MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, Fla. — It’s the last day of July, which means the school year is almost here and returning to the classroom can often mean exposure to germs, which can be especially hard for the millions of children in the U.S. who have asthma.
Dr. Juanita Mora with the American Lung Association says there are two reasons asthma flare-ups can be triggered this time of year: allergens are starting to come out, and we’re heading toward viral season.
“We call fall peak season,” she said.
The classroom can be an easy place for those germs to spread, but Mora says there are five ways to keep asthma sufferers safe.
“Number 1 is having an asthma action plan, so that if their asthma starts acting up, then teachers or parents and kids know exactly what to do,” said Mora.
Next, if the student has a rescue inhaler in school, she says parents need to make sure their child knows how to use it in case of an asthma attack.
Three is to take controller medications every day, and four is to know their triggers.
“So if their triggers are temperature change or their trigger is ragweed pollen or fall allergies, or if their trigger is a cold, that they have a plan with their doctor on what to do throughout the season,” said Mora.
Finally, Mora says as viral season approaches, make sure students are vaccinated from the viruses that can be especially dangerous to them, including flu, Covid-19 and RSV, if they’re eligible.
“These are the three major viruses that will affect them, and let’s remember that last season we had the most pediatric deaths from flu that we’ve seen in the last 25 years, so we don’t want to repeat that,” she said.
The American Lung Association is also kicking off a back-to-school asthma awareness campaign.
For more information, including helpful tips for families dealing with asthma, visit www.lung.org.
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