Skip to content

Asthma and the School Age Child

How are kids impacted in school?

Asthma is responsible for the over 10 million school absences each year and plays a vital role in the life of school age children. Attacks may flare up unexpectedly, resulting in children refraining from playing school sports, missing class to take their time-sensitive asthma medication, and carrying around the insecurities associated with having this illness.

Studies show that children between the ages of 5 to 17 with severe asthma were three times more likely to have serious behavioral problems and learning disabilities than other children. Many of these disabilities are the result of drug related side effects that might influence school performance as well. The more you understand about asthma – the symptoms, causes, and treatments – the better prepared you will be to help improve the quality of life for you and your child.

 What is Asthma?

Asthma occurs when the airways swell and air passages in the lungs become narrow, making it difficult to breathe. Those with asthma react to environmental triggers, including dust, dust mites, mold, or pets. Reactions to these factors induce asthma attacks resulting in wheezing and/or coughing symptoms, which can be fatal.

During an asthma attack, the mucus-producing cells within the airway increase their output causing mucus to plug the airway. Parts of the airway become entirely blocked with the combination of airway narrowing, mucus plugging, and airway inflammation. Air becomes trapped in the alveoli (air sacs at the end of the bronchioles.) Proper exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide cannot be provided for when air is trapped, leading to hypoxia (low oxygen content) in the body.

 Identifying the Symptoms

Young children exhibit different signs of asthma than adults, making it difficult for even doctors to distinguish between asthma and infections. Asthma in children may appear as rapid respiration, noisy breathing, chest retraction, and congestion. Wheezing is the number one indicator of childhood asthma, according to the National Asthma Education and Prevention Program. Wheezing occurs mainly when your child exhales and is the result of air moving through a narrow airway, causing airflow turbulence and noisy respiration. You should notice whether your child has less stamina during active playtime than other children, or whether your child limits physical activities to prevent coughing or wheezing.

Recurrent or constant coughing spells is another indication your child may be suffering from asthma. Chronic coughing is worse during the evening and nighttime hours and could last for months at a time. Ancillary allergies that may be associated with asthma include hay fever, food allergies, hives, and eczema. Documenting your child’s symptoms is the best evidence you can give your child’s doctor to determine appropriate treatment.

What to Expect in an Asthma Diagnosis

Now that you know the symptoms, you are in a better position to validate whether you think your child is an asthma sufferer, or not, but the real test should be done by a doctor. Since asthma is harder to pinpoint in children than in adults, your child’s doctor will ask personal questions. Talk to your child in advance about being honest with their doctor and give the child some personal time to chat with his or her physician, if necessary.

Three essential components of an asthma diagnosis include:

  • Conduct a detailed medical history of the family, and the child. Asthma is a hereditary disease, often passed down through generations, so the more the doctor knows about the entire family’s history, the better off your child will be.
  • Conducting a physical check-up. You can be sure that your child’s doctor will conduct a thorough physical examination, including laboratory testing to determine the cause of their asthma.
  • Lung function

Listening to your child’s rhythmic breathing and checking-out their lung will give the doctor a head start in determining treatment.

Physical Side Effects

Severe effects of asthma may include loss of elasticity of the lungs due to air trapping and low oxygen, called “airway remodeling.” Children may not grow as well because of the long-term trapped air and low oxygen content in the body. Asthma also causes irritability and fatigue. Asthma is neither a contagious nor a psychological disease but can cause depression and despair.

Scientific studies show that bronchial inflammation is present in all asthmatics, even if they do not exhibit the symptoms. Not recognizing the severity of the symptoms places children at a higher risk due to delayed treatments, so the more prepared you are to deal with asthma, the lower the risk category your child will be in. Although asthma is a chronic disease, it can be controlled with the right treatment plan. Recognizing the symptoms and following through with the treatments is the first step to a healthier childhood.

 A Child’s Perception of Themselves – Dealing with Asthma

Peer pressure and self-image are two of the biggest pressures on kids today. Childhood and teenage years are filled with anxiety, developing responsibility, friends, peer-pressure, and self-image. So how do you communicate to your child that dealing with asthma does not make them different, that they are probably not the only child in the school with an inhaler in their backpack, and that asthma is nothing to be ashamed of. A child’s search for independence can impact their asthma management, not to mention having a concerned parent constantly reminding them to take their medication. Getting a child intricately involved in their asthma management is key to compliance.

Get all the information you can on asthma, and have your child completely understand what is going on inside their bodies. The more they know, the more prepared they are in protecting themselves against triggers, and the more accepting they will be of their disease. Ask your child if they have other friends with asthma they can talk to. Friends can also be helpful in warding off asthma attacks by knowing what substances triggers your child’s asthma such as cigarette smoking, perfumes, or after-shaves. Kids spend a large part of their time encompassed in school and after-school activities. Friends can help if your child has an attack. Be sure your child informs fellow peers where their medicine and physician’s phone number is kept, what to do in case of an attack, and who to call. It may be embarrassing to use an inhaler at school but children are less likely to cringe by telling friends why they use it, and how it helps them.

Eventually your child may develop the confidence to expose that inhaler in front of their peers. You may be the biggest factor in protecting your child at school by informing their teachers, coaches, and the school nurse of all the vital information necessary to prevent and/or treat an attack. This information includes phone numbers, medication information, physical limits, and your child’s known triggers.

Time Out

It only takes five minutes of jogging or running in the schoolyard for your child to start coughing, have shortness of breath, or begin wheezing, particularly in cold weather. As many as 10 percent of school-aged children experience the symptoms of exercise-induced asthma. Caused by any form of physical activity, signs of exercise-induced asthma include intense breathing during physical activity, causing water loss in the lungs, which leads to cooling of the lungs lining and constriction of airway muscles. The problem is worsened by cold and dry weather. Children should be aware that symptoms peak between eight to 15 minutes after ending exercise and resurface hours later. Peak-flow measurements should be taken before and after exercise; poor measurements may indicate that your child should participate in a less strenuous activity and that his or her asthma needs better control, so it does not limit activities. Simply resting, up to 15 minutes after an attack may allow symptoms to disappear.

If you know your child has exercise-induced asthma, make sure you have a management plan on file at the school. Taking medication before exercising often prevents attacks, and it may be necessary to repeat the dose during an exercise period. Warm-up and cool-down measurements have also been shown to help reduce attacks. Exercise is an important element in living with asthma. Physicians view exercise as an essential component in helping asthma sufferers strengthen their bodies and their well being – because an active body is a healthier body. Studies show that the psychological benefits of exercise were just as significant as the physical benefits. Higher self-esteem, increased feelings of competence, and a sense of normalcy are just some of the health benefits of full participation in age-appropriate physical activities.

With the variety of medications and monitoring technologies now available, asthma rarely stops any child from exercising or participation in any form of athletics. For a child’s optimal control, paying close attention to how their body reacts to physical activity is the key to controlling their asthma on the field and off. Keep an open relationship between you and your child and educate school officials and students about asthma. It is still possible for children to enjoy a normal lifestyle, including daily sports activities, making sure they have access to their medication when necessary. Alternative exercises like sitting on the sidelines are not cool, even in the medical industry. Doctors’ orders for children with asthma is to find an exercise regime that augments a child’s well-being, while still controlling asthmatic triggers associated with sports.

Simple pleasures such as bicycling and swimming are excellent ways to get-in a good workout and improve the effects asthma has on the body. Studies prove that a regular exercise program using the century old bicycle improves cardiovascular breathing, while raising the level of inner and outer strength, leaving a positive impact on a child’s self-esteem. Swimming, known as a low-level, high-energy booster for years, also limits the triggers associated with sports-induced asthma. The combination of a warm pool, and low humidity make this a perfect exercise for asthmatics. Swimmers can take their time while exercising, stop when necessary, and feel great after their workout.

 Follow Doctors Orders

Your child’s doctor should be aware of any new endeavors your child has planned, including jobs, sports, and vacations. Be sure your child follows their doctor’s management plan and keep an open communication with their doctor.

Thanks for subscribing!

This email has been registered!

Shop the look

Choose Options

Edit Option
this is just a warning
Login
Shopping Cart
0 items