Caring for Children With Asthma
Millions of US children have asthma. It's not uncommon for caregivers—who could range from parents and other family members to teachers and babysitters—to be responsible for caring for children with asthma.
Knowing the Basics of Asthma
It is important for caregivers to understand the basics about asthma so that they can properly care for children with asthma. As a caregiver, you should:
- Talk to your child’s healthcare provider about proper asthma treatment and care
- Know the causes and symptoms of asthma
- Know how to properly deliver asthma medication to a young child
- Make sure an older child can follow the instructions on how to take his or her asthma medicines
- Make sure your child – as well as others caring for the child – uses the right medicine for long-term control versus quick relief of symptoms
- See helpful links for more information
Preventing Exercise-Induced Asthma
Exercise is important for children, but it can trigger asthma symptoms. Albuterol, when taken prior to physical activity, works to relax the muscles surrounding the airways and can help control asthma symptoms. Some albuterol inhalers, like VENTOLIN HFA, can be used to prevent sudden asthma symptoms associated with exercise (known as exercise-induced asthma or exercise-induced bronchospasm, EIB).
VENTOLIN HFA is a prescription medicine used to treat or prevent bronchospasm in people 4 years of age and older with reversible obstructive airway disease. VENTOLIN HFA is also used to prevent EIB in patients 4 years of age and older. It is not known if VENTOLIN HFA is safe and effective in children under 4 years of age.
Tools to Help Assess Your Child’s Asthma
There are tools you can use and share with the healthcare provider to help assess your child's asthma. For example, you may wish to do the following:
- Take the for children 4 to 11 years old
- Take the for children 12 years or older
*ASTHMA CONTROL TEST is a trademark of QualityMetric Incorporated.
†The Childhood Asthma Control Test was developed by GlaxoSmithKline.
Using VENTOLIN HFA
If your child has been prescribed the VENTOLIN HFA inhaler, it is important for you to know how to properly deliver this asthma medicine to your child. Your comfort with administering VENTOLIN HFA will help put your child at ease.
Your child's provider can show you the step‐by‐step process for using the VENTOLIN HFA inhaler.
So that your child always has enough puffs available, refill your child's prescription for VENTOLIN HFA when the counter reads 020.
To help young children inhale the proper amount of medicine, your provider may recommend using a spacer device. VENTOLIN HFA can be inserted into one end of some spacer devices.
For some younger children, using a spacer may seem frightening at first. To help deliver the puffs, you may want to seat your child on your lap facing away from you. Then reach around to hold the spacer and press down on the inhaler.
Approved Uses for VENTOLIN HFA
VENTOLIN HFA is a prescription medicine used to treat or prevent bronchospasm in people 4 years of age and older with reversible obstructive airway disease. VENTOLIN HFA is also used to prevent exercise-induced bronchospasm (EIB) in patients 4 years of age and older. It is not known if VENTOLIN HFA is safe and effective in children under
4 years of age.
Important Safety Information About VENTOLIN® HFA (albuterol sulfate) Inhalation Aerosol 90 mcg
- Do not use VENTOLIN HFA if you are allergic to albuterol sulfate or any of the ingredients in VENTOLIN HFA. If you have any questions or are not sure, you should ask your healthcare provider.
- Tell your healthcare provider about the medicines you take and about all of your medical conditions.
- Use VENTOLIN HFA exactly as your healthcare provider tells you to use it.
- Do not increase your dose or take extra doses of VENTOLIN HFA without first talking to your healthcare provider.
- Get medical help right away if VENTOLIN HFA no longer helps your symptoms (like wheezing and trouble breathing), if your symptoms get worse, or if you need to use your inhaler more often.
- While you are using VENTOLIN HFA, use other inhaled medicines and asthma medicines only as directed by your healthcare provider.
- VENTOLIN HFA may cause serious side effects, including:
- worsening trouble breathing, coughing, and wheezing (paradoxical bronchospasm). If this happens, stop using VENTOLIN HFA and call your healthcare provider or get emergency help right away. This is more likely to happen with your first use of a new canister of medicine.
- heart problems, including faster heart rate and higher blood pressure.
- possible death in people with asthma who use too much VENTOLIN HFA.
- allergic reactions. Call your healthcare provider right away if you have any of the following symptoms of an allergic reaction:
- itchy skin
- swelling beneath your skin or in your throat
- rash
- worsening trouble breathing
- low potassium levels in your blood.
- worsening of other medical problems in people who also use
VENTOLIN HFA, including increases in blood sugar. - Common side effects of VENTOLIN HFA include:
- your heart feels like it is pounding or racing (palpitations)
- chest pain
- fast heart rate
- shakiness
- nervousness
- headache
- pain
- dizziness
- sore throat
- runny nose
Please see complete Prescribing Information for VENTOLIN HFA (albuterol sulfate) Inhalation Aerosol, including Patient Information.
Using Your
VENTOLIN HFA
Inhaler 
Childhood
Asthma
Control
Test†
with using
VENTOLIN HFA,
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