Asthma and school
Asthma action plan - school; Wheezing - school; Reactive airway disease - school; Bronchial asthma - schoolChildren with asthma may need extra support at school. They may need help from school staff to keep their asthma under control and to be able to do school activities.
Asthma
Asthma is a disease that causes the airways to swell and get narrow. It leads to wheezing, shortness of breath, chest tightness, and coughing....
Read Article Now Book Mark ArticleYou should give your child's school staff an asthma action plan that tells them how to take care of your child's asthma. Ask your child's health care provider to write one.
The student and school staff should follow this asthma action plan. Your child should be able to take asthma medicines at school when needed.
School staff should know what things make your child's asthma worse. These are called triggers. Your child should be able to go to another location to get away from asthma triggers, if needed.
Triggers
It is important to know what things make your asthma worse. These are called asthma "triggers. " Avoiding them is your first step toward feeling bet...
Read Article Now Book Mark ArticleWhat Should be in Your Child's School Asthma Action Plan?
Your child's school asthma action plan should include:
- Phone numbers or email address of your child's provider, nurse, parents, and guardians
- A brief history of your child's asthma
- Asthma symptoms to watch for
- Your child's personal best peak flow reading
- What to do to make sure your child can be as active as possible during recess and physical education class
Include a list of triggers that make your child's asthma worse, such as:
- Cockroaches
- Dust
- Grass and weeds
- Rooms that are moldy or damp
- Smells from chemicals and cleaning products
- Smoke
- Food allergies
Provide details about your child's asthma medicines and how to take them, including:
- Daily medicines to control your child's asthma
Daily medicines to control your child's...
Control medicines for asthma are medicines you take to control your asthma symptoms. You must use these medicines every day for them to work well. ...
Read Article Now Book Mark Article - Quick-relief medicines to control asthma symptoms
Quick-relief medicines
Asthma quick-relief medicines work fast to control asthma symptoms. You take them when you are coughing, wheezing, having trouble breathing, or havi...
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Lastly, your child's provider and parent or guardian's signatures should be on the action plan as well.
Who Should Have a Copy of Your Child's School Asthma Action Plan?
These staff should each have a copy of your child's asthma action plan:
- Your child's teacher
- School nurse
- School office
- Gym teachers and coaches
References
Jackson DJ, Lemanske RF, Bacharier LB. Management of asthma in infants and children. In: Burks AW, Holgate ST, O'Hehir RE, et al, eds. Middleton's Allergy: Principles and Practice. 9th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2020:chap 50.
National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute. Asthma Management Guidelines: Focused Updates 2020. www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health-topics/asthma-management-guidelines-2020-updates. Updated February 4, 2021. Accessed February 8, 2024.
Review Date: 2/3/2024
Reviewed By: Frank D. Brodkey, MD, FCCM, Associate Professor, Section of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, WI. Also reviewed by David C. Dugdale, MD, Medical Director, Brenda Conaway, Editorial Director, and the A.D.A.M. Editorial team.