making a written action plan.
Your action plan will detail:
- treatments and their proper use
- how to reduce and control symptoms
- signs your condition is worsening
- recognising an emergency and knowing how to act
- further specific details, depending on your needs
Keep your plan up to date
Revise every six months or whenever symptoms change significantly.
Make your plan available
Give a copy to your child’s school, kindergarten or anyone who cares for them.
Your Pharmacist can help
With an action plan in place, your Pharmacist can support you as you manage your children’s health day-to-day, with products for kids and steps for you on how to use them properly.
Your action plan will detail:
- treatments and their proper use
- how to reduce and control symptoms
- signs your condition is worsening
- recognising an emergency and knowing how to act
- further specific details, depending on your needs
Keep your plan up to date
Revise every six months or whenever symptoms change significantly.
Make your plan available
Give a copy to your child’s school, kindergarten or anyone who cares for them.
Your Pharmacist can help
With an action plan in place, your Pharmacist can support you as you manage your children’s health day-to-day, with products for kids and steps for you on how to use them properly.
Not sure what’s going on? Don’t self-diagnose
Symptoms of allergies (including hayfever, eczema, asthma, hives and food allergies) can be common to other conditions. If you suspect allergies in the family, ask your doctor or allergy specialist for next steps.
A note on food allergies and eczema
If your child has moderate to severe eczema and/or a food allergy, don’t make kneejerk decisions or diagnose on your own. Instead, talk to your Pharmacist and GP about the best steps to take. Here are some points to consider about food allergies and eczema in children.4
- It is possible to have both a food allergy and eczema and, in some people, having a food allergy can trigger or worsen their eczema symptoms
- However, food allergies rarely cause eczema, and they only occasionally trigger a delayed eczema flare-up
- Always ask your GP or allergy specialist before beginning an elimination diet or interpreting results, especially when treating children’s eczema
- Eliminating foods unnecessarily could affect a child’s growth and development, or increase the risk of becoming allergic to that food later
Your Pharmacist and GP are always there to help. Ask yours for advice and tips on managing your child’s asthma, allergies or eczema.
General advice only – this information should not replace the information provided to you by your health care professional. If symptoms are severe or persist, please speak to your health care professional. Information current as of date of publishing.
Sources:
1 https://asthma.org.au/about-asthma/asthma-in-children/ask-about-asthma-in-schools/
2 https://www.healthdirect.gov.au/hay-fever
3 https://www.eczemasupport.org.au/impacts-of-eczema/
4 https://www.allergy.org.au/patients/skin-allergy/eczema
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