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It was on the soccer field the Kyle Walsh and his mother Connie first realized
something was wrong. It feels like you're getting left behind
and you're worse than other kids. His face is red
and he's got his hands over his head
and I'm looking at other parents like, what's wrong with him? It turns out Kyle has has asthma, and
like millions of others, he quickly learned that running during soccer
isn't the only risk he runs with this condition.
Experts say this is the most dangerous time of year for kids with asthma. Fall
means more allergens, more time around other kids and more threats from cold
and flu season.
Actually, colds are the number one thing that land kids in the hospital,
is that they'll come down with a cold, they'll start having some cough no day two
and by day three, they're in trouble. Dr. Beth Allen is an Asthma Specialist at
Nationwide Children's Hospital. She says kids with asthma already have an
immune system that's dealing with one disease, so an assault from a second can
be dangerous.
30% of the kids who end up in the hospital with flu have asthma.
So, they're clearly at increased risk,
if they get flu, to get quite ill, not only with their asthma, but also pneumonia.
To help protect kids with asthma this time of year, doctors suggests these three steps:
First, get them a flu shot. This will give your child a head start on battling
the flu virus before they're exposed to it. Take your child in for a fall
check-up - to get a good reading on their condition.
And work with your doctor to come up with a written action plan.
They need to be able to recognize the symptoms,
know which medicines to use if they develop, and also know when to call the
doctor if the medicine is failing. With a cold or flu, asthma can get serious
quickly. But preparing for problems before they occur, can help kids stay
healthy
and parents breathe easier. At Nationwide Children's Hospital, this is Clark
Powell reporting.