Kids Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

• Adult FAQs

• Teen FAQs

• Kids FAQs

…about asthma in general 

Q: Will I outgrow asthma?

A:  Some kids will stop having asthma symptoms as often, and it may seem like they have outgrown it. But it isn’t gone, it just isn’t active, and could come back at any time.  Other kids will have to deal with asthma throughout their lives. The best thing to do is to get all the help you can. Have regular checkups with your doctor or asthma coordinator to make sure you are getting the right medicines. Keep a positive attitude… with the right treatment, asthma can be something that you rarely have to worry about!  

Q: Asthma scares me. Do people really die from it?

 A: It is true that people can die from asthma, you may have heard or read about this in the news recently, but it does not happen very often. Asthma is a very serious disease, but there is no reason for anyone to die from it.  Learning about what triggers your asthma, the early warning signs to look for and how to use your medicine the right way will help you keep your asthma under control. Talk to your doctor or asthma counselor if you are still worried about a severe asthma attack.

Q:   I've heard that being overweight can cause asthma. Is that true?

A:  There have been some studies that have shown a link between obesity (being overweight) and asthma, but there is not enough proof to say that being overweight will cause asthma. To learn more about obesity and asthma, click here.

Q:  Is there a cure for asthma? I’ve heard or read about people who were cured.

A:  There is no cure for asthma, but there is a lot of research being done now in the areas of indoor and outdoor pollution, allergies, gene therapy, cell biology and chemistry, just to name a few. What these researchers find will help us understand more about why this disease happens, and how we can control it even better.
The people who have claimed to be cured are probably in one of those “quiet times” common in asthma, when there is a lot of time between asthma attacks. They have not really been cured, and their asthma symptoms could come back at any time, especially if they are not taking their asthma medication as they should. If you would like to learn how to decide if a treatment you hear about is a good idea or not, click here.  

Q:  Why do I have to take medicines every day?

A:  Knowing what happens in your lungs when you have asthma may help you to understand why you need to keep using medicines every day, even when you aren’t having trouble with your asthma. The lining of the airways gets inflamed, or swells, when you have asthma. The swelling makes the airways smaller so that air movement is harder. When inflammation happens, extra mucus is made in the lining of the airways. This mucus can be very thick and sticky, and may form into plugs. These plugs and narrowed airways together make it hard to breathe.

Your long-term controller medicine is the one that works over a long period of time to help keep the inflammation in your airways down, and stop them from being so twitchy. This means they’re less likely to react when you have a cold or are around one of your triggers. You need to take your controller every day for it to be effective, usually first thing in the morning and last thing at night. 

…about steroids 

Q:  Will you get big and muscular using a long-term controller steroid medicine?

A:   NO. The kind of steroids used in your controller medicine (corticosteroids) are different than the anabolic steroids people use to build large muscles, and work in a different way. The corticosteroids in your inhaler are a lot like those made naturally in your body. When you inhale them, they go down in your airway to get rid of the inflammation that causes asthma symptoms. You only need a small dose of them because they are working directly on your lungs.

Q:  Will I gain weight by taking inhaled steroids or steroid tablets?

A:   NO.  Your inhaler contains such a low dose of steroids that it will not make you put on weight. Sometimes steroid tablets can make you feel hungry, and eating more will make you start to gain weight. The tablets themselves don’t make you gain, so eat your normal amounts while you take them and you should be fine.

Q:  What about side effects from inhaled steroids or steroid tablets?

A:  Your controller inhaler might make you a little hoarse every now and then, because some of the medicine can stay in your mouth and throat if you don’t use a valved-holding chamber or spacer. It’s also a good idea to rinse out your mouth with water and spit it out after taking your controller inhaler.
Steroid tablets give you a higher dose of steroids than your controller inhaler. You need this higher dose if your asthma gets really bad.  When you only need to take them for a week or so, there are no serious side effects. You might get a little stomachache, and if you do, tell your parent or doctor.  If your asthma is so serious that you need to be on steroid tablets for months or years, there can be side effects like weight gain, thinning of the bones and skin and cause your blood pressure to go up. Before you start taking steroid tablets for a long time you and your doctor or asthma counselor should have a talk about the good and bad points of this kind of medicine.  

Q:  Will inhaled steroids or steroid tablets stunt my growth?

A:  Most studies say kids grow normally when they take normal amounts (400 to 800 mcg/day) of Beclomethasone (an inhaled steroid) but higher doses may cause some trouble. Long-term steroid tablet use shows the most risk for growth problems. Your doctor will keep track of how you’re growing while you are on these medications, and may try to step-down this medicine when possible. On the other hand, having your asthma out of control itself can lead to growth problems.  There are many studies about steroids going on right now to get better answers to all of these questions.