If your child has asthma, then you probably know that it is very difficult to control the symptoms of asthma when the child is at school. In most children, the symptoms of asthma can manifest themselves when you are not around. That is why it is very important to involve the school in the treatment of the child. Adults in the school should know when and how to use inhalers or other treatments. If the child has mild asthma, it is very important to talk with the class teacher and other school personnel about monitoring the child's condition and preventing the manifestation of more serious symptoms.
Managing Your Child's Asthma at School
Since at the present time in many schools pupils suffering from asthma learn, most school teachers and, of course, nurses know how to help a child with asthma. And yet, it is worth taking a few steps to make sure that your child will receive qualified help at the right time and that all personnel who are facing your child know exactly what he needs and how to prevent the appearance of symptoms in school.
How can I protect my child in school?
The most basic thing you can do is, first of all, talk with the child and, depending on his age, tell him as much as possible about asthma. Ideally, you should teach your child to take the medicine on their own, how to properly use the inhaler, how to use a pneumotachometer, what the pneumotachometer measures and what to do if the indices are very low.
You also need to make sure that the school staff knows everything about how to manage the symptoms of asthma. School teachers should know how seriously the child is sick, which asthma triggers, what medications should be taken and how to do it correctly, how to use a pneumotachometer and what to do in case of an asthma attack.
Certain ways to manage the symptoms of asthma in school will be described in your child's treatment program. Copies of the treatment program should be distributed to each adult from the school staff who somehow encounters your child and who can take care of him. It is very important to talk with the child's teachers and explain to them the treatment program, including asthma triggers, the severity of asthma, the traditional symptoms and therapies.
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Asthma at School[/caption]In addition, it is recommended that you examine the classroom and the facilities where your child is in the presence of allergens or asthma triggers. If they are found (for example, dust mites and dust are the most common pathogens in classes), then you need to talk with the teacher about the maximum reduction in the child's contact with these pathogens.
Also, do not forget to give the school nurse all the necessary medications your child needs, with all the proper instructions, including a treatment program. Remember that in some drugs, for example, in inhalers, it is impossible to determine how much medication remains in it. Therefore, it is necessary to note the date of transfer of the inhaler to the school and regularly supply new specimens.
And, finally, it is extremely important to regularly talk with teachers and other school staff about the correctness of the implementation of all instructions. It is necessary for everyone to keep in touch and make sure that everyone is informed and correctly understood everything.
Who should monitor my child at school?
Teachers and other adults working in the school are best suited for this. The child can have an attack at any time: at a music lesson, drawing or just in the corridor - where the class teacher simply can not be around. That's why you need to talk with the following school employees:
Here is the list of people you should turn to for help:
- Classroom teacher. This is the person who is likely to be around if the child has an asthma attack. The more the class teacher knows and the more attentively he / she is, the more chances your child will receive qualified help. Sometimes, children who have breathing problems do not behave very well in school, even if they do not even have the slightest signs of symptoms. Therefore, the teacher must also monitor the behavior of the child.
- School nurse. You must necessarily talk with the school nurse and get an idea of the school's policy of medical care. If, for example, a nurse works for several schools at once, then you should find out who replaces her in her absence.
- Other teachers. Talk to the teacher of drawing, music and other subjects that often conduct lessons in your child's class.
- The teacher in physical education. The teacher in physical education has a special responsibility. In addition to that, like other teachers, he spends time with your child, but he should especially monitor your child's physical condition during physical exercises, as physical education is the cause of asthma. And also you have to make sure that your child is not suspended or shunned because of his illness. A physical education teacher should encourage sports, but keep it under control.
- Office staff and school director.
- Educator (social teacher). This is a very important person. Especially if your child has other problems, such as learning problems or difficulties communicating with other children.
- Teachers are on the replacement. You should also try to talk with the teachers on the replacement and make sure that the main teacher will inform them about your child's illness. By the way, your child's treatment program (instructions for actions in writing) will be very useful in this case.
What recommendations are needed for emergencies?
You must give the school staff a program for treating your child. You can also give the class teacher a pneumotachometer, if possible. The treatment program should contain a list of clear and understandable actions that must be taken in case of a decrease in the parameters of the pneumotachometer or if the symptoms of asthma do not pass even after using the inhaler.
The school must know exactly when to call an ambulance. One should also make sure that the doctor's program, the address of the recommended hospital, as well as your contact numbers, a trusted person or a friend are listed in the treatment program distributed to teachers.
When do I need to transfer drugs to school?
Therapists and other authorized to prescribe medicines, working together with parents and school medical personnel, must take into account a number of factors when deciding whether to allow and encourage an asthmatic student to bring medications to school.
Some children feel better if they bring inhalers and other medications with them to school. Each asthmatic student must have a treatment program with the drugs necessary for him at school. If taking medication is not necessary at school, the treatment program should provide for any other actions or behavior to maintain the normal state of the body. The school must follow the law of the country and the policy of allowing pupils to bring and use inhalers and injections containing epinephrine.
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Asthma at School[/caption]The attending physician should determine whether the child should use the medications at school or not. The doctor must communicate his recommendations to the parents / guardians and the school and keep in touch with the school, in particular with the school's medical staff.
Can my child use the inhaler on his own at school?
You may be surprised, but your child is old enough to use the inhaler on his own and take other medicines at school. Find answers to such questions:
- Does the child want to take medications to school?
- Does your attending physician consider the child to be mature enough and developed?
- Can a child recognize the signs and symptoms of asthma or anaphylaxis?
- Does the child know what medications should be taken with certain symptoms?
- Does the child know how to use drugs correctly?
- Does the child agree to act according to school rules regarding the use of medications?
- Can I trust a child that he will always carry an inhaler and / or epinephrine injections?
- Will the child tell the adult (for example, the teacher, the nurse, the trainer) during the day about the use of the bronchodilator or immediately after the injection of epinephrine?
- Does the child promise not to give medicines to other students or leave drugs unattended?
- Does the child promise not to use a bronchodilator or other drugs for any other purpose?
- Did your child take responsibility by bringing medicine with him to school in the past?
The history of the disease will help determine the following.
- The frequency and place of past asthma attacks.
- Presence of asthma triggers in school.
- The frequency of past cases of hospitalization or call an ambulance.
Talk to the school's office staff and ask about your country's policy regarding this issue. The goal is that all pupils, after all, carry medications with them. Talking with the child, his attending physician, teachers and other school personnel, you will come to the right decision to maintain the child's health in school.