Does your child have asthma? If so they may have some physical limitations, but can they play sports? Absolutely! They just have to take care of themselves, listen to their bodies, and listen to their doctor. In fact, there have been some studies done that show that an active lifestyle can help your child’s lungs get stronger so that they work better. Kids with asthma have inflamed bronchi all the time, which can make them very sensitive. Certain triggers, such as a cold, secondhand smoke, or exercise can cause an asthma attack. Some kids have exercise induced asthma, where they only have asthma symptoms when they exercise.
When asthma is well controlled, sports are not a problem at all. That is why it is important to always give your child their maintenance asthma medications. There are many maintenance medications that generally come in inhaled form. There are some sports that are better for asthmatics then others. Baseball, football and gymnastics are less likely to trigger asthma symptoms. While sports like long distance running, soccer and basketball might be a little harder for asthmatics. However, with well controlled asthma they are still possible.
There are some things that can help your child to keep his asthma in check when he is playing sports. It might be a good idea to skip outdoor workouts when the pollen count is high. If your child wears a scarf or a ski mask outside in the winter when the air is cold and dry that can also help. Breathing through his nose instead of his mouth can help because it doesn’t irritate the airways. Warming up and cooling down properly are also important.
You should make sure the coach of the team is aware of your child’s asthma situation, and make them aware of what should be done in case of a flare up. When your child is having a flare up, have them sit the game or practice out, especially if the sport is an outdoor sport and it is cold outside as that can cause symptoms to worsen. With careful monitoring, your asthmatic child can play any sports he wants!