Asthma Management at School: Tips for Parents and Teachers

Introduction

Having a healthy environment in schools is needed for children suffering from asthma. Healthy schools serve an important role in maintaining general well-being as well as for the academic performance of the child.

What Is Asthma and How Does It Affect Children at School?

In children, asthma occurs when the lungs and airways become inflamed easily when exposed to some triggers in schools. This asthma can cause irritating daily symptoms, interfering even with playing and sleeping. In some cases, unmanaged asthma may result in dangerous asthma attacks in children.

What Are the Common Triggers of Asthma in School Environments?

A trigger is a substance that makes asthma worse and causes an asthma attack. The common asthma triggers for children in school under four years of age are cold and tobacco smoke. Any other environmental surroundings near the home or school can affect a child or infant, including animal dander, house mold, dust mites, plants, and unclean surfaces. Children with asthma can get affected by the pollutants coming from the other sources found inside the schools, such as heaters and other common products, including chemicals, cleaning agents, pesticides, perfumes, and sprays. Outdoor environmental triggers like ozone and particle pollution or bus exhaust affect children with asthma at school.

What Is the Importance of Medication Management at School?

Trying to understand what asthma is, along with a healthy school environment, helps in having better asthma management in school. As children spend more time in school, it is necessary to make sure that the children receive asthma medications at the right time. It helps them to feel alert, balanced, and healthy in school. Parents and their families should take responsibility for sharing the medical information and the asthma medications to be given with proper dosage to the staff who will give them. Schools also have trained staff members to store medications, administer doses, and keep an eye on children for adverse reactions. The parents should also check whether the school staff follow the prescribed doctor’s instructions carefully given for the child and whether they are carefully informed about any issues developed in the child in school. Parents giving clear and detailed information about medical health as well as the medications to be taken in schools protects their children from developing serious problems that affect their health. Parents serve as the main part of the child’s school medication team. This team also includes your child, the adult who takes care of your child (grandparents, elder siblings), the child’s primary care doctor, and the school health team, including school nurses and supporting staff.

What Tips Help for Reducing Asthma Triggers in the Classroom?

The following tips can be followed to reduce and prevent asthma triggers in the classroom. Environmental tobacco smoke is the smoke that comes from the cigarette burned and the smoke exhaled by the smoker. It can be controlled in schools by implementing no-smoking policies. Cockroach body parts, secretions, droppings, and urine can be found in schools where food and water are present. Using integrated pest management (IPM) helps to prevent cockroach and pest problems. Molds grow indoors where mold spores are present on wet surfaces. In schools, molds commonly develop in bathrooms, kitchens, basements, roof seams, and plumbing. Fixing leaks and moisture problems and thoroughly drying the wet areas within 24 to 48 hours prevents mold growth.

Dust mites are too small to see, but they are commonly found in every home, school, and building. It is necessary to ensure that schools and classrooms are dusted and vacuumed properly. Stuffed toys should be washed properly with hot water. Pet skin flakes, urine, or saliva can be present in classrooms and science laboratories. Removing animals from school and trying to keep animals away from sensitive students helps to have better ventilation systems.

Proposing no idling policies near school buildings reduces indoor air pollution from school bus exhaust. Selecting less toxic chemical substances and cleaning methods serves as an important component of pollution control. Fumes from chemical products can cause pollution for a long period in schools after being used, exacerbating asthma symptoms and exposing students and school staff to harmful substances. Having a successful chemical management program helps schools to have hazard-free environments without any harmful chemical fumes.

What Are the Safe Physical Activities for Children With Asthma?

Doing physical activities keeps children healthy and happy. For children with asthma, doing physical activities can cause breathing difficulty, and an asthma attack can occur. Children with asthma can still play sports. Though children can play sports, they are best suited for sports that have short periods of movement followed by breaks. The sports that can be played are baseball, dance, football, gymnastics, softball, volleyball, and wrestling.

What Can Be Done if Your Child Has an Asthma Attack at School?

Students with uncontrolled asthma often miss school and have poor academic performance. With better asthma management in schools, students with asthma can have good school attendance. Effective management of a child’s asthma is done by a comprehensive plan that addresses both the medical management of the disease and avoiding environmental triggers. It is necessary to develop indoor air quality (IAQ) management programs in schools along with asthma management strategies. It helps improve the school environment, safeguard children’s health, and reduce exposure to environmental triggers.

Obtaining an asthma action plan from the student's parents or doctors helps teachers know the student's asthma triggers, medications, and emergency action plans. Using IAQ tools for school action kits helps to identify and prevent IAQ problems that increase asthma symptoms. It also suggests schools have a practical plan to deal with indoor air problems using some activities or in-house staff. Conducting a walkthrough in school buildings through IAQ tools for school action kits helps to determine whether asthma triggers exist. If triggers exist, it is necessary to implement a remedy. Offering education on environmental triggers and management strategies for teachers and other school staff helps better manage an asthma attack in a child in school.

Conclusion

In children, asthma occurs when the lungs and airways become inflamed easily when exposed to some triggers in schools. It causes irritating symptoms that interfere with playing, schooling, and sleeping. The common asthma triggers for children in school under four years of age are colds and tobacco smoke. Any other environmental things in the home or school can affect a child or infant, including animal dander, house mold, dust mites, plants, and unclean surfaces. Trying to understand what asthma is, along with a healthy school environment, helps improve asthma management in school. As children spend more time in school, it is necessary to make sure that the children receive the medications at the right time. It helps them to feel alert, balanced, and healthy in school. Parents giving clear and detailed information about medical health as well as the medications to be taken in schools protects their children from developing serious problems that affect their health. Parents serve as the main part of the child’s school medication team.

Key Takeaway From iCliniq

As asthma is a serious health issue affecting children, it needs to be followed up carefully with the doctor in person or through online consultation. In case of online consultation, connecting with doctors at icliniq.com can help you better understand and manage asthma in your kids.