Asthma care at school
Schools can be full of
asthma triggers: classroom pets,
1 dust mites,
1 and physical education classes, can cause symptoms of
asthma or
EIB.
2 There are ways to make sure your child's asthma won't interfere with school, however.
The most important thing is to communicate with the people at your child's school. Try to meet with your child's "homeroom" teacher, the school nurse, and any other teachers he or she may have, including for physical education.
2 Talk to them about your child's needs and about ways in which the school can be
asthma-friendly.
Make sure your child's teachers or the school nurse have a copy of his or her
asthma action plan.
3 Find out what your school's medication policy is. Not all schools will allow children to carry their inhalers. However, some states have laws requiring schools to allow children to self-administer asthma medication.
3
You may need to provide the school nurse with your child's inhaler. If so, make sure there is enough medication in the inhaler
2 and that the inhaler is not expired. If your child has asthma, make sure that his or her
ProAir® HFA inhaler is always close by at school.
References
- US EPA/OAR/ORIA/Indoor Environments Division. Managing Asthma in the School Environment. Available at: http://www.epa.gov/iaq/schools/managingasthma.html [Accessed May 6, 2010].
- Managing Your Child's Asthma at School. Available at: http://www.webmd.com/asthma/guide/managing-childs-asthma-school [Accessed May 6, 2010].
- NHLBI Expert Panel Report 3 (EPR3): Guidelines for the Diagnosis and Management of Asthma. Available at: http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/guidelines/asthma/asthgdln.htm. [Accessed April 20, 2010].
ProAir
® HFA (albuterol sulfate) Inhalation Aerosol is indicated in patients 4 years of age and older for the treatment or prevention of bronchospasm with reversible obstructive airway disease and for the prevention of exercise-induced bronchospasm.
Important Safety Information
If your symptoms become significantly worse when you use ProAir
® HFA, contact your doctor immediately. This may indicate either a worsening of your asthma or a reaction to the medication, which may rarely occur with the first use of a new canister of ProAir
® HFA. Either of these could be life-threatening.
What to tell your doctor before using ProAir
® HFA: If you have a heart, blood, or seizure disorder, high blood pressure, diabetes, or an overactive thyroid, be sure to tell your doctor. Also make sure your doctor knows all the medications you are taking – especially heart medications and drugs that treat depression – because some medications may interfere with how well your asthma medications work. Do not exceed the recommended dose.
Side effects associated with ProAir
® HFA included headache, rapid heart beat, pain, dizziness, and irritation of the throat and nose.
You are encouraged to report negative side effects of prescription drugs to the FDA. Visit
www.fda.gov/medwatch, or call 1-800-FDA-1088.