Q: Several of the kids on my children’s sports teams have asthma. Is it really safe for them to participate in athletics?
Studies show that 90 percent of children diagnosed with asthma can perform as well as anyone else in the athletic arena, according to Joe Yusin, M.D., an allergist with the Carl T. Hayden Veterans Affairs Medical Center and Clinics in Phoenix. Yusin also heads Asthma Athletics, a local non-profit dedicated to helping children with asthma stay active.
Asthma should be on every parent’s radar screen, according to pediatrician Lilia Parra-Roide, M.D., of St. Joseph’s Hospital and Medical Center in Phoenix. It’s among the most common chronic conditions of childhood and all parents, teachers and coaches need to recognize possible symptoms, which include coughing, wheezing, shortness of breath or tightness in the chest.
There are different forms of asthma with different types of triggers, explains Parra-Roide. While physical activity is a common trigger, other possible triggers include dust, smoke and humidity.
Symptoms can range from mild to severe. Don’t assume that kids with asthma always have horrible wheezing or noticeable distress when they try to breathe, cautions Gerald Gong, M.D., pediatric pulmonologist with Phoenix Children’s Hospital. A chronic cough without chest pain or shortness of breath can be an early symptom.
“The truth is that symptoms are often more subtle,” says Gong. Asthma should be considered in any child with a cough lasting more than two to four weeks. Symptoms can be very intermittent. Don’t rule out asthma simply because a child’s cough tends to come and go.
If your child has possible symptoms of asthma, your pediatrician may do some preliminary testing using a peak flow meter or spirometer, says Parra-Roide. If asthma is suspected, you’ll likely be referred to a pulmonologist for a more thorough evaluation and treatment.
What exactly is asthma — and how is it controlled?
“Asthma is an inflammatory condition,” explains Parra-Roide. It affects airways in the lungs, leading to limited air flow and hypersensitivity. Gong describes affected air passages as “twitchy” and “spastic.”
Typically, the best treatments are anti-inflammatory agents that make the airways less sensitive. These reduce much of the irritation that causes asthma symptoms. The most effective agents are medications known as “inhaled corticosteroids.”
Children of all ages can use them, and they are typically given just once or twice a day, notes Gong. Parents sometimes panic when they hear the word “steroids” but Gong is quick to explain that inhaled steroids used for asthma are administered in much different doses and with a vastly different delivery system than the steroids typically associated with more sinister side effects.
It can take several weeks for these medications to begin working, so Gong urges parents of new asthma patients to continue treatment even if no immediate results are seen. He also urges them to continue daily treatment even when symptoms seem to disappear, just to keep inflammation at bay.
An additional type of medication may be needed when exercise or other triggers cause spasms in the airway and make breathing more difficult. These medications, called bronchiodilators, help reverse symptoms by relaxing and dilating air passages. They generally last two to four hours and can be used about 20 minutes prior to athletic activity to prevent exercise-induced symptoms.
It’s important that school nurses and other personnel understand the role of these medications, says Parra-Roide, and that school policies help students have ready access to medications prescribed for asthma, visit https://ryderclinic.com/prednisone-online/.
When receiving proper treatment, a child with asthma should be able to participate in all aspects of home, school and social life – including sports. “Asthma is controllable,” insists Gong. “The goal of therapy is a totally well child.”
