When you're a parent of a child who suffers from asthma, you're already fully aware of the efforts that you make to help your child breathe as easily as possible. Ensuring that your child always has his or her inhaler and identifying what things can trigger an asthma attack can help your child to avoid challenges with his or her breathing. If you haven't yet been through cold season with your child — perhaps because he or she has only recently been diagnosed — you'll need to be careful. For a child who already has breathing difficulties, getting a cold can further complicate things. Here are some ways that you can reduce the child's risk of getting a cold.

Encourage Plenty Of Sleep

As a parent, you might be familiar with the nightly battle to get your children to bed. However, when it's cold season and you have a child with asthma, getting to bed at a reasonable hour is even more important. Sleep is an effective way to improve the immune system, which means that if your child is lacking in sleep, he or she may be more at risk of developing a cold that interferes with the challenges that the asthma has already created. Make a point of starting the bedtime routine earlier each evening, and try to limit your child's use of electronic devices after dinner.

Serve Nutrient-Dense Food

Eating healthy is important for children of all ages, but when it's cold season and you have an asthmatic child, a healthy diet is even more important. A consistent intake of nutrient-dense food provides your child with essential vitamins and minerals that are integral for bolstering the body's immune response. Conversely, a diet that is high in sugar can actually weaken the immune system and lead to further breathing challenges if your child were to get a cold.

Use Anti-Cold Supplements

Your local pharmacy, especially during cold season, is filled with a variety of supplements that you can give your child to further reduce his or her risk of developing a cold. Things such as vitamin C, echinacea, garlic pills, and more can all be effective for boosting the body's immune system to keep your child healthy, even when his or her peers are falling ill with colds.

You might not be able to prevent every cold, but doing your part to keep this common illness at bay can prevent breathing complications for your asthmatic son or daughter. For more tips, work with the staff at a clinic like Oak Brook Allergists.