Advice could save a life
Dear Editor Now that the school summer holidays are here, it’s easy for health routines to go out of the window as children relax, enjoy the outdoors and get stuck into their favourite hobbies.
But Asthma UK is launching a campaign urging parents of children with asthma to make sure they take their usual preventer medicine and keep up a routine over the school break.
The medicine builds up over time so will help to protect their child from an asthma attack during the summer holiday and once they return to school.
Every 10 seconds someone has a potentially life-threatening asthma attack in the UK, and three people die from an asthma attack every day.
In September, children are nearly three times more likely to be admitted to hospital because of an asthma attack than in August, partly due to seasonal triggers such as cold and flu viruses.
If a child hasn’t kept up their preventer medicine routine over the school holidays, they will be at greater risk of reacting to these triggers.
The good news is that by taking a few simple steps, parents can help their child to avoid asthma attacks and enjoy the summer as much as anyone else:
Keep up your child’s usual preventer medicine routine (usually a brown inhaler).
Make sure your child has an up-to-date written asthma action plan, which you can download from Asthma UK’S website, and share this with anyone who will be looking after them; as using one means they’re less likely to end up in hospital for their asthma.
Track your child’s asthma symptoms using a diary or a symptom calendar.
Prepare for going back to school by arranging for your child to have an asthma review with their GP or asthma nurse to check your child’s medicines, and make sure your child has spare, in-date reliever inhalers to take into school.
We want to reassure parents whose children have asthma that support is available through our nurse helpline.
Last year we helped nearly 1000 parents who called on behalf of their child with asthma.
For information and support on how to manage your child’s asthma over the summer or to download a written asthma action plan visit www.asthma.org.uk/safersummer Dr Andy Whittamore Clinical Lead at Asthma UK
Dear Editor In the rainy season we had “The Lakes of Hamilton” as a tourist attraction.
Now we have “The Magical Mystery Tours”.
There is a plethora of road signs saying, “no right/left turn”, “road closed”, “access for residents only” which in many cases should have been taken down but weren’t. But the best one is “detour”. Having some time to waste recently I followed one from the top of Hamilton and after 10 minutes or so on my mystery tour, nothing!
Truly a mystery tour but I’m not sure it was magical.
Still, God loves a trier. John L Rimmer Park Road, Hamilton
Dear Editor I regularly read letters to the editor in the Hamilton Advertiser, and one person stands out for his common sense approach to life and living in Lanarkshire.
Isn’t it about time that John L Rimmer (Snr) is given his own column?
In a world that is, to be frank, a bit mad at present with rules and daft regulations, it’s great to hear a voice that talks a bit of sanity.
I think Mr Rimmer (Snr) would make a very interesting column, and should be put forward to be mayor of Hamilton. Neil, Larkhall