Athletes With Asthma

[glitzmom]

Just wondering if anyones CP over does it at practice when their asthma is bothering them. Sometimes I don't think my CP speaks up until she can barely breathe.

 

[MaineStar234]

I also have asthma. The situation is tricky because even though your teammates know you have asthma, you still don't want to look weak in front of them. I know this causes me to sometimes not say anything until I literally am heaving for air. Maybe your daughter feels this way too? Like she doesn't want to disappoint her coaches or teammates...

 

[CheerBank]

My cp has exercise induced asthma. Uses her inhaler only at/after a hard practice and usually right after competing. I'm pretty sure she's not the only one.

 

[GlitterPlz]

This is completely my cp. I obviously can see the signs when she needs her inhaler but she won't say anything until she is in full asthma attack.
I started giving it to her before practice and this always gets her through the whole thing.
I have told her coaches to be on the lookout for the signs but in reality it's not something they will see even if its staring them in the face-my daughter should be the one speaking up.

 

[GymandCheerMom]

I have a 13 year old gymnast with exercise induced asthma, she takes an inhaler 10 min before practice & sometimes during. She had a bad spell a couple weeks ago when the temps dropped real cold...scared me to death!

 

[FierceandFearless]

I am an athlete with asthma and I have made it my responsibility to let the coaches know (before) i started to hyperventilate and go into an asthma attack from not being able to breathe. If I start to feel like I need my inhaler, I ask to use it. I don't sit out (unless it's severe and i truly cannot breathe), but I do ask to go use it. Make sure your CP understands that it's very important for her to talk to her coaches about this. Communication is key and if she waits until she can't breathe it could make the situation worse because if she does go into an asthma attack, the coaches may be taken by surprise and unsure what to do. My coaches allow us to take our inhalers on the floor we're practicing on if we feel we will need it. At comps for warmups if an athlete brings their inhaler with them, the coaches will put it in their coat pockets or in their bags (to be sure not to lose it) in case the athlete does need it. Possibly have your CP use her inhaler as a precaution before practice starts. That's what my doctor suggested I do before practices.
Your CP has to understand that taking care of herself and knowing her limits and when to stop and talk to the coaches is an important responsibility and that asthma isn't something to be taken lightly. It's essential to not only the team, but more importantly, to her well-being and overall health. She needs to understand that she must be responsible and use common sense. If she starts to feel like her asthma is acting up, tell a coach. Either ask to sit out, get water, or to do her inhaler or even all of the above. I hope this helps...

 

[JoFTZEW21]

I used to have the same problem. Sunday practices were normally our harder practices, so i took my dose of my inhaler before and if i needed to during practice. Everyone knew i had asthma. Another girl on my team did too. We just needed to make sure we communicated with our coaches to let them know if something was happening. For competitions I brought my inhaler in the warm up room and I took it normally after competing. Hope this helps

 

[Kel Kell]

I have had exercise induced asthma since I was young and always had my inhaler on me. I let my coach know and we worked around it.
As a coach I know which of my athletes have asthma and what to do if they have a spell, that being said it is their responsibility to keep up on their inhaler. Coaches have to care for 30 athletes at any given time and as much as I would love to say I give them each individual attention it's impossible for me to watch them all and sometimes asthma attacks happen and I can't see it right away. Have I yelled at a girl for running off of the mat, heck yes! I always apologize when I realize that they are having an asthma attack though and make sure they are ok.
I found it easiest when girls let their stunt groups know what's up. This way they don't get mad at Suzy if she bolts, and can easially get the coach's attention if something goes wrong. Five girls yelling is much easier to see than one girl struggling.

 

[alexamarysouza]

I also have asthma, but it's very severe, and just having a cold makes it pretty bad. Exercising makes it soo much worse. I have an awful immune system, and I am almost always sick. I have to use my inhaler before practice, during when I feel bad, and almost always after just to be safe. When I'm at competitions it's before I leave for warmups, give the inhaler to my coach to carry, and after we perform. I've come so used to doing this that it's normal now for me to not be able to breath and run up to my coach and her dig through her backpack to find it. Your CP needs to make sure she's comfortable communicating with her coaches, or she could be in a tough situation when she's having asthma issues!

 

[FierceandFearless]

I also have asthma, but it's very severe, and just having a cold makes it pretty bad. Exercising makes it soo much worse. I have an awful immune system, and I am almost always sick. I have to use my inhaler before practice, during when I feel bad, and almost always after just to be safe. When I'm at competitions it's before I leave for warmups, give the inhaler to my coach to carry, and after we perform. I've come so used to doing this that it's normal now for me to not be able to breath and run up to my coach and her dig through her backpack to find it. Your CP needs to make sure she's comfortable communicating with her coaches, or she could be in a tough situation when she's having asthma issues!

are we the same person? i think we are! lol

 

[GlitterPlz]

I also have asthma, but it's very severe, and just having a cold makes it pretty bad. Exercising makes it soo much worse. I have an awful immune system, and I am almost always sick. I have to use my inhaler before practice, during when I feel bad, and almost always after just to be safe. When I'm at competitions it's before I leave for warmups, give the inhaler to my coach to carry, and after we perform. I've come so used to doing this that it's normal now for me to not be able to breath and run up to my coach and her dig through her backpack to find it. Your CP needs to make sure she's comfortable communicating with her coaches, or she could be in a tough situation when she's having asthma issues!

This is my cp

 

[glitzmom]

Thanks everyone for the feedback. My CP does use her inhaler before every practice, just lately she has been struggling as her allergies make breathing harder. I do think she fears looking weak to her team. I have talked to her about how dangerous it is for her to wait too long & that to go use her inhaler before it gets worse will be much better for her and her team.

 

[cljacks99]

My cp has struggled with it BADLY this season. I think that the weather being so crazy has everything to do with it! She has a nebulizer, inhalers, and oral medicine. She doesn't really have much trouble with wheezing, she just has horrible bronchiospasms and a cough that sounds like seals barking. Believe it or not, the best thing I have found to use at practice when she starts having a coughing fit, is to suck on ice.. I'm pretty sure that it was Fameous MOM who recommended I try it. It works like a charm and faster than the inhalers ever work.

 

[CricketCheerMom]

Thanks everyone for the feedback. My CP does use her inhaler before every practice, just lately she has been struggling as her allergies make breathing harder. I do think she fears looking weak to her team. I have talked to her about how dangerous it is for her to wait too long & that to go use her inhaler before it gets worse will be much better for her and her team.

Have you made her coaches aware of it and the signs that it is coming on? Then should know when it is time to stop.

 

[Caitlin Starla]

When my ashtma is pretty bad before going into training i leave my ventolin just off the mat so if i do need it when im training I just quickly just take it and return.

The key is to make sure you take it before it is that bad that you have to stop which your CP should be awear of this.
Asthma is a tricky thing, you dont want to look weak or lazy but at the end of the day breathing is more important.
Talk to your daughter about it, but its very important to trust her as she is really the only person who knows what stage her asthma is at and how far she can let it go before she needs to stop