Children, teachers should know how to manage asthma at school

It's important for all asthmatics to have an asthma plan. It's especially important for a child whose asthma is aggravated by exercise to have a management plan on file at school.

Exercise is beneficial to both a child's physical health and emotional well-being. However, when a child has asthma, symptoms can interfere with many school and extracurricular activities. Asthma is a chronic illness, but it should not be a progressively debilitating disease -- a child with asthma can have normal or near-normal lung function with appropriate management and medications.

Through teamwork with school personnel, families and health care providers, it is possible for a child with asthma to have normal endurance and even excel in athletics. Effective communication plays a major role in working with the child, the parents and school to solve specific problems that arise.

If you're a clinician, you can:

• Provide the school with an action plan for handling asthma episodes.
• Provide information to school personnel to increase their understanding about what asthma is and how to meet the needs of children with asthma.
• Work with the student and parents to increase awareness about asthma.

If you're a physical education teacher and/or coach, ask the child's parent for specific instructions to follow, which include:

• The nature of exercise-induced asthma.
• Which medications are used to prevent exercise-induced asthma and how to use them.
• Other techniques to prevent exercise-induced symptoms (e.g., warm-up period).
• Warning signs of an asthma episode.
• How to treat an asthma episode.
• A copy of the School Asthma Management Plan (Page 1, Page 2 and Spanish version).

If you're a parent, you can:

• Meet with the teacher, school nurse, and, perhaps, the principal at the beginning of the school year to make them aware of your child's asthma.
• Explain the child's asthma, what medications he/she uses, and the possible side-effects.
• Explain that students with asthma should be treated like other children.
• Encourage school personnel to allow the student to take his/her medications as required, without making it "a big deal."

Children must be encouraged to participate in normal activities as much as possible. This team effort will help create a positive, healthy and safe environment for the child -- both in and out of school -- and ensure optimal care. Children who have asthma should see an allergist/immunologist to learn about managing their asthma when they exercise.