The start of the school year raises specific concerns for families of students who live with asthma. An article in Consumer Reports about how to prevent allergy or asthma attacks in school-aged children quoted Robert Lemanske, MD, professor, Allergy, Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine. 

The article explained discussions parents and guardians should have with their child's doctor, school nurse and school administrators, preventing asthma attacks due to factors such as classroom pets and gym classes, and avoiding cold and flu viruses that can increase the risk of asthma attacks. 

“Children spend eight hours a day, five days a week in a school environment. It’s critical that we do everything we can to prevent them from having an allergy or asthma attack while they are there," said Dr. Lemanske.

Resources:

• "How to Avoid Dangerous Allergic Reactions at School," Yahoo Finance/Consumer Reports, July 25, 2017
• School-Based Asthma Management Program (SAMPRO^TM)
• "National initiative fosters better asthma management through school partnerships," Department of Medicine, June 1, 2017