Don’t people with asthma have to avoid sports and strenuous activities? And, when it comes right down to it, isn’t it
“all in their heads?”

1 in 20 million Americans with asthma challenge these stereotypes every day. An estimated 7 million U.S. kids under age 18 have been diagnosed with asthma and more than 13 million days of school are missed each year because of the condition. Learn all you can about asthma. It’s the first step towards erasing these long-held myths.

Asthma is a disease in which the airways become blocked
or narrowed. These effects are usually temporary, but they cause shortness of breath, breathing trouble, and other symptoms. If an asthma episode is severe, the child may need emergency treatment to restore normal breathing.

There are two types, Allergic (extrinsic) Asthma, where symptoms are triggered by an allergic reaction, and Non-Allergic (intrinsic) Asthma, where symptoms are triggered by factors not relating to allergies. Both types are primarily a chronic inflammatory disease of the airways. This means that people with asthma have inflamed airways which cause two secondary symptoms:

The bronchi, the airway branches leading to the lungs, become overly reactive and more sensitive to all kinds
of asthma triggers such as allergens, cold and dry air,
smoke and viruses.

Also, the lungs have difficulty moving air in and out, which
is called airflow obstruction.

Together, these symptoms cause the tertiary symptoms, which include coughing, wheezing, tight chest and worse.

or, what causes symptoms to appear?

Asthma has a genetic origin and is a disease children are born with. Although Asthma triggers vary from person
to person, some of the most common include:

Respiratory Infections

Irritants in the Air

Exercise

Weather

Expressing Strong Emotions

includes colds, flu, sore throats and sinus infections.
The number one Asthma trigger in children!

includes cigarette smoke, wood fires, or charcoal grills. Also, strong fumes or odors like household sprays, paint, gasoline, perfumes and scented soaps. Although people are not actually allergic to these particles, they can aggravate inflamed, sensitive airways.

and other activities that make you breathe harder, especially in cold air.

such as dry wind, cold air, or sudden changes in temperature can bring on an Asthma episode.

like anger, fear or excitement. When you experience strong emotions, your breathing changes. When a person with Asthma laughs, yells, or cries hard, natural airway changes may cause wheezing or other Asthma symptoms.

Exercise-Induced Asthma

A form of Asthma called exercise-induced Asthma is triggered by physical activity. Symptoms of this kind of Asthma may not appear until after several minutes of sustained exercise. The symptoms of exercise-induced Asthma usually go away within a few hours. With proper treatment, a child with exercise-induced Asthma does not need to limit his or her overall physical activity.

You should let the school’s staff know if any of these will trigger your child’s Asthma. You might also want to make some suggestions, such as asking teachers to use dustless chalk or dry-erase boards, asking the staff to avoid using perfumed cleaning products or soaps, proposing the use of air conditioners and dehumidifiers, asking that classrooms where art supplies are used and locker rooms where mold can grow to be well ventilated, make sure that the school is vacuumed and dusted regularly, that it is routinely treated by a pest control company, and is completely smoke free.

Each case of Asthma is unique, and it is very important to keep track of the triggers that you know provoke your child’s Asthma episodes.

Click Here to Participate in our Anonymous Forum!

Recently Posted

#triggers

AccoMOMdate88 Omaha, NE
#triggers It is so frustrating for me when my son comes home upset about not being able to participate in activities. I never know what to say to his teachers. The suggestions about making accommodations is super helpful!

REPLY TO POST SEE RESPONSES

Worrieddad92 Denver, CO
#triggers My son is entering fourth grade in September, and he was just diagnosed with Asthma this summer. How can I empower him to not be afraid of speaking up for himself?

REPLY TO POST SEE RESPONSES

Worriedteacher88 Cleveland, OH
#triggers Any suggestions on activity substitutions if my student isn't feeling well on a day where recess is outside?

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AnonymousUser856>Worrieddad92
Tell him that health is more important than school! And that nobody knows his body better than he does. If he doesn't feel well, he MUST speak up!

TeacherfromNY>Worrieddad92
The teacher will learn to understand if he or she does not! There is a huge learning curve, and they are equipped to deal with every situation.

This is an anonymous forum where parents and teachers can ask and/or answer questions, yet still maintain confidentiality. Your information will not be disclosed elsewhere.We only ask
for your email to notify you of a response to your question.

Every day in America,

44,000 people have an asthma attack, 36,000 kids miss school due to asthma, 4,700 people visit the emergency
room due to asthma, 1,200 people are admitted to the hospital due to asthma.

Among children ages 5-17, asthma is the leading cause
of school absences from a chronic illness. It accounts for
an annual loss of more than 14 million school days per
year (about 8 days per student with asthma) and more hospitalizations than any other childhood disease. It is estimated that children with asthma spend a nearly 8
million days per year restricted per bed.

44% of all asthma hospitalizations are for children; it is
wthe 3rd ranking cause of hospitalization for children.

Click Here to Participate in our Anonymous Forum!

Recently Posted

#triggers

REPLY TO POST SEE RESPONSES

Worrieddad92 Denver, CO
#triggers My son is entering fourth grade in September, and he was just diagnosed with Asthma this summer. How can I empower him to not be afraid of speaking up for himself?

REPLY TO POST SEE RESPONSES

Worriedteacher88 Cleveland, OH
#triggers Any suggestions on activity substitutions if my student isn't feeling well on a day where recess is outside?

REPLY TO POST SEE RESPONSES

AnonymousUser856>Worrieddad92
Tell him that health is more important than school! And that nobody knows his body better than he does. If he doesn't feel well, he MUST speak up!

TeacherfromNY>Worrieddad92
The teacher will learn to understand if he or she does not! There is a huge learning curve, and they are equipped to deal with every situation.

It's the law!

Some states now have laws requiring schools to permit children to carry asthma medications. Parents in other states can use the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1992 and Section 504 of the Federal Rehabilitation Act of 1973 to encourage a school to accommodate their child.

Work with your child’s doctor to create and implement
a written asthma action plan that may include a list of the medications your child takes and their dosages, your child’s asthma triggers, early symptoms of a flare-up, what to do
if your child is having a flare-up, including when to seek emergency care, as well as possible instructions for peak flow monitoring and recommendations for dealing with exercise-induced asthma. Encourage the school’s staff to help your child settle into a routine that is both efficient
and low-key.

Give the school a copy of your child’s asthma action plan,
and try to meet with your child’s teacher and other school
staff at the start of every school year to make yourself approachable in case of questions. In this meeting you
should talk about the history of your child’s asthma, how independently your child is able to manage the asthma,
how to reach you and/or your child’s doctor, plans for handling treatment during field trips, review the school’s rules on medication for kids who are old enough to handle monitoring the treatment at school (can they keep the inhaler on them or do they have to go to the nurse’s office
to use it?), who handles the asthma medications at the school
if your child is not old enough to take care of monitoring and treatment, and find out who on the school’s staff knows how to work the peak flow meter and how to administer the medications if your child is unable to do it alone.

A supportive environment that helps kids assume responsibility for their own care is an important part of asthma management. without it, kids might avoid taking their meds or using their peak flow meters.

Ideally, rescue medicine should always be immediately available to kids. This means that for kids who aren’t old enough to self-administer the medicine, the teacher will have it in the classroom or it will be readily available (not under lock and key) in the school nurse’s office. Once kids are old enough to recognize symptoms and know how and when to take their medication, they should carry it at all times, if the school permits. Your doctor can help you determine at what point your child can be responsible
for the medication. Talk to school administrators to find
out what they’re willing to allow.

Stress the importance of immediate treatment
during an asthma flare-up.

Administrators may allow your child to self-medicate,
but might ask you to sign an “asthma contract,” indicating that you’ve given permission for this to happen and also listing which school personnel are permitted to give your child medication.

Kids who have exercise-induced asthma should have their rescue medication available before any strenuous play or exercise. They might need permission to go to the nurse’s office before recess or gym class, which may be embarrassing and cumbersome. It could be better for them to carry the rescue medication with them, depending on the age.