Therapy of asthma in children

The principal goal in the management of childhood asthma is to allow patients to lead a normal life and, when possible, to achieve an almost complete freedom from symptoms. To successfully treat a child with asthma, first it is necessary to gain the confidence of the child and his family, next to allay the anxieties of the family and finally to make quite sure that the parents understand the instructions regarding their child's treatment. For these reasons it is plausible to suggest that health education and self-management programs will improve adherence to the therapeutic regimen and will facilitate asthma treatment. The therapy of asthma in children consists of three major modalities: a) environmental control (avoidance of known precipitating factors), b) pharmacologic management and c) specific immunotherapy.