Parents avoid the emergency room as often as possible, but if you are the parent of a child with asthma, it’s important to know when the ER is the right choice.
- When the following symptoms are showing up the answer to the question of when should I seek emergency medical attention is NOW.
- If your child is wheezing constantly.
- They are using their inhaler repeatedly because they either have severe asthma symptoms or their wheezing quickly returns after treatment.
- If a long-lasting cough is not responding to their prescribed rescue medicine.
- If you notice any changes in the color in your child’s skin, lips or fingernails.
- If your child has trouble speaking or using full sentences.
- If you notice that while breathing or speaking that your child is using extra muscles to breathe, having to flare their nostrils to get sufficient air
- The skin between their ribs or around the neck and collarbone is retracting with each breath.
In these situations, emergency treatment is a must. Be sure to always keep your child’s asthma medication stocked and easily available. Always take asthma seriously and you should be able to greatly reduce your risk of taking a trip to the Emergency Room.