Asthma

An Unexplained Epidemic

For information about Hartford's asthma problem, click here.

How can schools assist children with asthma?

Asthma is the number one cause of school absences attributable to chronic illness. Approximately 6 million children under the age of 18 have asthma. These children miss approximately 10 million school days per year, averaging more than three times as many days absent as children without asthma.

Schools can help children with asthma to control their illness and to participate fully in school activities. (The following list is adapted from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.)

1. Schools should be free of tobacco smoke at all times, including all school-sponsored events.
2. Schools should maintain good indoor air quality.

• They can try to reduce or eliminate allergens and irritants that can trigger asthma or make it worse, such as
  • Pets with fur or feathers
  • Mold
  • Dust mites (especially in carpets and upholstery)
  • Cockroaches
  • Strong smells or fumes from products such as pesticides, paints, perfumes, and cleaning chemicals
  • Chalk dust
• They can protect students and staff from dust and sawdust created during construction, remodeling, or renovation
• They can provide adequate ventilation and clean heating systems.
• They can prevent excessive moisture from leaking roofs, leaking pipes, and clogged drains to prevent molds.

3. A school nurse should be available whenever students are present in school. The school nurse can give guidance to children with asthma concerning their medicines, physical education requirements, and field trips. The school nurse should be given a copy of a child's asthma management plan.
4. Children should be able to take medicines at school as recommended by their doctors and parents. Children should be able to carry their own asthma medicines, if they are able to use them without supervision. Parents should discuss this matter with the child's primary care provider.
5. The school should have an emergency plan to take care of a child who is having a severe asthma episode or attack. The plan should include instructions on what to do, whom to call, and when to call.
6. The school should ensure that school staff learn about asthma, asthma management plans, and asthma medicines. The school should also ensure that all students, not just those with asthma, learn about the problem and how to help classmates who have it.
7. Students with asthma should have ways to participate fully and safely in physical education classes and recess. They should have access to their medicines before they exercise and should be able to choose alternative activities when medically necessary (for example, when they have a cold or a cough).

For additional information, see the EPA's Tools for Schools program