Guest Author - Amy Anaruk
The schools where I live will finish up the academic year over the next week and a half, the summer traveling season will start. Over the years, I�ve discovered that going on vacation with an asthmatic child requires a few extra steps.
1. Bring Adequate Medication
Check your child�s controller and reliever inhalers or nebulizer respules a week before your departure. If the inhalers are less than half-full, go ahead and have the pharmacy refill them so you can take a full supply of medicine with you. That way you won�t have to worry about running out or having your pediatrician refill prescriptions long distance, and you won�t come back home with empty inhalers. A friend of mine has a young son with a very severe case of asthma. He flares so frequenty that she never travels without Orapred, either. If you leave the country, have your doctor write up a list of all asthma medications, including dosages and generic alternatives. Drug names differ in each country, so you�ll need accurate records in case of an emergency.
2. Pre-treat for Airplanes
Without fail, my daughter starts coughing a few minutes after stepping off a plane. The change in air pressure from the cabin to the airport makes her asthma flare every single time. Often, two puffs of her Albuterol right before the flight or right in the middle of it fixes the problem. The dry air inside the cabin creates breathing problems for asthmatics sometimes, so make sure your child drinks plenty of water during the flight.
3. Request Hypoallergenic Bedding
Hotel/motel rooms can provide hypoallergenic pillows and sometimes even blankets upon request, and some hotels feature entire rooms refitted for asthma/allergy sufferers. These rooms generally offer wood or laminate flooring rather than carpet, non-vinyl wallpaper, hypoallergenic bedding, and sometimes even special air filters. Most, though not all, hotels market hypoallergenic rooms as an amenity, though, so you�ll probably pay extra for the room.
4. Research the Area
Check all relevant websites to get a good idea of the climate, outdoor allergens, air quality, and possible irritants in your vacation area so you can prepare for flares. If, for example, you plan to take a pollen-sensitive asthmatic child to Louisville, Kentucky in April, you will probably need to pack allergy meds. The Weather Channel website at www.weather.com, a great traveling resource, tracks air pollution and pollen as well as temperature and precipitation.
Check the links below for a few other good travel resources.
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"Smile, breathe and go slowly." -Thich Nhat Hanh
This article is not written by a medical professional, and information on this page should never be substituted for your physcian's advice. If you have any questions about your asthma and/or allergies, you should always contact your physician first.
