(August 7, 2009 - Insidermedicine) Visits with a nurse who specializes in pediatric respiratory medicine can help children with problematic asthma better control their symptoms, according to research published in the Archives of Disease in Childhood.

Here are some things to do if your child has asthma:

•    Find out what the triggers are and help your child avoid them

•    Make sure your child uses his or her medication properly.

•    Make sure your child has rescue medication handy at all times

Researchers from the Royal Brompton Hospital and Imperial College London had over 70 children aged 4 to 17 meet with a nurse at the hospital and then again in their homes. The goal was to identify factors that may be contributing to asthma symptoms and that could be modified.

The nurses identified modifiable factors in nearly 80% of children. The most important were exposure to allergens, active or passive smoking, medication issues such as poor adherence, and psychosocial issues. In the home, dust mites were frequently not adequately controlled and asthma medication was not always easily available or was out-of-date. In more than half of children, changing one or more of these factors meant they could avoid more aggressive treatment for their asthma.

Today's research highlights the potential of nursing visits to help children manage the factors that contribute to their asthma symptoms.

For Insidermedicine in Depth, I'm Dr. Susan Sharma.