An updated article on that:
"Expert: Teen's death from asthma unusual (The Arizona Republic)"
(thread topic:
http://www.gymchat.com/messageboards/viewtopic.php?p=16117#16117)
[quote]The death of a Tempe teen who collapsed during a gymnastics class would be very unusual if it was caused by her asthma, a medical expert said Thursday.
Alexis Franco, 17, a gymnast and Corona del Sol High School cheerleader, died Monday after what her gymnastics coach said was an asthma attack.
Most people with asthma do not die from the condition, said Dr. Cori Daines, assistant professor of pediatric pulmonology at the University of Arizona.
"It's exceedingly uncommon," Daines said. "The reason why is, for the most part, most of our athletes and individuals with allergies are well taken care of by their doctors and are on the right medicine to control their asthma. So it isn't fatal in most cases - especially in young children and youth."
The severity of Franco's asthma was unknown, and attempts to reach her family Thursday were unsuccessful. [/quote]
[quote]Daines said it is common for individuals with severe asthma to have attacks while exercising or participating in athletic activity. But it is rare for those situations to lead to death.
A more common reason for asthma to kill would be when an individual's condition is not adequately controlled, "perhaps because they haven't seen their physician recently or haven't been placed on the right asthma medicine," Daines said.
Student athletes who are used to pushing their bodies to the limit are often unaware of how dangerous their condition is, Daines said. "They may not know they have severe symptoms or they may be ignoring them, and that's our biggest concern."
Athletes who find themselves coughing or wheezing during their exercise should seek medical attention, Daines said.
"Sometimes its very easy to confuse the shortness of breath from exerting yourself and having a severe attack," she said.[/quote]
