Your child's asthma shouldn't stop you from planning a family vacation, sending your child to stay with friends for a week, or signing your child up for sleepover camp. With some careful preparation and communication, you and your child should be able to enjoy all the benefits of life away from home.
Before you travel, make sure that your child's asthma is well controlled. If it's been flaring up, you should check in with the doctor. Your child might need a change in medications or might need to see the doctor before you leave.
Before You Go
When packing, be sure to include your child's rescue and controller medications. Keep them handy, not buried in the car trunk. And if you're flying, be sure to take them in your carry-on luggage. That way, you'll have them if your child needs the medications during the flight and later, if your checked bags go astray.
You'll also want to pack your child's peak flow meter, if he or she uses one, and your child's health insurance card. Your child's asthma action plan is a great item to bring along as well. By having a copy, you'll have the names of medicines, dosage information, and your child's doctor's phone number, just in case.
If you're traveling abroad, it's a good idea to have a letter from your child's doctor that describes your child's diagnosis, medications, and equipment. This can help you with airport security or customs. It's also smart to have the generic names of your child's medicines, in case they're called something else in another country.
If your child uses a nebulizer, you might want to invest in a portable version. Many of these can be plugged into the cigarette lighter in a car. If you'll be traveling abroad, make sure you have the adapter you need to use it.
Rolling Along
Buses, trains, and cars may contain many of the same potential allergens as your home, including dust mites and mold that are trapped in the upholstery or the ventilation system. You can't do much about the bus or train, but if you're traveling by car, try this: Run the air conditioner or heater, with the windows open, for at least 10 minutes. This will help reduce mold and dust mites in the car.
If pollen counts or pollution levels affect your child's asthma and are high during your trip, travel with the windows closed and the air conditioner on.
Taking to the Sky
The air quality on planes may affect your child's asthma. Although all flights within the United States are smoke free, some international flights are not. On these flights, make sure when you reserve your seats that you're as far from the smoking section as possible.
The air on planes is also very dry, so you should make sure your child drinks plenty of water while you're in the air. Many airlines permit the use of battery-operated nebulizers (except during takeoff and landing), but check on this in advance. Nebulizers aren't routinely included in aircraft emergency kits due to their bulky size. But inhalers with spacers have been shown to be as effective as nebulizers in treating asthma and might be easier to keep on hand when traveling.
Your Home Away From Home
Your child's triggers will determine what steps you need to take to prevent asthma flare-ups where you're staying. If pollen or air pollution triggers your child's asthma - and you're traveling to a region with high readings - you may want to schedule a trip during times of the year when pollen counts and smog levels are lower.
If dust mites or mold are a problem and you'll be staying in a hotel, check to see if there are any rooms that have been allergy proofed. Requesting a sunny, dry room away from the hotel's pool might also help. If animal allergens trigger your child's asthma, request a room that has never had pets in it. And you should always stay in a nonsmoking room.
If you'll be staying in a rented cottage or cabin that's near the beach or in a forest, ask that it be thoroughly aired out before you arrive. Make sure any friends or family you'll be staying with know about your child's asthma triggers before you arrive. Although they won't be able to clear away all dust mites or mold, they can dust and vacuum carefully, especially in the room in which your child will sleep.
If scented candles, potpourri, aerosol products, or wood fires bother your child, ask your hosts to avoid using them. You should also ask that no one smokes inside while your child is there.
Because it can take months for animal dander to be effectively removed from a room, even if a pet isn't allowed in there, you probably won't want to stay with friends or family who have a pet if animal dander is a trigger for your child.
Wherever you'll be staying, you may want to bring your child's pillow and possibly even a blanket from his or her bed to make sure your child has some hypoallergenic bedding.
Time zone changes can be tricky. When traveling, try to have your child take his or her medicine at the usual home time. Upon arrival in another time zone, remember to adjust the dosage times to the local clock.
Activity Savvy
If your child's asthma is well controlled, you should be able to plan any sightseeing, hiking, or other leisure activities. Just keep your child's asthma triggers in mind when planning what you'll do. For example, avoid lots of walking or hiking when the air pollution or pollen counts are likely to be high or if the weather is going to be extremely cold and dry. If you'll be camping, keep your child away from the fire.
A ski vacation or hiking trip aren't out of the question. But make sure you plan for plenty of rest (indoors if possible), carry your child's rescue medication at all times, and be prepared to change your plans if your child is struggling with his or her asthma.
As at home, if anyone else will be supervising your child, you should make sure that person knows about your child's asthma and is familiar with his or her asthma action plan.
Solo Adventures
If your child will be traveling alone (for example, going to sleepover camp or to stay with friends or family), make sure that you prepare him or her, as well as any adults who will be taking care of your child. It's extremely important that his or her counselor or chaperone is familiar with and has copies of your child's asthma action plan, list of medications, and emergency phone numbers. You'll also want to provide written (and notarized) permission for the counselor or chaperone to care for your child in an emergency.
Make sure you sit down with your child before the trip to go over the asthma action plan and what he or she should do in an emergency. Your child should be familiar with any asthma triggers, should know how to administer his or her medication, and should be able to recognize the signs of a flare-up.
Telling your child that you've let the adults who will care for him or her know what to do during a flare-up should also help relieve any nervousness your child feels. And of course, you should reassure your child that he or she isn't different from other kids because of the asthma and that he or she should be able to join in on all the fun while traveling.
If your child hasn't been taking his or her controller medications and has been relying on rescue medication to control his or her asthma, it might not be a good idea to let your child go away alone, especially for an extended period of time. You'll want to discuss this with your child's doctor.
Most of all, be sure that your child still takes his or her medicine and tries to avoid triggers. If your child tries to ignore asthma during a trip, he or she could end up in the emergency department - and that's no place to spend a vacation.