Because so many different things can trigger an asthma attack, it can be somewhat daunting to travel with an asthmatic child. However, by taking a number of preventative measures, your child can fully enjoy a family vacation or road trip.
Pre-Trip Checklist
Before traveling, you need to make sure that you have everything necessary to manage your child’s condition both on the road and at the place you’ll be visiting. Most importantly, you need to pack adequate supplies of both fast acting and long-term asthma medications. Controller medications, like Ragwitek, are effective at keeping a child’s airways open on a regular basis, but they are not effective in treating sudden asthma attacks. For that reason, it’s important to also have a rescue inhaler on hand to provide immediate relief for an asthma attack. It’s also a good idea to have a printout listing the names of your child’s medication, dosage information and their doctors’ name and phone number with you at all times.
During Transit
If you and your child are traveling by car, turn on your car’s heater or air conditioner for 10 minutes with the windows down to get rid of any allergens that have become lodged in your car’s ventilation system. When driving, keep the windows closed in the air conditioner or heater on for the duration of your journey. If you’re traveling by plane, make sure your child is staying hydrated as dry air has been known to trigger asthma attacks. Also, make sure that your child’s asthma medications are packed in your carry-on luggage. That way, you child will have access to an inhaler if an inflight asthma attack occurs.
At Your Destination
If your final destination is a hotel, ask for a sun-facing room that has either been allergy proofed or has never had pets in it. If you’re staying in the home of a friend or a family member, ask that they thoroughly dust and vacuum the room that your child will be staying in. As high temperatures have been known to induce asthma attacks, try not to take your child outside during the hottest point of the day. And if your child is triggered by pollen, have them wear sunglasses outdoors to keep it from getting in their eyes.
If you want to learn more about how to safely travel with an asthmatic child, contact us to make an appointment with Dr. Skukla today. His efforts have led to a 15 percent reduction of asthma-related emergency room visits among his patients.
