| Asthma Back-to-School Checklist If your child has asthma, you're not alone; 1 in 10 children in the United States has asthma, a lifelong disease that causes swelling (inflammation) of the airways and tightening (constriction) of the muscles around the airways. Common asthma symptoms include coughing, wheezing, chest tightness, and shortness of breath. Children miss nearly 11 million school days a year in the United States because of asthma. The fall season often brings an increase in asthma attacks, so as you gather up lunch boxes and backpacks make sure you add these items to your checklist to keep your child's asthma under control. Update asthma action plans.
One of the first things to work on with your health care provider is a written asthma action plan. This plan will remind you of how to manage your child's asthma on a daily basis, how to control asthma long term, and how to recognize and handle worsening asthma, or attacks. If your child hasn't seen your health care provider in the past 6 months, schedule a visit to check for changes in asthma control and to discuss any concerns or questions about the asthma action plan. Allow children aged 10 years or older to take an active role in developing their asthma action plan, and encourage and support them to follow it. Make sure your child knows what to do if he or she feels symptoms at school. Download an asthma action plan. Share asthma action plans with teachers, school nurses, and other caregivers.
Update school staff on your child's asthma care needs. Provide a copy of your child's written asthma action plan, authorizations for medication administration and emergency treatment, and anything else they need to know about your child's medications, allergens or irritants in the classroom that might cause asthma symptoms, or other concerns. Ask for feedback from your child's teacher if he or she notices that asthma is interfering with school performance, and discuss when your child might need to visit the school nurse. Make sure school staff and other caregivers know how to contact you or another responsible person at all times in case of an emergency or medical problem. Review a checklist to see how well your school accommodates students with asthma. Ensure asthma medicines are taken as prescribed.
Do your homework to learn about the asthma medicines prescribed for your child. Read the instructions for the asthma medicines, and ask your health care provider or pharmacist to show you and your child how to take them, when to take them, and how much to take. Your child should have a quick-relief medicine—usually taken by inhaler—to stop asthma symptoms before they get worse. Make sure your child has a backup inhaler in a secure and accessible location at school. Talk with your school nurse to determine the best location for your child's medicine. Your child also may need a daily long-term control medication to help reduce inflammation and prevent asthma symptoms. Inhaled corticosteroids are the most effective anti-inflammatory medication for most people for the long-term management of asthma, as recommended by the Guidelines for the Diagnosis and Management of Asthma (EPR–3). If your child has asthma and is not taking inhaled corticosteroids, check with your health care provider. Other medications also may be helpful. Work with your health care provider to choose the best medications for your child. Learn more about asthma treatment and control. Pay attention to asthma triggers.
Another step to help keep your child healthy this fall is to talk with your health care provider about avoiding asthma triggers. Asthma triggers are things that can make asthma worse, and they often differ from person to person. Asthma triggers include irritants in the environment, such as tobacco smoke, air pollution, and strong odors (perfumes, household cleaners, and pesticide sprays). They also include allergens that cause an allergic reaction, most often tree and grass pollens, animal dander, dust mites, and cockroach droppings. Other common asthma triggers are respiratory infections (cold or flu), exercise, and breathing in cold air. Be sure to talk with your child' teacher if you have concerns about irritants or allergens in the classroom that might worsen your child's asthma (such as certain classroom pets). Encourage physical activity.
If exercise brings on asthma in your child, talk to your health care provider about the best ways to prevent and control asthma. If outside temperatures or pollen counts are a problem, ask whether your child can exercise inside or modify the intensity and/or length of the activity. Make sure asthma medications are nearby and accessible before, during, and after activities. Regular physical activity is important to the health and well-being of your child. With the right action plan, most children who have asthma can participate vigorously in any activity they choose. Learn more about asthma: - Diseases and Conditions Index (DCI): Asthma
- So You Have Asthma (48-page guide)
- Video: Living With and Managing Asthma
- NACI: Take Action: Stop Asthma Today! What You Can Do, NOW
Popular NHLBI Back-to-School Resources We Can!®:Tips to Reduce Screen Time Keep the Beat™: Deliciously Healthy Eating Web site Aim for a Healthy Weight: Healthy Weight Tools (BMI calculator, menu planner, portion distortion quiz) Shown: Make-Your-Own Snack Mix recipe
News and Events Director's Corner: Dr. Shurin participates in White House sickle cell disease roundtable. From NHLBI grantees:Stanford University School of Medicine, CA—NHLBI grants will fund use of iPS cells to study insulin resistance and pulmonary hypertension. Sickle Cell Disease Association of America (SCDAA) Annual Convention, September 27–October 1, 2011, Memphis, TN. Society for the Advancement of Chicanos and Native Americans in Science (SACNAS) National Conference, October 27–30, 2011, San Jose, CA. ™ Keep the Beat is a trademark of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).
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