Exercise is important for all children and teens, including those with asthma. There is no need to keep your child from being active due to asthma. With the right treatment and planning, your child can be active at home and school.
Take a break
Stop the activity if you see or your child reports any early warning signs. If your child has an asthma action plan, follow the yellow zone guidelines on the plan. He can return to activity once asthma signs are gone. Sometimes, activity may need to be reduced if the signs do not go away. Signs can last for a few minutes to more than an hour.
Reduced activities include:
-
Board games or building with blocks
-
Playing on the swings or teeter-totter
-
Throwing and catching a ball
-
Walking
Let your child stay involved. It may hurt his feelings if he has to sit out while his friends play.
Watch for an emergency
If your child is having an asthma attack, follow the red zone guidelines on the asthma action plan.
Call 911 if your child:
-
Cannot finish a sentence without stopping to catch his breath.
-
Cannot stop coughing or wheezing.
-
Has blue lips or fingernails.
-
Has sunken skin on the chest and neck.
Check air quality
Poor air quality can trigger asthma. Air pollution, or smog, is worse during warm months. The Georgia Environmental Protection Division rates air quality using a color-coded index. Outdoor activities should be limited on code orange or code red days.
Visit www.georgiaair.org or call 404-362-4909 for air quality ratings.