BTS Guidelines for Asthma

Asthma is a chronic disease that affects the lungs. No matter how well controlled the disease is, someone who has asthma needs to be prepared for it to worsen in an instant. Here's how to prepare to send your child to school with asthma and a measure of confidence that she can handle any related problems.

Trigger Control

• In most cases, asthma attacks are said to have "triggers." Triggers vary depending on the individual, and can change over time. Some triggers are related to allergens, others are not.

  Common triggers include certain chemicals, dust, exercise, pollen, smoke, stress, or very hot or cold temperatures. Asthmatics should avoid these triggers when possible.

  Of course, it's impossible to control all triggers in any environment. Often, it may be impossible to identify a trigger even after an asthma attack has subsided. The most important thing is to try to prevent an attack from occurring (by taking prescribed medications and avoiding triggers) and to be fully prepared to treat symptoms as soon as they occur.

First Stop, the Doc

• When your child's doctor is aware of changes in your child's life, such as the start of school, the doctor will probably recommend completing an asthma action plan.

  This is a written plan that describes how and when the asthma medicine is to be taken, what to do when symptoms appear and what to do depending on the severity of an attack.

  Because it's important to treat asthma as soon as symptoms appear (to prevent the attack from becoming severe), having prescribed medications (such as albuterol and corticosteroids) available to your child, quickly, is critical.

Get It All Together

• Parents need to take charge of their children's asthma management, and hold a meeting with school nurses, teachers and principals, or all at the same time, if possible. Let them know what triggers your child's asthma and how to recognize signs he or she may be in the beginning stages of an asthma attack. Also make sure everyone--including your child--understands what to do when he needs his medicine.

Asthma + Information = The Best Outcome

• As long as you, your child and your her education team understands how to avoid asthma triggers and what to when an asthma attack occurs, handling asthma at school isn't difficult.

  Getting information to the appropriate people is key. Keeping everyone informed is just as important.

  Triggers and symptoms may change with the seasons, so write down a reminder to check with school administrators as winter approaches, and then again in the spring. Also let everyone know if your child's asthma medication or dosage changes at any time during the school year.

  Several health websites offer printable action plans designed for use in a school or day care setting (see Resources). Speaking of day care facilities, don't leave them out of the information loop. Ditto for other places your child stays for any length of time, including babysitters and after-school activity centers.