ASTHMA INFORMATION AND MEDICATION USE IN SCHOOL

Students with asthma may need to have their prescribed medications, including bronchodilators or anti-inflammatory medications administered at school. The following information is provided by the American Lung Association regarding asthma medications on their website:

up  ABOUT ASTHMA MEDICINES

Asthma medicines keep the air tubes in your lungs open. There are two groups of asthma medicines:

bullet Bronchodilators are medicines that help to stop asthma attacks after they've started and can help prevent expected attacks, as from exercise.
bullet Anti-inflammatories are medicines that help to control the air-way inflammation and prevent asthma attacks from starting.

These medicines are sold under many brand names. They come in different forms, too. They can include sprays, pills, powders, liquids and shots. The doctor chooses the medicine and form that will work best for you.

How do these medications work?

Bronchodilators. These medicines give you relief during an asthma attack. Bronchodilators work to relax the muscles in your air tubes. As this happens, your air tubes open up, making it easier for you to breathe.

Anti-inflammatories, on the other hand, work to keep your air tubes open all of the time so that you don't have an asthma attack in the first place. These medicines reduce the swelling in your air tubes and decrease the mucus.

For more information, parents can click on the following websites:

www.lungusa.org/asthma/astameds2.html

For information on asthma management at school, click on:

http://www.asthma.org.au/brochures/school.htm

For information regarding asthma and allergies, you may call the Allergy and Asthma Foundation of America, New England Chapter, at 1-617-965-7771, or click on:

www.asthmaandallergies.org

 Students who have inhalers at home are requested to keep a second inhaler at school, for use during school hours as needed, and to accompany them on school field trips. Your child's  inhaler will be kept in the health office, and administered under the supervision of the school nurse, with specific directions from your child's health care provider.  If a child must carry their own inhaler on their person, they may do so, provided a written note from both the healthcare provider and the parent/guardian giving approval is on file in the Health Office.  Please contact the school nurse to discuss your child's ability to self-medicate as prescribed by his/her doctor.

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