Think about the following health promotion opportunities in your clinical practice related to respiratory problems:

Smoking

• Provide information on the dangers of smoking and offer support and advice to young people to help them quit smoking. Some school nurses run smoking cessation clinics, so you could direct the young person to their school nurse for support.
• If the young person has a respiratory condition such as asthma, stopping smoking will significantly reduce the severity of their symptoms.
• Provide information to parents on the dangers of smoking and passive smoking and offer support and advice in quitting. GPs and practice nurses are able to provide advice around stop smoking medications, or you can direct the parent to the NHS Smokefree service for free advice and support.

Exercise

• Exercise is important for everyone in maintaining good respiratory health.
• Exercise for children and young people with asthma is recommended.
• If the child/young person finds exercise is a trigger, encourage them to speak with their asthma nurse specialist – their asthma plan may need updating to help keep symptoms under control.

Vaccinations

• Certain vaccinations can protect against respiratory disease, e.g. Hib vaccine has reduced the incidence of acute epiglottis in children.
• It is very important for children and young people with respiratory illnesses such as asthma to receive their routine vaccinations.
• The flu vaccination is generally recommended for people with chronic respiratory conditions.