My seven-year-old daughter suffers from asthma. Is it okay for her to play sports, especially athletics?
— Shyama Dutta, Mumbai
Children and adolescents with asthma can play sports as long as the illness is well-managed and under control.
However endurance sports should be avoided. Also skip outdoor workouts when pollen or mold counts are high in the environment. She should wear warm clothes and cover her ears when training outdoors in cold weather. Teach her to breathe through the nose instead of mouth when exercising. Ensure she does warm-up exercises before playing sports and cools down with stretching exercises after the workout. Sports such as golf, yoga, football and cycling are less likely to trigger asthma attacks.
Children who are on asthma medication should take their pills at the right time, and consult their doctor regularly. Moreover ensure that your daughter always carries emergency quick relief medication.

My five-year-old son gulps down his food. Of late he’s been complaining of stomach aches. I’m not sure what’s the cause of his stomach pain. Please advise.
— Revathi Krishnan, Chennai
Some children complain of stomach pain after eating too much and/or spicy, greasy, or adulterated/spoiled food. Food intolerance or allergy can cause abdominal pain. Some children also have difficulty digesting foods that are hard. Train him to eat less and slowly. Avoid sugary drinks and junk foods. Ensure he eats a balanced healthy meal.
My 15-year-old daughter suffers severe pain during her menstrual periods which last more than seven days. Is this normal?
— Disha Rishab, Ahmedabad
Studies show that nearly 80 percent of teenage girls experience heavy, painful menstrual periods. If she is complaining of cramps, use a warm heating pad on her belly for relief, or administer pain relieving medication after consulting a physician or gynaecologist.
Menstrual periods usually last for five days. But they can also be shorter or longer depending on hormonal/ovulation changes.

My son (12) is facing problems with reading and writing. Is this normal?
— Florence Martin, Trivandrum
Children struggle with reading and writing for all sorts of reasons. They may find it hard to sit still and concentrate. It is also possible that they may have speech and language difficulties or suffer hearing loss.
Please observe him carefully and note down the problems he is experiencing, such as difficulty in recognizing sounds, poor spelling, slow reading, and comprehension. Please consult a special educator and ask for an evaluation and diagnosis.
Meanwhile you can help him with some pre-reading techniques. Before beginning to read a book, story or lesson, give him a peek into the story. Summarizing the story also helps. Also explain to him to apply what he has learned.
Don’t ignore this problem. If he is suffering learning disability, he needs professional help.

(Dr. Akash Paul is general physician, Pillar Hospital, Port Blair)