Can walking around in snow for a few minutes hurt a child with asthma?!


Question: Our 4 yr. old wants to play in the newly fallen snow, for at least a few minutes. She has asthma. Will being out in it for 15 mins. or so be harmful? She's seeing a pulmonologist this week and gets over a bout of coughing and then it hits again. we don't want to cause more harm but want to know is cold moist air harmful or not in this case? thanks


Answers: Our 4 yr. old wants to play in the newly fallen snow, for at least a few minutes. She has asthma. Will being out in it for 15 mins. or so be harmful? She's seeing a pulmonologist this week and gets over a bout of coughing and then it hits again. we don't want to cause more harm but want to know is cold moist air harmful or not in this case? thanks

pretreat with albuterol and either wrap a scarf over the lower half of her face or a ski mask with only eye holes. Cold air entering the bronchi's can cause spasms, so the air needs to be warmed first by a mask or scarf.

Children with asthma have cited a number of climatic conditions as trigger factors. Many identify cold air as triggering asthma. Pulmonary function studies demonstrate that breathing cold air provokes asthma in most children with asthma.

Precautions may be necessary to avoid inhalation of cold air, such as wearing a special ski mask designed for this purpose. A heavy scarf, worn loosely over the nose and mouth, will also help avoid cold air induced asthma. http://www.lungusa.org/site/pp.asp?c=dvL...



My theory on child rearing with asthma has always been to not try to prevent all flares, just to lessen the severity of potential flares...when the kids are grown they are not going to remember that playing in the snow meant they had a flare..the flares all kindof run together in their memory..but they will remember that they got to play in the snow, just like everyone else.

I would think that the cold clean air would be good for her. Go let her play. Don't take her childhood away because of an illness. Let her have fun. She will be just fine.

wrap a scarf over her mouth and nose ...this traps the warm air she is exhaling and keeps her from breathing in the cold air. A lot of elderly people who have COPD, Emphysema and other breathing problems do this, and it works for them...

Not at all. It would be good for her.

im not a doctor or anything but i have friends with asthma and when they had an attack and didnt have thier inhailer they stuck thier head in the freezer to help them breath so i dont think letting her play outside for a few is going to kill her just keep her inhailer near and keep an eye on her she should be ok be like i said im no doctor but as long as you are keeping an eye on her she should be ok

The snow is just frozen water, water doesnt effect asthma, at all. i have asthma, have ever since i can remember, what effects asthma badly is smoke, pollution etc. Anything from car fumes to cigarette smoke and even dust.

But snow will do nothing, stop over worrying.

some it causes problems some it dont
kinda check it out slowly
or ask your doctor

No it would be good for her. She needs to breath in the cold fresh air it will open her lungs and do her good. The thing that might make her have an attack is running around.

I have asthma and can tell you that breathing in cold air will induce an attack. Having said that my daughter had asthma when she was 4 too and she did whatever she felt like she could do. Busybee4 is correct about breathing thru a ski mask or a scarf to help with the cold air. I would wrap a scarf around my daughter and told her to put it up over her nose and mouth if she had any problems breathing or coughing. She is 28 now...no worse for wear!!

It depends on the childs body. Some people get asthma more in the summer and I know some people that get affected in the winter. If the child is congested, don't let her go out in the cold so she won't get worst. That's what I would do. You don't need the child to get bronchitis or pneumonia





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