Asthma is a respiratory condition that affects up to 15 percent of American children and of those, 90 percent experience exercise-induced asthma, the American Academy of Pediatrics reports. The condition typically affects children when they are active or exerting themselves. Although it can be serious, most children can keep the condition under control with the help of prescription medications.
Symptoms
Children with exercise-induced asthma typically experience shortness of breath, tightness in the chest, wheezing and a cough during periods of physical exertion, the American Academy of Allergy Asthma and Immunology reports. Shortness of breath is common while exercising or being active and should not alone be taken as a sign of the condition. More rarely, children also may complain of chest pain. These children also may tire more easily than their peers while physically active and may have poor athletic skills, MayoClinic.com reports.
Triggers
Kids who struggle with exercise-induced asthma often develop symptoms during any type of physical exertion such as sports or other athletic activities. Kids may also have as asthmatic episode after a long crying spell or after prolonged laughing or yelling, the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America reports. Children with allergies can also experience symptoms when exposed to the allergens, and extreme air temperatures and low humidity levels can worsen symptoms. Finally, a child's symptoms may appear worse when he is sick with a cold or other infection or when exposed to cigarette smoke or other irritants in the air.
What Happens With an Attack
Asthma attacks develop because of inflammation, MedlinePlus reports. In the case of exercise-induced asthma, physical exertion causes the lining of the airways to become inflamed and the muscles surrounding the airways to tighten and constrict, restricting the amount of air that can pass through. This, in turn, causes the shortness of breath, wheezing and other symptoms that accompany the condition. If you've never experience an asthma attack, you can imagine what it would be like to experience one by trying to breath through a straw, KidsHealth suggests.
Diagnosis
Because children with asthma also often experience exercise-induced asthma, they get diagnoses simply on the presence of symptoms during exercise and whether the symptoms respond to treatment, the American Academy of Pediatrics reports. However, specialized testing can also diagnose the condition. The tests involve a child exercise while pulmonary and cardiac activity is measured, the Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh reports. Results from the battery of tests can help determine the severity of your child's condition and how to treat it.
Treatment
Children with this form of asthma must get into the habit of treating the condition with medications called bronchodilators before they engage in physical activity. These inhaled medications -- albuterol is one common example -- help dilate the airways to reduce symptoms, the University of Maryland Medical Center reports. These same medications can serve as rescue drugs in a child with an acute asthma attack. Typically, the medications should be administered 10 to 15 minutes before the child begins exercising, and the effects can last as long as four hours. Also, your child may benefit from participating in warm-ups and cool-downs, which can help eliminate asthma symptoms in some people. School-age children will need to have bronchodilator inhalers at school and should use them in accordance with their doctor's treatment plan, often immediately prior to gym class or recess. Kids who participate in athletic programs also need to have an inhaler with them at all times to help prevent and treat symptoms.
References
- HealthyChildren.org: Exercise-Induced Asthma
- American Academy of Allergy Asthma and Immunology: Tips to Remember: Asthma and Exercise
- Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America: Asthma Overview
- Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh: Exercise-Induced Asthma Testing
- University of Maryland Medical Center: Exercise-Induced Asthma
- Mayo Clinic: Exercise-Induced Asthma
