HMR Children's Respiratory Specialists

09/10/2025

Well we have had another fantastic session with our lovely group of year 5/6 children at Castleton Primary school.
Today we talked about asthma triggers, the children are so engaged and keen to learn. They then enjoyed a word search and as always had lots of questions. They will make fantastic asthma champions and can also help to educate their peers, parents/carers, friends and families .

25/09/2025

Good Afternoon,

Myself and Nicky have had a lovely afternoon at Castleton primary school. Castleton primary school are well on the way to becoming the first school in Heywood, Middleton and Rochdale to be awarded with Asthma friendly school status.
Today was our first session with a lovely group of year 6 school children.
The children were very knowledgable when it came to talking about asthma and we had such a nice time and we are looking forward to returning next week.
Thank you to Sonia at Bury for sharing some of her resources:)
Inez and Nicky

09/09/2025

Good Afternoon,

This week is week and we have been having a lot of discussions around this. One of the asks this year is about preventable deaths as most asthma attacks are preventable.

Some common questions families ask after a child has had a severe asthma attack are:

" We didn't know asthma was serious, it usually get better with age doesn't it"

"Why has this happened, they only have mild asthma"

"if there were warning signs, we would have done something"

"isn't it normal to cough and wheeze - isn't that normal for asthmatics?"

"Do children really die from asthma?"

"They use their blue inhaler all the time-Isn't this normal?"

This is quite worrying as many people perceive asthma as a mild condition, why is this? At least 2 children in every classroom have asthma, is it because it is a common chronic condition?

Here are some pointers which would indicate good asthma control.

1. The reliever (blue) inhaler is used less than twice a week

2. Your child is mainly symptom free, no cough and no wheeze, especially at night and in the morning

3. Only requiring salbutamol for intense exercise

When we see a child in clinic we aim for asthma control that is so good that children will live their life mainly symptom free :)

How can we achieve good asthma control?

1. Attend your asthma reviews regularly
2. After an asthma attack, see your GP, practice nurse or asthma nurse specialist within 48 hours. You are more at risk of a further asthma attack after just experiencing one.
3. Ensure you have a personalised asthma management plan that you can follow and ensure school have a copy.
4. Always take your preventer inhaler as prescribed
5. Always carry your reliever inhaler around with you wherever you go.
6. If your child has been to out of hours services for a reliever inhaler or has been prescribed oral steroids then please ensure they are followed up by your own GP.
7. Monitor your own peak flow if you have one
8. Ensure spacer devices are replaced every 6-12 months and ensure the spacer device is still suitable for your child.

It would be very concerning if you or your child requires more than 2 salbutamol inhalers a year.

Lastly lets talk triggers. sometimes it is difficult to pin point triggers but the common ones include viruses and colds. September is the worst month for asthma attacks. This is because people may stop their preventer inhalers in the summer months and forget to re start them. After the school holidays children return to school and get bombarded by viruses which can trigger asthma.

Identifying individual triggers can help with good asthma control as you can step in as soon as possible.

Hopefully this was helpful
Inez, Nicky and Sarah :)

10/08/2025

As we head back to school after a fun-filled summer, it's important to be prepared and asthma-safe! 🌟
September is the month where we see more children hospitalised with asthma.

Here are a few tips to help you or your child manage asthma as the school year begins:

1. Update Your Asthma Action Plan, Make sure your asthma action plan is current and share it with school.

2. Pack Your Inhaler - Always have a blue reliever inhaler on hand, and ensure it’s labeled and accessible.

3. Communicate -Inform teachers and staff about asthma triggers and what to do in case of an emergency. This will also be on the asthma action plan.

4. Stay Informed - Keep track of any allergy or asthma triggers in your school environment, like dust or mold, and speak up if you notice any.

5. Routine Matters - Stick to your asthma management routine, including taking prescribed medication, even when you feel fine.

Let's make this school year a healthy and safe one! 🍎🏫

21/05/2025

We celebrated International Nurses Day in clinic, we were treated to some gifts by our lovely managers, this included a very large cake which was held up by one of our little asthma patients Ella and she also took a big slice home 💕 Thank you for helping us celebrate Ella 🎉

08/05/2025

We had a question about dealing with exam stress, this may be helpful

As exam season starts, you can help your child cope with stress and anxiety. Visit the NHS website for help and advice.

➡️ https://nhs.uk/mental-health/children-and-young-adults/advice-for-parents/help-your-child-beat-exam-stress/

07/05/2025

Good Morning everyone,

As it was national asthma day yesterday, Myself and Sarah have decided to go Live on Facebook tomorrow evening at 6pm. Nicky is on her holidays :)

We will discuss topics around Hay fever and how it affects asthma, some new treatment guidance and we will also discuss when to re start your inhalers if you do not use them in the summer months.

Please get involved and join us for a chat :)

06/05/2025

Today is world Asthma day, it is so important to raise asthma awareness. We are planning an asthma live hopefully on Thursday this week. Please join us, details to follow tomorrow

Did you know that , smoke, dust, and pollen can trigger dangerous attacks?

With the right inhaled treatment and clean air policies, we can fight back.

24/04/2025

Good morning,

It's going to be warm next week in North West England. I hope you all remember your sun cream and sun hats 🙂 Hot weather can be an asthma trigger for some.

🔴Carry your blue reliever inhaler with you at all times
🔴Take your preventer inhaler as prescribed
🔴Don't leave your inhalers in direct sunlight
🔴Avoid being outdoors from 11am-3pm
🔴Drink lots of water to prevent you getting dehydrated.
🔴When you're indoors, keep the doors and windows closed

Have a lovely week :)

08/04/2025

We have seen so many children this week who are being triggered by tree pollens. It’s so important to get your hay fever symptoms under control so your asthma remains stable.
Some helpful tips include:

Take an antihistamine ideally in the evening
Keep windows closed
Try not to hang clothes out on the washing line when the pollen count is high
Use Vaseline around your nostrils to trap the pollen before it reaches your nasal passages
Wear wrap around sunglasses 😎
Any other ideas welcome 🌸🌷🌸🌷

If your hayfever is still out of control speak to your GP

27/03/2025

Good afternoon,

Tree pollen is quite high at the moment and the usual suspects Ash and birch are pictured below.
Asthma can be triggered by hay fever. Please remember your antihistamines if you suffer.

28/02/2025

Good afternoon
Unfortunately virus season is still very much upon us and many of you are suffering with chest infections, tonsillitis and ear infections to name a few.
90% of children are triggered by these viruses.
The virus makes sensitive airways very twitchy which can cause a cough and a wheeze.
The best advice during these times are to use the blue reliever inhaler 2-6 puffs 4-6 hourly to open up the airways and stop the twitching.
If you or your child is needing more than 6 puffs 4 hourly then urgent medical attention is required as children can deteriorate fairly quickly.
We hope you all stay well but the good news is that Spring is trying to arrive, we are expecting temperatures to rise to double figures by the end of the week 🙂
We are looking forward to saying goodbye to winter