Asthma cough in the summer? Yep. Here's why.
Pulmonologist and how the summer impacts children with asthma
As the parent of a child with asthma, the summer months may finally give your child some relief. After all, nothing could be worse than the winter, right?
But summer doesn’t guarantee complete relief for kids with asthma.
“For most children, asthma tends to be better during the summer. This is mainly because there are less circulating viral infections in the community, which tends to be a big trigger for asthma flares or attacks,” Karen Schultz, M.D., a pulmonologist at Cook Children’s said. “During this time of the year, the biggest triggers are allergies and ozone days with poor air quality. In general, it is recommended that everyone avoids too much activity during orange or red ozone days, but this is particularly important for individuals with asthma or other respiratory conditions.”
Dr. Schultz said it appears that grass and elm pollen are in the medium range in Fort Worth, Texas, this time of year and that may be affecting the allergies of children with asthma. She thinks it’s a good idea for parents to download a weather app on their phone to keep up with the outside conditions.
As the school year gets closer, many kids will be starting activities such as band and/or athletics. Dr. Schultz advices parents and children with asthma to listen closely to their asthma symptoms such as coughing.
“It’s important for people to know asthma can happen during the summer,” Dr. Schultz said. “It’s best for children with asthma to practice or work out earlier in the day if possible. As school starts, more children will be outside with PE and recess. Many kids stay inside during the summer if they do not have structured activities. So they may not be used to the outside conditions. Also, we will start seeing more viral infections not long after school starts, so good hand washing is very important.”
About the source
Karen Schultz, M.D., is a pediatric pulmonologist at Cook Children's. To schedule an appointment with her call 682-885-6299. The Cook Children's Pulmonary team diagnoses and treats children with lung diseases. Our team includes board certified pediatric pulmonologists, clinical nurse specialists, registered nurses, respiratory therapists, Child Life specialists, clinical dieticians and social workers. The professional opinion of each team member, including parents, is considered in developing a plan of care for your child. We place a high value on continuity of care with your primary pulmonologist.
