(NaturalPath) Back to school season can be tough on some kids, not just because they are leaving all the summer fun behind, but because their asthma starts to get worse. One pediatric allergy specialist says that about 6 to 8 percent of school-age children have asthma. According to the University of Michigan Health System, this is a bad time for those children with asthma. Not only do kids need their pencils and notepads, but also their inhalers as well as the awareness of their peers and teachers of their condition.
“Parents need to make sure the school has some sort of mechanism to get asthma medications to their child, whether they carry their own inhaler or rescue medicine, or if they have it in the nurse’s office where the student can get it,” said one researcher.
Back to school time around September is when asthma attacks can be triggered by pollen or ragweed. Additionally, the common cold tends to spread around in those early weeks of the school year. The researcher adds, “That can exacerbate the impact of a child’s asthma and set them up for hospitalizations, emergency room visits or the need for more medications.”
Typically, asthma is associated with allergies like hay fever (allergic rhinitis), reactions to dogs or cats, food allergies, or second-hand smoke, along with exercise, stress and sudden changes in temperature.
So as it’s time for back to school, if your child has asthma, make sure you make proper accommodations for making sure they stay healthy.
Razi Berry, Founder and Publisher of Naturopathic Doctor News & Review (ndnr.com) and NaturalPath (thenatpath.com), has spent the last decade as a natural medicine advocate and marketing whiz. She has galvanized and supported the naturopathic community, bringing a higher quality of healthcare to millions of North Americans through her publications. A self-proclaimed health-food junkie and mother of two; she loves all things nature, is obsessed with organic gardening, growing fruit trees (not easy in Phoenix), laughing until she snorts, and homeschooling. She is a little bit crunchy and yes, that is her real name.
