“Can I try out for the softball team?”

If you are the parent of a child whose asthma is triggered by exercise, answering this simple question may make you nervous. Can softball be risky? Is there adequate adult supervision? Does the coach know enough to spot an emergency? Will my child be safe?

These are normal concerns for the parent of a child who has exercise-induced asthma (EIA). Keep in mind that most parents have similar concerns about their child’s safety. You may have felt some of the same fears on the first day of preschool. It might help you to know that kids with asthma can exercise safely as long as their asthma is under control.

Talk to your child’s health care provider about your concerns. Discuss how well your child’s asthma management plan is working, and review your child’s treatment goals with the doctor. Your health care provider will tell you if vigorous sports may be a serious problem. More likely, your child may be prescribed a medication to use before practice and games.

Some sports are better than others

Warm-weather sports are less likely to cause an episode than cold-weather sports. Ice hockey isn’t the best choice for kids with EIA. In fact, any vigorous sport on a very cold day can trigger an asthma episode. Encourage your child to choose an indoor sport instead, like basketball or martial arts.

Those sports requiring only short bursts of energy are less likely to cause an episode than those demanding prolonged, continuous activity. Steer your child toward a sport with lots of down time, like baseball or gymnastics. Swimming, in part because of the moist, humid air, is still one of the best all-around sports for people with asthma. The timed breathing techniques swimmers use support good lung function, as does the humid environment.

Four tips for safer sports

1. Medication: Your child’s health care provider may prescribe a short-acting inhaler to use just before practice and games, or a daily long-term controller or anti-inflammatory. Whichever is prescribed, make sure your child knows when and how to take the medication.

2. Warm up: Simply warming up slowly before exercise can help reduce the symptoms of EIA. Kids should start with a 5- to 10-minute warm-up, followed by 10 to 15 minutes of easy exercise. Make sure the coach (or teacher) knows how important this warm-up period is for your child.

3. Drink water: Researchers at the University of Buffalo have found that dehydration can worsen the symptoms of EIA. Your child needs to drink at least 8 ounces of water before practice, and for each hour of sports. Don’t count on the drinking fountain. Give him or her a water bottle to carry.

4. Give the coach a copy of your child’s asthma action plan. Review the early warning signs that could tell the coach that an asthma episode is coming. Kids may ignore early signs themselves because they want to finish the game or score one more point for the team.

This entry was posted on Sunday, March 11th, 2007 at 1:04 am and is filed under Kids, Teens. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.