Tips for caring for children with asthma during the cold Tet holiday.

The former Director of the Central Ear, Nose, and Throat Hospital advises parents to dress warmly, wear masks, maintain good hand hygiene, ensure proper nutrition, and vaccinate children with asthma against influenza and pneumococcal disease.

According to the Institute of Meteorology, Hydrology and Climate Change, the 2017 Lunar New Year holiday coincided with the peak of winter. Northern Vietnam experienced cold spells with temperatures below 18-20 degrees Celsius, dry weather, and potentially severe cold in mountainous areas. Nighttime and early morning temperatures dropped below 12 degrees Celsius, while daytime temperatures could reach 22 degrees Celsius. This large temperature difference easily triggers asthma attacks in children.

In the month leading up to Tet (Lunar New Year), Ms. Ngoc Anh (Dong Da District, Hanoi) had to take her 2-year-old child to the respiratory specialist three times for treatment due to asthma. "Initially, the child only had pneumonia, then it turned into asthma. For more than a month now, the child has been hospitalized for a week, then relapses after a few days at home," Ms. Mai recounted.

In a similar state of anxiety, Ms. Mai (Thanh Xuan, Hanoi) shared that the constantly changing weather has caused her two children at home to cough and wheeze one after the other. Her younger child has a history of asthma, so she's always worried about a relapse. Her older child's cough is just a weather-related irritation, but with limited family support, she had to take time off work to care for them.

Children with asthma should wear masks when going out during the Lunar New Year holiday.

According to Associate Professor, Dr. Nguyen Thi Ngoc Dinh - former Director of the Central Ear, Nose and Throat Hospital, changing weather has a significant impact on human health, especially young children with weak immune systems. The transition from winter to spring, with changes in environment, temperature, and humidity, causes asthmatic children to adapt poorly to the environment, leading to frequent asthma attacks.

Besides weather conditions, colds, coughs, runny noses, and other cold-related illnesses can also trigger asthma attacks in children. Parents should also pay attention to other factors that can trigger asthma attacks, such as the smell of varnish, new wood, cigarette smoke, pet dander, pollen, aspirin-containing medications, and stress.

To best prevent asthma, it is necessary to avoid triggers. Parents need to carefully monitor for signs of asthma and should not underestimate simple symptoms such as coughing and wheezing. In the first 2-3 years of life, if a child coughs, wheezes, and has difficulty breathing repeatedly during seasonal changes, parents should take them to a specialist to determine if they have asthma.

Children with asthma must strictly and regularly follow their doctor's instructions and attend regular follow-up appointments. It is recommended to use licensed herbal medications for children to minimize side effects.

The end of the year and the Lunar New Year holiday are times when many families take their children out for outings. Associate Professor Dinh advises that if children are very sensitive, they should not go to crowded places. If children want to play, they must wear warm clothes, masks, wash their hands and feet, get flu and pneumococcal vaccines, and have good nutrition to boost their immune system.

According to VNE