Asthma can affect a child’s performance in school by causing the child to miss school. Asthma is one of the leading causes of school absenteeism. Missing school negatively affects school performance, so keeping asthma well-controlled is an important part of keeping these children in school and helping them to perform optimally in school.
Asthma & Children
Asthma is a common condition in children. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) one in 11 children have asthma. If your child coughs a lot, especially when playing or laughing, or has chronic wheezing asthma may be the problem. Consult your pediatrician, who will diagnose the condition and develop a treatment plan, which could include an asthma inhaler, one or more bronchodilators or an anti-inflammatory medicine. Some children grow out of asthma as teenagers, while others have asthmatic symptoms all of their lives. Learn more about childhood asthma with expert advice from Sharecare.
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Children can outgrow asthma, particularly toddlers with asthma that is triggered only by viral respiratory infections (“colds” or upper respiratory infections). Approximately 80 percent of toddlers with this form of asthma will “outgrow” their asthma by 6 years of age.
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Intermountain Registered Dietitians , Nutrition & Dietetics, answered on behalf of Intermountain HealthcareSee All 2 AnswersIf having asthma makes your child feel “weird,” you’ll need to address this feeling—or risk having your child resist treatment. Here are a few things you can do to help your child adjust:
- Do everything you can to understand your child’s asthma and get comfortable with your child’s treatment. If you act like asthma is a tragedy—or if you question the need for treatment—your child will do the same.
- Arrange for your child to take medication at a time and in a way that other kids won’t notice.
- Give your child the words for talking to their friends about the need for medication.
- Visit your child’s school and explain asthma to the students and teachers.
If you find that your child isn’t taking medication properly, you need to talk about why. Keep the tone positive and encouraging. Start by pointing out what is working, and then go on to explore the following possible problems together:
- If your child actively resists taking medication, find out why. Work with your child and your child’s healthcare providers and teachers to find ways to minimize these problems.
- Make sure your child understands when and how to take various medications. Have your doctor or asthma educator reinforce your child’s technique for taking inhaled medications. If your child has a hard time taking pills, try having her practice by swallowing tiny bread balls to get used to the feeling.
- There are lots of reasons why children might think they don’t need medication. First, they might have become used to poor lung function and think that it’s normal. They could be practicing “wishful thinking”—deciding that their asthma has gone away. Or perhaps they’re not getting much benefit from their medication—in which case, they need to have their treatment adjusted. Make an appointment with your child’s doctor to review and agree upon an asthma action plan.
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UCLA Health answeredCircumstantial evidence suggests a possible connection between the use of acetaminophen and the increasing rate of childhood asthma over the past three decades. Research on the biochemistry of acetaminophen suggests that the drug could contribute to or exacerbate asthma symptoms in some individuals. It can, for example, decrease an antioxidant known as glutathione, and glutathione deficiency can predispose some people to more inflammation of the airways. And studies done more than a decade ago by British researchers indicated that children with asthma were more likely than non-asthmatic children to have used acetaminophen. Other studies since then have reached similar conclusions.
However, experts caution that there’s not enough proof of a link to advise that parents should stop giving the drug to their infants and children. “These have been observational studies in which the conditions are not controlled,” notes UCLA pediatric pulmonologist Sande Okelo, M.D. “You can establish an association, but it might be that people with asthma are simply using acetaminophen more because they have more colds and fevers.”
More rigorous studies are necessary to determine whether there is a direct link between acetaminophen use and greater asthma risk, Dr. Okelo says. Other important questions need to be answered as well. For example, if there is a link, how much acetaminophen is necessary to produce the effect? The previous studies suggested that the association between acetaminophen and asthma was most significant in high-frequency users of acetaminophen; it could be, Dr. Okelo notes, that low-frequency users would not be affected.
Childhood asthma rates have been on the rise since the 1980s. The increase began about the time parents began switching from aspirin to acetaminophen for their children to lower fevers.
“The link between aspirin and Reye’s syndrome in children caused a rethinking that led pediatricians in the 1980s to recommend acetaminophen as the first-line drug for fevers,” says Eric Curcio, M.D., a pediatrician at Mattel Children’s Hospital UCLA. While asthma rates started to go up, “it is important to note that many other things were happening at that time, so we can’t say for sure, based on that evidence alone, that that’s the cause.”
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Asthma is a lung disease in which the airways become blocked or narrowed and results in breathing difficulty. Overweight children, particularly boys, seem to be at a greater risk of developing asthma, and being overweight seems to aggravate the symptoms in kids who already have asthma. Obese children with asthma tend to use more medicine, wheeze more and visit the emergency room more often than their peers with asthma who are not obese.
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HealthyWomen answeredSee All 2 AnswersStudies have shown that children of parents with asthma are at greater risk for developing the condition. It would be wise to discuss your children's health with their pediatrician.
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Intermountain Registered Dietitians , Nutrition & Dietetics, answered on behalf of Intermountain HealthcareChildren have special challenges in taking daily medications. Below are some tips to help you and your child establish a good routine and work together to solve problems.
• Prepare and practice together. Give very simple explanations of what you’re doing and why (“I’m going to put this mask on you to help you breathe better”). First “practice” the procedure on yourself, a doll, or a stuffed animal — then let your child have a turn at practice. Give toddlers as much control as possible by giving them choices (for example, where to have a treatment, or whether to sit on the bed or a parent’s lap).
• Help your child relax. Try swaddling -- not just with a blanket, but also with your body. Make a soothing “sh-sh-sh” sound, or talk in a calm, soothing voice. Listen to lullabies or other relaxing music. Try rocking, bouncing, swaying, or walking with your child in your arms.
• Distract your child. Offer musical or light-up toys, pop-up books, bubbles, or other distractions while you’re giving medication.
• Give immediate rewards. After giving medication, follow up with a treat such as a special activity or book. Praise your child for taking the medication (even if it has been a struggle). -
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Intermountain Registered Dietitians , Nutrition & Dietetics, answered on behalf of Intermountain Healthcare• Explain asthma and asthma treatment fully. Don’t assume that your teen knows the whys and hows of taking medication. Explain why some medications will be more effective if taken routinely. Also explain the consequences of not taking medication -- for example, your child may risk missing school or a special event.
• Agree on a plan. First, work with your teen to create a plan that will help your teen to remember to take medications. Next, problem solve together. If your teen routinely forgets medication or resists taking it, try to tackle the problem together. Ask, “What don’t you like about taking your medication?” and “What can we do to make this easier?”
•Offer rewards if necessary. Teens don’t usually need rewards or treats to take their medication -- but you might try them if your teen is having trouble staying motivated. -
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Dr. Paul M. Ehrlich, MD , Allergy & Immunology, answeredSee All 2 AnswersAsthma and allergy referral guidelines have been developed by a joint committee of the two leading, relevant academic institutions: The American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology, and the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology.
The guidelines state that referral to an allergist for asthma treatment is indicated under the following conditions, which includes:
- When the patient's asthma is unstable. Uncontrolled asthma may be associated with widely variable pulmonary functions and possibly high morbidity and mortality. Early comprehensive intervention may prevent these unfortunate events. Such intervention should include development of a long-term treatment plan.
- When the patient's response to treatment is limited, incomplete, or very slow, and poor control interferes with the patient's quality of life
- When, in spite of taking anti-inflammatory medications regularly, the patient must use an inhaled beta-agonist such as albuterol frequently, exclusive of its use in exercise-induced asthma. Albuterol simulates beta-2 neurotransmitters and relaxes the bronchial muscles.
- If there is a need for frequent adjustments of therapy because of unstable asthma
- For identification of allergens or other environmental factors that may be causing the patient's disease. Patients with asthma must have access to a thorough etiologic evaluation. (Etiologic is a fancy name for the process of determining the cause of a disorder. For example, an etiologic evaluation of an allergy might reveal that there is a cat at home.)
- When allergen immunotherapy is a consideration
- When the patient and the primary caregiver need intensive education in the role of allergens and other environmental factors
- When family dynamics interfere with patient care and/or there is a need for further family education about asthma
- When a patient has a chronic cough that is refractory, or irresponsive, to usual therapy
- When coexisting illnesses and/or their treatment complicate the management of asthma
- When the patient has recurrent absences from school or work due to asthma
- When the patient is experiencing continuing, nocturnal episodes of asthma