Expert asthma team reminding parents to be cautious of back-to-school asthma attacks | News

With children and young people set to begin the new school year in September, it’s important to remember to follow vital advice to ensure those with asthma remain symptom free and their condition well controlled.

Around 1.1. million children in the UK have asthma, equating to 1 in 11 children and every ten seconds, someone is having a potentially life-threatening asthma attack.

Prasad Nagakumar, Paediatric Respiratory Consultant at Birmingham Children’s Hospital, said: “Every year, we see a spike in asthma attacks in children across the UK when they go back to school in September and during the winter months.

 “As a result, it is important that your asthma is well managed to reduce the risk of a back to school asthma attack.

“Due to the impact of the pandemic on routine health services, children may have missed their annual asthma reviews in 2020- 21.”

Just as you are getting your child ready for the new school year with new uniforms, shoes and books, we encourage families with children with asthma to check their inhalers and spacer devices too.

Our expert team have put together the following support and advice for any children or young people with asthma who are returning to school this month.

Asthma reviews:

• If your child has not had an asthma review in the last 12 months, please contact your GP surgery to book an appointment
• Using the reliever (blue) inhaler more than three times a week indicates poor asthma control and risk of an asthma attack. Please contact your GP surgery for a review
• Please make sure the prescribed asthma inhalers are in date and you have an appropriate, clean spacer device

Take your preventer inhaler:

• Continue to take/give the preventer inhaler every day as prescribed, even if there are no asthma symptoms 
• If you keep forgetting or have stopped having the preventer, it is even more important to start taking the preventer inhaler ASAP as recommended, even if there are no asthma symptoms. 

Know your asthma plan:

• Make sure you/your child knows what to do when asthma symptoms worsen 
• Make sure the school has an up-to-date asthma action plan 
• Make sure you know what makes asthma worse 

Make sure there is a reliever (blue) inhaler in school:

• Don’t forget to order spare blue inhaler if needed ASAP from your GP 
• Always remember to use with the spacer (you may need to order a spare spacer for school)

 

Image: Asthma UK and British Lung Foundation