SingaporeMotherhood | Baby & Toddler
August 2022
New Device to Help Mums Spot the Onset of Asthma Attacks in Children
Did you know that wheezing is one of the main signs of impending asthma attacks in children? The problem is that parents often find it challenging to recognise wheezing. This is especially true for parents with less experience or of very young children. If only they had a more reliable way to detect even the slightest wheeze before the condition escalated. It could help ensure their child receives the treatment they need in a timely manner.
(See also: How to Locate the Nearest Children’s Clinics in Singapore Open on Sundays, Public Holidays and 24 Hours)
What is Wheezing?
A wheeze is a high-pitched whistling sound in your child’s chest, usually when they are breathing out. It is the classic symptom of asthma attacks in children, and the most common one in those under five years. The presence of a wheeze means that the lower airway is tight.
The other signs are coughing, chest tightness, and breathlessness. But with all the usual flu viruses going around, kids get coughs a lot anyway. So how do you tell if it requires medical attention? After all, you don’t want to medicate them unnecessarily — overuse of medications can be harmful. But we also don’t want to wait till their chest hurts and they start having real trouble breathing.
There must be a way to know for sure, so you can carry out the asthma action plan as the doctor instructed if necessary to ward off an impending attack. The solution lies in detecting that elusive wheeze. But it’s often easier said than done.
(See also: Your Child has Asthma? Here are 8 ways to Help)
How to Detect Wheezing
In a clinical study by the Royal London Hospital, parents of children under eight years were shown 10 videos of infants and young children with respiratory symptoms. Only 59 per cent were able to correctly identify wheezing. Many also thought they heard wheezing where there was none.
Every child’s wheeze is different and they’re often hard to hear with the naked ear. Even nurses and doctors might need to use a stethoscope to listen for it. What more for parents with no medical training?
It felt like my boy was in and out of the emergency department every other month in his first three years. The doctors said his repeated bronchiolitis developed into asthma. It always started with a cough, but the wheezing was never detectable until much later. It was so hard to see my baby suffering and I felt so helpless.
Mrs Sherry Fong, 32
Thankfully, there is now a new home device called a WheezeScan that can accurately detect wheezes in seconds. By taking the guesswork out of a child’s breathing, parents like Sherry can now better manage their children’s asthma.
(See also: 6 Most Common Reasons Why Children in Singapore End up in the A&E)
How the OMRON WheezeScan Helps Parents
Just about every household owns a digital thermometer these days. A push of a button and a few seconds later, we know if our child is having a fever. The OMRON WheezeScan is a similarly easy-to-use portable device that detects even the faintest wheeze in seconds. It is suitable for children from four months of age.
Here are four good reasons to add the OMRON WheezeScan to your asthma arsenal:
- Early Warning Signal – The WheezeScan can ‘hear’ a wheeze down in the lungs (where it’s the hardest to detect) early on. Since full-blown asthma attacks in children are usually preceded by wheezing, this early knowledge is key.
- Quick and Accurate – The WheezeScan confirms the presence of a wheeze in under 30 seconds. It ‘listens’ to your child’s breathing and analyses it using a powerful algorithm with 95% sensitivity and 90% specificity.
- Easy to Use – Simply turn the WheezeScan on and hold it below your child’s right collarbone, directly on the skin. In less than 30 seconds, an indicator light will tell you if there is “Wheeze” or “No Wheeze”.
- Companion Tracking App – Easily log wheeze episodes, symptoms, triggers, and use of medication using OMRON’s free mobile app, Asthma Diary. Showing this to your child’s doctor can help them tailor the treatment plan more effectively.
Catch Early Signs of Asthma Attacks in Children
Don’t let your child’s asthmatic condition get out of hand and impact their quality of life in the long run. Empower yourself and boost your child’s well-being by adding the OMRON WheezeScan to your healthcare tool kit.
(See also: What You Should Pack in Your Home First-aid Kit)
The OMRON WheezeScan is exclusively available at OMRON Brand Shop from August 2022. Click here to learn more about it.
This is a sponsored post.
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