Contents:
- Medical Video: Detecting Allergy and Asthma Symptoms in Children -St. Louis Children's Hospital
- What you need to prepare before the holidays with children
- If you travel by car
- If you travel by plane
- Accommodation
- Make sure your child controls his activities
- If your child is traveling alone
Medical Video: Detecting Allergy and Asthma Symptoms in Children -St. Louis Children's Hospital
Asthma in your child should not prevent you from planning a family vacation or letting your child take part in camping or holidays with friends. With good preparation and communication, you and your child can enjoy the holiday.
Before you travel, make sure your child's asthma condition is well controlled. If you have just relapsed, check with your doctor. Your child may need a change in medication or consult a doctor before traveling.
What you need to prepare before the holidays with children
1. Medicine
When preparing goods, make sure to bring fast-acting medicines (rescue or fast-acting medicine) and long-term control drugs. Make sure the medicine is easy to reach. If you travel by plane, make sure to carry it in a carry-on bag and carry it in the cabin, so that the medicines remain with you whenever your child needs them, even if your luggage is lost.
2. Peak flow meter
You can also bring a peak flow meter if your child uses it. Also bring health insurance cards and information, as well as asthma action plans for medication lists, dosage information, doctor's telephone numbers.
3. Doctor's letter
If you travel abroad, bring a letter from your doctor that describes your diagnosis, medication, and child's equipment. This can help you through security or airport customs. Ask for generic names of drugs, to anticipate if drugs have other names in a country.
4. Nebulizer
If your child uses a nebulizer, you might be able to buy the portable version. Many nebulizer portable that can be attached to the cigarette lighter in the car. If you travel abroad, make sure you bring the necessary adapters.
If you travel by car
Buses, trains and cars may have the same allergens in your home, including dust mites and molds trapped on the sofa or ventilation system. There's not much you can do with a bus or train, but if you travel by car, turn on the air conditioner with the window open for about 10 minutes. This can reduce mold and dust mites in the car. If pollen or pollution levels affect your child's asthma, close the window and turn on the AC.
If you travel by plane
The air quality on the plane can affect your child's asthma. Smoking has been banned on all commercial flights, but not on charter flights. If you travel by charter plane, ask about smoking regulations and request a seat in the non-smoking section. The air on the plane is very dry, give your child plenty of drink while on the plane. Many airlines allow use nebulizer (except when taking off and landing), but check first. Nebulizer usually not included in emergency equipment because of its large size. However, inhalers can be used as a substitute for nebulizers in dealing with asthma and are easier to carry when traveling.
Accommodation
Your child's asthma triggers will determine what you need to do to prevent an asthma attack where you will stay during your vacation. If cider or air pollution is the trigger, you can plan a trip in a season where the amount of pollen and smoke haze is lower.
If dust mites or mold are a problem and you will stay in a hotel, ask if there are allergic-free rooms. Asking for a room with sun and dry conditions and away from the pool can help. If animals are allergens, ask for a room that is never occupied by pets. You must always stay in a non-smoking room.
If you are going to live in a rented cottage near the beach or forest, ask that the place be aired before you arrive. Make sure friends or family who live with you know the triggers of asthma before you reach your destination. Although they cannot clean all mites or fungi, they can vacuum the dust carefully, especially in the room your child will stay.
If scented candles, potpourri, aerosol products or firewood interfere with your child, ask the host not to use them. You can also remind yourself not to smoke indoors when your child is in the room.
It takes months for the dander to disappear effectively from a room, you should not stay with friends or family who have pets if dander from animals is your child's asthma trigger.
Wherever you are going to stay, consider bringing child pillows and blankets from home to make sure the bedding is hypoallergenic.
Time difference can also be a challenge. When traveling, try to give medicine at the usual time from the area of origin. When you get to a different time zone, remember to adjust the time to local time.
Make sure your child controls his activities
If your child's asthma condition is well controlled, you can enjoy the view, hikingor your entertainment activities. However, keep in mind the triggers of asthma when planning activities. For example, avoid walking or hiking a lot if pollution or pollen amounts are high, or if the weather is very cold and dry. If you are camping, keep the child away from the campfire.
Make sure you have plenty of rest (indoors if possible), bring drugs that work fast, and prepare a backup plan if your child has asthma symptoms.
Like at home, if someone else will supervise your child, make sure he knows the condition of the child's asthma and knows what do's and don'ts to prevent your child's asthma from recurring.
If your child is traveling alone
If your child will travel alone (camping or stay with friends or other families), make sure there are adults watching him. Make sure the adults who accompany your child know and have a copy of the asthma action plan, medication list, and emergency telephone numbers. Also send written permission to accompany the child during an emergency.
Talk to your child before the trip to discuss the asthma action plan and what needs to be done during an emergency. Your child must be familiar with asthma triggers, know how to use drugs, and be able to recognize signs of an asthma attack.
If your child has not used long-term medication and only relies on drugs that work quickly to control asthma, it may not be time to allow the child to travel alone, especially over long periods of time.
Of all, make sure that your child uses all drugs according to the prescription and tries to avoid triggers. Ignoring asthma during the trip can send your child to the emergency department, not a place to spend the holidays.
