What is Asthma?

Asthma is a chronic medical condition in which the airway becomes narrowed, inflamed, swelled, and may produce extra mucus. This can make it difficult to breathe and may trigger coughing or wheezing. There are certain situations that trigger an asthma flare up, these include: exercise, occupational, or environmental factors. Some of the signs and symptoms of asthma include: shortness of breath, chest tightness or pain, wheezing when exhaling (common sign in children), trouble sleeping (waking up at night due to shortness of breath, coughing, or wheezing), or coughing/wheezing attacks (these are often made worse by a respiratory virus). Asthma can be managed with the use of medication such as controller medication (these are taken daily to prevent asthma attacks) and quick-relief medication also called rescue inhaler. If your child is using their rescue inhaler more than twice a week, contact their healthcare provider to reevaluate their asthma management plan.

Asthma and School:

If your child is diagnosed with asthma, please contact your Credentialed School Nurse. They will give you the asthma packet (Asthma Action Plan and Medication Administration form) to be filled out by your child's doctor. Your child will need to have a current Medication Form on file at school if an inhaler is necessary. Staff is trained annually by our Credentialed School Nurses to administer inhalers.

All forms mentioned above can be found in the Forms tab. You may also pick them up in your child's school office.