Childhood Asthma Treatment in Sharjah
Medically reviewed by Dar Al Kamal Team
What is childhood asthma treatment?
Childhood asthma treatment is the ongoing care that keeps a child's airways calm, so they can sleep through the night, run, play and go to school without being held back by coughing or wheezing. Asthma makes the small airways in the lungs sensitive. When something irritates them, they tighten, swell and fill with mucus, which causes wheeze, cough and breathlessness.
At Dar Al Kamal Hospital, Sharjah, childhood asthma is managed by the pediatric team. Treatment has three parts that work together: medicines matched to how often symptoms happen, a written plan that tells you exactly what to do at home, and a steady effort to reduce the things that set your child's asthma off. The aim is simple to state: a child whose asthma is well controlled lives a normal, active life.
Who needs it
Childhood asthma treatment is for children who have been diagnosed with asthma, and for children whose symptoms suggest it. In children, asthma is usually recognised from a pattern over time rather than from a single test. Your pediatrician looks for:
- A cough that is worse at night or early in the morning
- Wheeze, a whistling sound when breathing out, that comes with colds or exercise
- Breathlessness or chest tightness when running or playing
- Symptoms that improve after a reliever inhaler
- A personal or family history of asthma, eczema or hay fever
In the UAE, dust and sandstorms, long hours in air-conditioned rooms where dust and mould can collect, and tobacco or shisha smoke at home are common triggers. Children who spend the hot summer months exercising indoors may notice symptoms in sports halls and gyms.
What happens
Your first appointment starts with the story: when the symptoms happen, how often, what seems to set them off, and how they affect sleep, play and school. Your pediatrician listens to your child's chest and checks growth. Older children who can follow breathing instructions, usually from school age, may be asked to blow into a device that measures how well air moves out of the lungs. For younger children, the diagnosis rests on the pattern of symptoms and how well treatment works.
Treatment is then built around two kinds of inhaler, each with its own job:
| Inhaler | What it does | When it is used |
|---|---|---|
| Reliever | Relaxes tight airways quickly to ease wheeze and breathlessness | During symptoms, and sometimes before exercise |
| Preventer | Calms inflammation in the airways over time, so attacks happen less often | Every day, even when your child feels well |
Every child is taught to use their inhaler with a spacer, a plastic chamber that attaches to the inhaler. A spacer delivers more medicine into the lungs than the inhaler alone, because the child breathes the medicine in slowly instead of catching a fast puff at the back of the throat. Babies and younger children use a spacer with a soft face mask. Inhaler technique is checked at every visit, because a small change in technique makes a real difference.
You leave with a written asthma action plan. It uses three zones: green for everyday treatment when your child is well, amber for what to do when symptoms start, and red for when to seek emergency help. Share a copy with your child's school nurse and anyone who looks after your child. Your pediatrician also advises a yearly flu vaccine, since chest infections are a common trigger for attacks. See child vaccination.
Preparing for it
Bring every inhaler, spacer and medicine your child uses, so technique and doses can be checked. Bring any previous asthma plans, clinic letters or hospital discharge notes, including those from another country.
Before the appointment, keep a short diary for a week or two: night-time coughing, wheeze, how often the reliever was needed, and anything that seemed to cause symptoms, such as a dusty day, a pet, exercise or smoke. If you can, record a short video of your child's breathing during an episode, since the pattern is often gone by the time you reach the clinic.
Afterwards
Asthma control is reviewed regularly, and more often while treatment is being adjusted. When asthma stays well controlled for a long time, your pediatrician may step treatment down to the lowest level that keeps your child well. Ask about practical changes at home, such as cleaning air-conditioning filters, reducing dust in the bedroom and keeping the home smoke-free.
Contact the hospital if your child needs the reliever more often than usual, wakes at night coughing, misses school or activities because of asthma, or if you are unsure how to follow the action plan.
Call emergency services or go to the nearest emergency department straight away if your child is struggling to breathe, is too breathless to speak, feed or play, has the skin between the ribs or at the base of the throat sucking in with each breath, has blue or grey lips, is unusually drowsy, or if the reliever is not helping or is needed more often than the action plan allows. See children's emergency care.
Cost and insurance
Most UAE health insurance plans cover pediatric consultations and asthma medicines, including inhalers and spacers, although some medicines are limited to a formulary list or need pre-approval. Breathing tests may need separate approval. Dar Al Kamal Hospital, Sharjah can help you confirm your cover on 06 599 7777.
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Frequently asked questions
What are the risks and side effects of asthma inhalers for children?
Asthma inhalers for children are considered safe when used at the doses prescribed, and the benefits of controlling asthma outweigh their side effects. Preventer inhalers can occasionally cause a hoarse voice or a thrush infection in the mouth, which rinsing the mouth after each use helps prevent. Uncontrolled asthma carries a far greater risk to a child than the medicines that treat it.
Will my child grow out of asthma?
Some children grow out of asthma, particularly those who wheeze only with colds in the preschool years, while others keep symptoms into adulthood. Children with eczema, allergies or a strong family history are more likely to keep asthma. Your pediatrician reviews treatment as your child grows and reduces it when it is safe to do so.
Is every wheezy child asthmatic?
Not every wheezy child has asthma. Many babies and preschool children wheeze only during viral colds because their airways are small, and this often settles with age. Asthma becomes more likely when wheeze happens between colds, with exercise, at night, or alongside eczema or allergies.
Why does my child need a spacer?
A spacer helps more of the medicine reach your child's lungs, because the child can breathe it in slowly over several breaths instead of timing a single puff. Without a spacer, much of the medicine lands at the back of the throat. Babies and young children use a spacer with a face mask.
Can my child with asthma play sports?
Children with well-controlled asthma can take part fully in sport, and regular activity is good for their lungs and fitness. If exercise triggers symptoms, your pediatrician may suggest using the reliever before activity. Frequent symptoms during sport are a sign that treatment needs a review.
Can dust and sandstorms make my child's asthma worse?
Dust and sandstorms are a common trigger for asthma in the UAE because fine particles irritate sensitive airways. Keep your child indoors with windows closed on dusty days, follow the amber zone of the action plan at the first sign of symptoms, and keep the reliever inhaler and spacer with your child.
Is childhood asthma treatment covered by insurance?
Most UAE insurance plans cover pediatric asthma consultations, inhalers and spacers, though some medicines are limited to a formulary or need pre-approval. Confirm your cover with Dar Al Kamal Hospital, Sharjah on 06 599 7777.
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