Asthma a problem on rides??

[Vidia]

This poor kid in the news has me rethinking my 11 year old son's asthma. It's been pretty well controlled for years now. Used to take treatments via ventrilator machine(?) but hasn't needed to for a few years. he takes singular as needed, but hasn't had a bad attack in many years.

Anyone ever experience asthma issues on some of these thrill rides??

he's been to WDW once before, but was only 8, so he skipped TOT, RNR coaster, etc...

 

[snusnu]

I have asthma that's as controlled as I can get it. The only time I ever have any trouble is when I'm running to a ride. The adrenaline helps keep the airways open, actually, so on, say, ToT, I'm never wheezy. Screamy, but not wheezy.

 

[LVE_HBRDN]

I also have asthma. I do not use an inhaler and I am not on any type of medication. I rareley have problems with it under normal circumstances. However I'm usually unable to run for more than a short distance without having difficulties. I'm not sure what you're son's symptoms are but I myself have difficulty inflating my lungs to cappacity (Think of it as trying to inflate a balloon, you can blow a tiny amount of air into it without any effort but to fully inflate the balloon it must stretch. That takes a certain amount of effort). The only ride at DW that I had small difficulties breathing on was the MS at Epcot. It didn't bug me that much and I just took shallow breaths so I wouldn't be fighting to breath. In fact I went on it again later.

My advice (should you're son decide to ride) would be to tell him to relax if he begins to have difficulties breathing and not fight it (I tried to fight to inhale deeply once on another centrifuge ride at a county fair and had a miserable time when the ride was spinning at top speed).

 

[mickeysaver]

I have asthma and it's pretty well controlled, but if the weather is extremely cold or hot, I will usually hit my inhaler a couple of puffs in the morning before we head out to the parks, just to help keep me open. I also carry it just in case I feel like I need to use it.

IASW was the only ride that I had problems with, but since the rehab, the moldy funk seems to be gone and I am ok to ride it with no problems. Maggie

 

[trulygoofy]

My 6 year old DS had been hospitalized 2 weeks before we went to Disney. He was in for 2 nights, so it was a pretty bad attack. The doctors said that he should be fine and there was no problem in us going so soon afterwards. We stayed at Fort Wilderness among all the trees, and he was fine there and at the parks.

There were fires going on when we were there, but we had no problem with any smoke. We just saw some in the distance. I had not even thought about there being a problem with that until we got there.

He had no problems at all, but we brought his updraft machine just in case.

 

[susancl]

It really depends on what his triggers are. Sometimes, POC bothers my asthma (musty).

 

[dimoe]

My daughter has asthma and the only thing that really bothered her was the fireworks. She had to use it during and right after the smoke I guess... she is allergic to cigarette smoke. We were right infront of the castle though maybe too close.
That is the only time it flared up at all for her thankfully.
Diane

 

[coffeeandfags]

I have asthma and use Singulair, Ventolin and Seretide (steroid) (names might be a bit different as we are in Scotland!)
However, when we go to Florida, i hardly use my medication at all! The humidity does wonders for my asthma!!

 

[snusnu]

I have asthma and use Singulair, Ventolin and Seretide (steroid) (names might be a bit different as we are in Scotland!)
However, when we go to Florida, i hardly use my medication at all! The humidity does wonders for my asthma!!

I forgot to mention that! It helps me, too. This is most likely TMI, but in the first few days of being in Florida, I drain like a fiend in my sinues and lungs, cough up all the crap and I feel great for the rest of the time. It's like being in a perpetual sauna!

 

[DCDisney]

The thrill rides don't seem much of an issue but some of the rides are very smoky from some type of smoke machine. They didn't bother me but did cause a bit of coughing for my daughter. Spaceship Earth, Living with the Land, Great Movie Ride, and either Maelstrom or the ride in Mexico all had smoke effects that I remember.

Yvonne

Yvonne

 

[KinderTchr]

My daughter once had an asthma attack because of a fog machine being used in a high school play that she was in. With her I worry about any ride that has "smoke or fog"

 

[twinklebug]

It really depends on what his triggers are. Sometimes, POC bothers my asthma (musty).

Exactly correct. Each person has their own set of triggers, some have none other than physical activity. Mine is more of an allergy - certain foods or if mold, pollen or smoke (not fog machines which are not a true smoke) are about, then I'm set for an attack. I have found the AC & filtration in the disney rides & stores to be a reprieve from the weather and it much easier to breathe indoors.

If you have a concern, talk it over with your pediatrician and make sure you stay clear away from your son's specific triggers.

editing to add... some folk can also have an anxiety induced asmatha attack. The key here again is to know your son, to trust he knows himself, and to avoid those type situations if they may induce asmatha.

 

[SueM in MN]

Spaceship Earth, Living with the Land, Great Movie Ride, and either Maelstrom or the ride in Mexico all had smoke effects that I remember.

Spaceship Earth has an effect when they are talking about the empire of Rome burning where they have a smoky smell effect.
Living with the Land has a section in the "Rain Forest" where there is a sort of fog effect and you go from that to a very dry and hot "Prairie".
Maelstrom and the ride in Mexico both have fog effects.

 

[zippnby]

I am also part of the asthmatic "club", I take singular, adviar 500/50 and ventolin on a daily basis. I have moderate to severe asthma but it is controlled. When I am traveling where I may encounter a problem that my rescue inhaler might not be able to handle I ask my doctor to give me a a prescription for pedisone. (Just in case I need it.) I would talk to your peditrician and she want they say if you are that concerned.

 

[hockeymomoftwo]

I have asthma and use Singulair, Ventolin and Seretide (steroid) (names might be a bit different as we are in Scotland!)
However, when we go to Florida, i hardly use my medication at all! The humidity does wonders for my asthma!!

The humidity does the opposite for me. I always have to use inhalers in the humidity especially if it is pretty hot. I'm wondering how ds is going to do. His asthma is worse than mine but we control it pretty well. Only one hospitilizaton in 2 years and that was when he was diagnosed. Probably will bring neb with us even though I hate to pack it. But would hate not to have if needed.

 

[travelitis]

Your asthma sounds to be in better control than my son's. He's never had a problem at Disney (except at a water park) that his inhaler didn't fix. He rarely has needed his inhaler, and he rides everything.

 

[kandeebunny]

I have trouble with the haunted mansion, splash mountain and POTC. I also have an issue with the heat/humidity. Nothing my inhaler hasn't taken care of though.

 

[lovethattink]

My son's asthma gets triggered a bit on some of the rides. The Rome scene in Spaceship Earth is a problem, Universe of Energy is another, and as another poster noted he also minds the mist in the Mexico scene.

 

[CathrynRose]

I have asthma that's as controlled as I can get it. The only time I ever have any trouble is when I'm running to a ride. The adrenaline helps keep the airways open, actually, so on, say, ToT, I'm never wheezy. Screamy, but not wheezy.

2nd this.

 

[SueM in MN]

The Rome scene in Mission Space is a problem, Universe of Energy is another, and as another poster noted he also minds the mist in the Mexico scene.

I think you mean the Rome scene in Spaceship Earth (there is a smoke smell effect there).

I had forgotten the Universe of Energy. While you are in the dinosaur viewing section of the attraction, there is some mist and a sort of 'wet, dank, mossy rainforest' effect smell.