Back to School with Asthma and Allergic Rhinitis
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Health Tip of the Week On an average school day, more than 10,000 kids are absent because of asthma. If your child has asthma or allergic rhinitis (hay fever), there are some important steps you can take in these final weeks of summer to get your child started at school on a safe and healthy footing.
Rosemary Stinson, MSN,CRNP, a nurse practitioner with the Division of Allergy and Immunology at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP), suggests that you work closely with your child’s school to identify potential asthma and allergy triggers — making sure your child’s exposure is limited — and to make sure a clear plan is in place to respond in an emergency.
In last week’s article, “Back to School with Food Allergies,” Rushani Saltzman, MD, advised parents to take three important steps as the school year approaches:
Those steps also apply to children with asthma and hay fever. You want to share your child’s up-to-date asthma care plan with the school, make sure everyone involved has what they need in order to follow it, and have confidence everyone understands their role.
It’s particularly important to be clear about who will handle a breathing emergency — the yellow and red zones on the care plan. Make sure that role is clear no matter where and when it happens, whether in the classroom, at recess or on the playground.
If your child uses an inhaler, you may need to plan ahead in order to have two — one at school and one at home. Some insurance plans will only allow for one to be purchased in a 30-day period.
Arrange to visit the school before classes start, and use your knowledge of your child’s asthma and allergy triggers to scout for potential problems. Act as a detective as you look around.
Changes and accommodations made ahead of time — before school starts — are less likely to make your child feel different or be noticed by the other kids.
The goal is to encourage your child to participate in school as fully as possible. The key to making that happen is preparation.
As with food allergies, the key to a healthy school experience for your child is the three-way relationship between you, the school and your child’s allergist. Your role is to help the school’s staff understand the medical advice from your child’s allergy provider and to help the school implement a plan that protects your child’s health without unnecessary isolation.
Contributed by: Rosemary Stinson, MSN, CRNP
Categories: Health Tip of the Week
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