Top 4 Asthma Management Tips For Holiday Travel

November marks the start of the year-end holiday season. For many families, it’s time to pack up the car or board a plane to visit distant relatives or friends; for others, it’s the perfect time to take a much-needed vacation from the daily grind. 

If you’re planning to travel with a child who has asthma, you want to feel comfortable and confident heading into your holiday vacation. Luckily, there’s a lot you can do ahead of your trip to help your child avoid a severe asthma attack when they’re away from home. 

As your departure date approaches, make sure your child’s asthma is well-controlled. If it’s been getting worse — or if you want to update their asthma action plan — see our team at The Center for Advanced Pediatrics before your trip. In the meantime, these four strategies can help ensure your child stays safe and healthy while you travel. 

1. Pack your child’s complete asthma kit

Unless your child’s asthma is very mild, their asthma management plan probably includes at least two asthma medications: A long-term control medication they take daily, and quick-relief medicine they use when their asthma gets worse. 

Keep both medications easily accessible — not buried in the car trunk or in your checked luggage. Bring more medication than you think your child will need for the duration of your trip, too, and always carry some when you’re away from your accommodation. 

Don’t forget to bring your child’s peak flow meter if they use one. If they also use a nebulizer, you may consider purchasing a portable model that can be charged in the car. If you plan to travel abroad, make sure you have the right adaptors. 

2. Review your child’s asthma action plan 

Before you travel, go over your child’s asthma action plan with them and tuck a copy in their asthma kit. Divided into three clear “action zones,” this detailed plan tells your child how to manage their asthma, depending on how they feel. 

The goal is to stay in the green zone as much as possible, get out of the yellow zone as quickly as possible, and avoid the red zone whenever possible: 

Green zone 

In this zone, your child is symptom-free and doing well. They can participate in their usual activities, provided they take their daily medications and avoid asthma triggers. 

Yellow zone

If your child is experiencing one or more asthma symptoms, they’re in the yellow zone. They can participate in some, but not all, activities, and must take additional asthma medicine as directed until they return to the green zone. 

Red zone

Your child is experiencing a severe asthma attack if they’re very short of breath, their quick-relief medication hasn’t helped, or their symptoms are the same or worse after 24 hours in the yellow zone. Red zone symptoms are a medical emergency. 

3. Minimize asthma triggers during travel

Vacation asthma control begins the moment you start traveling: Asthma triggers can be anywhere, so always have your quick-relief medicine on hand. 

Car travel

If mold or dust triggers your child’s asthma, clear the air in your car by running the heat or air conditioning for 10 minutes, with the windows open, before hitting the road. Keep the windows closed when traveling through areas with low air quality or high pollen counts. 

Air travel

The air on planes is dry, so encourage your child to drink water throughout the flight. If strong smells like perfume trigger your child’s asthma, travel with a mask that they can wear in the airport and/or during the flight, as needed.  

Carry wipes to clean armrests, tray tables, and other high-touch surfaces. This helps reduce their risk of catching a cold or other virus; respiratory illness is a top asthma trigger. 

4. Managing asthma at your destination 

Your child’s specific asthma triggers will guide your avoidance strategies to prevent a severe symptom flare-up. Often, this means watching the weather, changing plans when necessary, and controlling their accommodation environment as much as possible: 

• Track the weather, pollen counts, and air pollution advisories daily  
• Keep your child’s asthma triggers in mind when planning activities
• Avoid spending extensive time outdoors when the air quality isn’t good
• Be mindful of cold, dry air, and always carry quick-relief medicine

If animal dander is one of your child’s asthma triggers, don’t stay in a home with dogs or cats. When staying with friends or family, ask your hosts to dust and vacuum the room where your child will sleep; bring your child’s hypoallergenic pillow from home if you can. 

When staying in a hotel, ask for “allergy-proofed” accommodations. At a minimum, request a non-smoking hotel room that doesn’t allow pets and isn’t near the pool. 

To learn more or schedule an asthma management visit at The Center for Advanced Pediatrics, contact your nearest office in Norwalk or Darien, Connecticut, today.