Tips that we've found helpful:
a) have a clear ACTION PLAN from your physician. That physician may need, especially initially, be a specialist in allergy/pulmonology. Finding out how to avoid triggers is KEY.
b) along with avoiding triggers... the single BIGGEST way to do that is to undertake whatever means necessary to avoid respiratory ILLNESSES. We are fanatics about handwashing-- our house rule is that it is the first thing you do after you empty your hands when you come into the house. We also fully vaccinate our entire household to the extent allowable under medical advice. This was very scary when my DD could not get a flu shot.
c) use a nebulizer for kids up to about eight... and thereafter, during illness, it's still just a really nice thing to have.
d) per our physician's advice, when we notice ANY signs of a flare starting... or possible onset of illness, even... we begin tracking peak flow numbers several times daily (as opposed to a few times a week) and as soon as they dip, we begin treating with a LABA-Steroid inhaler. This has actually made illness more-- well, more "normal." In other words, a cold doesn't leave her bedridden and limp for WEEKS the way it used to.
e) if triggers are aeroallergens, be AGGRESSIVE about avoidance, and if they are not easily avoidable... consider daily allergy medication. You're preserving lung function and preventing airway remodelling for the long term, which = lower lifetime steroid use. Win. Meds like cetirizine are really well-tolerated and very very safe. My daughter has been taking an adult dose (and sometimes more than that) since she was about three.
Good luck!!!
