EARLY ADOLESCENCE
(girls 12-13 years, boys 13-15 years)
This is a time when having friends and belonging to a group is
extremely important to young people. In addition they may be very
sensitive about the changes that are happening to their bodies
due to puberty. Young adolescents often daydream and they may
have huge mood swings from very happy and excited to very
depressed and "moody".
Young people of this age with asthma may have difficulty in
admitting they sometimes feel different from their friends. It is
hard for them not to be doing what their friends are doing, for
example "hanging out" in smoky surroundings.
MIDDLE ADOLESCENCE
(14-16 years)
This age is often the most difficult for young people with
asthma as the need to belong to the group and to do what the
group is doing is extremely important to them. The adolescent is
likely to be very sensitive about his or her looks and is
beginning to think a lot about relationships with the opposite
sex.
It is a time when young people are wanting to be seen as
individuals and to challenge parents in many ways. Many also
don't have a sense of their own "mortality"- they have
a belief that nothing will happen to them. All of these things
can make it hard for them to be careful about managing their
asthma and they often resent being reminded by parents.
LATE ADOLESCENCE
(17-20 years)
Young men and women may now be taking more responsibility as
they make decisions about their future. By this time they will
probably have less need to do exactly what the group says and
will feel more secure about making their own choices. It is
important in the adolescent years to encourage your teenagers to
take control of their own health and to show that you have faith
in them.
WHAT ADOLESCENTS MIGHT DO
- Adolescents may pretend that they don't have asthma, even
to themselves, and so will not manage it properly.
- Sometimes adolescents stop using medication or go into a
place that is dangerous for them because they do not want
to admit to having asthma.
- They may ignore signs that they are unwell rather than
use their puffer when their friends are around.
- They may take risks with drugs and smoking.
- Taking any of these risks can cause a severe attack of
asthma.
WHAT PARENTS CAN DO
- Recognise that your adolescents are developing as
individuals and respect this. Listen to their point of
view. Start to let go of the reins.
- Work on your relationship with your adolescents. Take
time to get to know them.
- If you think that your adolescents may be taking risks
that worry you, try to discuss the situation calmly.
Listening to their point of view is very important and
may help your relationship improve, even if they won't
change their view.
- Use humour, but don't make fun of your adolescents.
- Avoid battles or giving orders as this will result in
someone losing and things are likely to end up worse.
- You have more chance of your teenagers listening to you
if you aim to give information rather than try to
persuade or tell them what to do.
- Adolescents should see their doctor without the parent
present. If you allow and encourage this it will show
that you respect their privacy and have faith in their
ability to manage their asthma.
- Involve adolescents in choosing the best management plan
for themselves.
- Try to make sure that adolescents with asthma have
opportunities to have similar experiences to their
friends eg social occasions, nights out in a smoke free
environment.
- If your adolescents have missed school due to illness,
make your home welcoming to their friends.
- Regularly say positive things to your teenagers. Tell
them that they are looking good, trying hard, doing well
or whatever is sincere. Even if they deny it they have
heard you.
- Adolescents can benefit from going to asthma camps where
they are given information and can share ideas and
feelings with others in the same situation.
REMINDERS
- Encourage adolescents to make decisions in all areas of
their lives as well as in managing their asthma.
- Show them that you believe in them.
- Find an opportunity for them to talk with young adults
who have asthma and are managing their own lives well eg
sportspeople.
- Don't overlook your other children. They need your time
and attention as well.
- Notice and comment on improvements. Mistakes are to learn
from, not to harp on!
- Remember that your adolescent is a person first, not just
a person with asthma.
Important Note
Adolescents with an ongoing health problem such as asthma often
have more emotional ups and downs than other adolescents. If, in
spite of the above suggestions, your adolescent is frequently
unhappy or taking risks that endanger health, it is important to
get professional support.
RECENT RESEARCH
The numbers of children who develop asthma have been increasing for the last
few decades in developed countries, but in developing countries there has not
been this same increase. It is thought that this is likely to have some
relationship to the environment that children live in. One theory being
investigated is that in developed countries children are mostly in a 'clean'
environment and they do not now get so many infections, especially gut
infections caused by viruses, in their early years. It is possible that
getting gut infections in the early months of life acts on the immune system so
that later in life viral infections are controlled by the immune system without
triggering asthma. Not enough is known about this yet to plan any changes
in the ways that children live.
