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Back To School: Asthma And The Student Athlete
Inhalers and Nebulizers at the Ballfield: Signs of Region’s Skyrocketing Asthma Rate
Asthma today afflicts more children here in the Hudson Valley than at any time in years past. The good news? An increasing number of asthmatic youngsters are pursuing extracurricular sports and learning successfully how to self-medicate and manage their breathing. But the trend is double-edged.
From lacrosse to field hockey, softball to basketball, football to volleyball, "We’re seeing more and more team members bringing inhalers and nebulizers to practice" says Adrienne Weiss-Harrison, M.D., medical director and school physician, City School District of New Rochelle. "The climbing asthma rate is both alarming and discouraging."
"At the same time, supervised athletics do represent a very positive experience in the lives of asthmatic children just like for all children," says Dr. Weiss-Harrison, who is also vice president of the American Lung Association of Hudson Valley. "But there are several precautions every parent needs to consider:"
• Meet with the coach, school nurse and principal to advise them of your
son’s or daughter’s asthma condition. Provide them with medication for
your child. (The New York State Education Department issues regulations
and guidelines that the school must follow to administer medication to
schoolchildren. Your permission, the physician’s order, and medication in
the original labeled container from the pharmacy will be required.)
• Make sure your son’s or daughter’s coach, school nurse and principal
appreciate the importance of recognizing the early signs of an asthma
episode. Assist them in developing an action plan to address quickly and treat effectively an episode in progress. Bear in mind that the school nurse may not be on duty during after-school tryouts, practices and games. It is important, therefore, for the athletic staff to understand your child’s needs.
• Be sure that the school nurse communicates with your son’s or daughter’s teachers, so they know what to do in the event of an asthma episode. Request that the school contact a parent as soon as possible if your child’s asthma becomes active or worsens.
• Above all, educate your child about his or her illness. As children approach teenage years, they become more independent; and it is important for them to develop self-care skills, including recognizing when their asthma is becoming active. Encourage your child to avoid asthma triggers, and should symptoms set in during sports practice, stop and self-medicate immediately. Seek medical attention. And seek your parents attention.
For additional information on asthma and other chronic lung diseases and on local programs for affected residents, please visit the American Lung Association of Hudson Valley at http.-//www.alahv.org. Also log on to http.//www.lungusa.org.
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