Athma

It's almost summer--and with summer school, camp programs or just playing in the neighborhood, your child will likely be more physically active than ever. But your child has asthma. How much activity should you allow? What can you do to help prevent an asthma attack? Here are some tips from the National Institutes of Health National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute to help your child with asthma remain physically active.

What is asthma?

Asthma is a chronic lung condition with ongoing airway inflammation that results in recurring acute episodes (attacks) of breathing problems such as coughing, wheezing, chest tightness and shortness of breath. These symptoms occur because the inflammation makes the airways overreact to a variety of stimuli including physical activity, upper respiratory infections, allergens and irritants. Exposure to these stimuli--often called triggers--creates more swelling and blocking of the airways. Asthma episodes can be mild, moderate or even life threatening. Vigorous exercise will cause symptoms for most students with asthma if their asthma is not well controlled. Some students experience symptoms only when they exercise. However, today's treatments can successfully control asthma so that your child can participate fully in physical activities most of the time.

Asthma varies from child to child and often from season to season. This is why physical education teachers and coaches and summer camp counselors and parents need to understand what asthma is and what the individual needs of the children are. At times, programs for children with asthma may need temporary modification, such as varying the type, length and/or frequency of activity. At all times, children with asthma should be included in activities as much as possible. Remaining behind in gym class and frequently sitting on the bench can set the stage for teasing, loss of self-esteem, unnecessary restriction of activity and low levels of physical fitness.

Helping children control their asthma

Getting control of asthma means recognizing asthma triggers (factors that make asthma worse or cause an asthma episode), avoiding or controlling these triggers, following an asthma management plan and having convenient access to asthma medications. It also means modifying physical activities to match the child's current asthma status.

Recognize asthma triggers

Each child with asthma has a list of triggers that can make his or her condition worse--that is, that increase airway inflammation and/or make the airways constrict, which makes breathing difficult.

Common triggers include:

Avoid or control asthma triggers

Some asthma triggers (such as pets with fur or feathers) can be avoided. Others such as physical exercise are important for good health and should be controlled rather than avoided.

Some actions to consider:

Follow the asthma management plan

Developed by you, your child and their healthcare provider, a copy of your child's current asthma management plan should be on file in the school or camp office or health services office. Teachers, coaches and counselors should also have copies.

Your child's asthma management plan should include:

Ensure convenient access to asthma medications

Many children with asthma require two different medications, usually taken by metered-dose inhaler (MDI): One for daily control and prevention, the other to treat and relieve symptoms.

Preventive asthma medications are taken daily and usually can be scheduled for before and after school hours. However, your child may need to take these medications during school hours.

All children with asthma need to have their medication that relieves symptoms available at school in case of unexpected exposure to asthma triggers or an asthma episode. In addition, they often benefit from using their inhaled medication five to ten minutes before exercise.

If accessing the medication is difficult, inconvenient or embarrassing, your child may be discouraged and fail to use the inhaler as needed, and the asthma may become unnecessarily worse and his or her activities needlessly limited.

Modify physical activities to match the current asthma status

Children who follow their asthma management plans and keep their asthma under control can usually participate vigorously in the full range of sports and physical activities.

Activities that are more intense and sustained--such as long periods of running, basketball and soccer-- are more likely to provoke asthma symptoms or an asthma episode. However, Olympic medalists, such as Jackie Joyner-Kersee and Greg Louganis, have demonstrated that these activities are possible with good asthma management.

When a child experiences asthma symptoms, or is recovering from a recent asthma episode, exercise should be temporarily modified in type, length and/or frequency to help reduce the risk of further symptoms. The student also needs convenient access to his or her medications.

Actions to consider:

Recognize symptoms and take appropriate action

Recognizing asthma symptoms and taking appropriate action in response to the symptoms is crucial to asthma treatment and control.

Acute symptoms require prompt action to help children resume their activities as soon as possible. Prompt action is also required to prevent an episode from becoming more serious or even life threatening.

Symptoms that indicate an acute asthma episode and the need for immediate action include:

Your child's asthma plan and the school's or camp's emergency plan should be easily accessible so that all staff, substitutes, volunteers and aides know what to do in case acton becomes necessary.

Symptoms of exercise-induced asthma (coughing, wheezing, pain or chest tightness) may last several minutes to an hour or more. These symptoms are quite different from breathlessness (deep, rapid breathing) that quickly returns to normal after aerobic exercise.

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