A week at the beach with your best friend's family? Your
family vacation to Washington, DC? Or how about sleepover camp?
If you have
asthma
, you'll be packing more than your clothes for these
adventures. You'll want to be sure that you have your asthma
medicine and that you know what to do if you have any breathing
problems while you're away. But asthma doesn't have to get
in the way of travel fun. Let's find out how to be prepared
when you're out and about.
Pack Your Medicine
Having your medicine with you is very important. You'll want
to pack both your
rescue and controller medicines
. Keep them handy, so if you're traveling by car, keep them
where you can get to them.
If you're traveling by plane or train, be sure to keep your
medicine with you in your carry-on bag. If you don't, and your
luggage is lost, you won't have your medicine. Even if your
luggage isn't lost, not having it with you on the plane or
train means you can't take it when you need it.
When you're packing your medicine, pack more than you need.
It doesn't hurt to have extra. Your mom or dad can help you
decide how much is enough.
Other Important Items
If you use a
peak flow meter
to keep track of how you're doing, be sure to pack it, too.
It's also a good idea to bring along a copy of your
asthma action plan
with you. This plan will tell you what to do if you have breathing
trouble and it has your doctor's phone number on it, in case
you need to call.
Home Away From Home
If you will be staying in a hotel, you may find that something
in the room triggers your asthma. It's best to have a sunny,
dry room that's away from the hotel's pool. But you
can't always control where your room is. If animals trigger
your asthma, ask for a room that has never had pets in it. Also,
request a nonsmoking room. It might help to bring your blanket and
pillow from home.
If you will be staying with friends or family, make sure they
know about your asthma
triggers
before you get there. For instance, your grandma can limit dust
mites and mold by dusting and vacuuming carefully, especially in
the room you'll sleep in. Tell your hosts about any other
triggers you have, such as scented candles or fire from a wood
fireplace or woodstove. Speaking of smoking - no one should smoke
around you. They should go outside.
Having Fun Outdoors
Keep your triggers in mind if you'll be outside a lot. For
instance, you don't want to do lots of walking or hiking when
the air pollution or pollen counts are high or if the weather is
very cold. If you will be camping, you should sit away from the
fire. Wherever you go in the great outdoors, carry your rescue
medicine all the time.
Going Solo
If you'll be staying somewhere - like camp - without your
parents, you'll have a little more responsibility for your
asthma. The best approach is to have your parents tell the adults
you'll be staying with (such as relatives or camp counselors)
about your asthma. Your mom or dad can tell them about your
medicine and when you need to take it. You might ask them to help
remind you about it - or to keep the medicine in a safe place.
Your parents can also tell the adults about your triggers, give
them a list of instructions, and provide emergency phone numbers.
All of this information should be on your asthma action plan, so if
you have one, your parent could just make a copy.
If you think your asthma would be too hard for you to manage at
camp, there may be a solution. In many parts of the country, the
American Lung Association has special asthma camps that have nurses
and doctors on staff as well as counselors. That way, if their
asthma flares up, kids will get the care they need so they can go
back to having all kinds of summer camp fun!
Reviewed by:
Elana Pearl Ben-Joseph, MD
Date reviewed: June 2007
Note: All information is for educational purposes only. For specific medical advice,
diagnoses, and treatment, consult your doctor.
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