Asthma
Most of us know someone who suffers from asthma, but what is it exactly and how does it affect students and teachers? We know that we can make school healthier for asthmatic students and a school that is healthier for children with asthma is healthier for everyone.
What is asthma?
- Asthma is a chronic, life-long respiratory disease that causes breathing problems due to inflammation of the airways in the lungs.
- Currently, it cannot be cured but it can be managed.
- Symptoms include coughing, wheezing, shortness of breath and tightness in the chest.
What causes asthma?
- Heredity, allergies, and environmental pollution play a role in the development of the disease.
- Environmental asthma triggers indoors include dust, pollen, furry or feathered pets, strong odors, mold, fragrances, chemicals and cigarette smoke.
Who gets asthma?
- Anyone can get asthma at any age.
- One out of six California children under the age of 18 has been diagnosed with asthma.
How does asthma disproportionately impact low-income children and communities of color?
- In California, hospitalization rates are more than 3 times higher for African American children than white children.
- Latino children are hospitalized at a rate 10% greater than white children.
- Children in low-income families are more likely to have been diagnosed with asthma.
- Higher rates of asthma may be due to limited access to health care, poor housing and school conditions, geographic density in areas with poor air quality and cultural and linguistic barriers.
How does asthma impact learning?
- Asthma is the number one cause of student absences due to chronic disease.
- Nationwide, approximately 14 million school days are missed due to asthma every year.
- In California, the average child with asthma misses 2.6 days of instruction per year.
- Students with asthma who miss school not only miss instruction but social interactions with other children.
- Asthma disrupts sleep and needed asthma medication may reduce students’ ability to concentrate.
Can symptoms be prevented?
- Asthma in schools can be minimized and controlled by reducing asthma triggers in the classroom.
- Teachers should communicate with students, the school nurse and parents to increase awareness of asthma triggers and knowledge of student asthma management plans.