Asthma and Allergy in School

If you have a child in school with asthma or allergy such as food or bee sting allergy that can be life threatening, you should review the information provided at the web sites listed below. Parents and teachers should prepare and review together "management plans" for students with asthma or  allergies. Teachers, including PE teachers and school administrators should have basic knowledge about asthma and allergy. They should be able to detect any symptoms in a student that might indicate the onset of severe asthma or an allergic reaction and know what to do.  The Asthma & Allergy Center of Whatcom County is available as a resource for parents and teachers who seek information about asthma and allergic disorders.

www.aaaai.org  :  An excellent source of information for both allergy and asthma is the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology. The topic of the month for September is fall time allergy and asthma:       fall allergy season             

www.foodallergy.org : The Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Network is a wonderful resource for parents of children with food allergy.

National Institutes of Health  web site. Information about asthma in school and daycare settings. This is a part of the National Asthma Education and Prevention Program.

www.aanma.org : The Allergy & Asthma Network - Mothers of Asthmatics site is another useful resource  for parents, teachers and school administrators.

Parents should understand that asthma can be well controlled in most cases and that absenteeism can be kept to a minimum with proper daily medications.

Both parents and teachers should be aware that asthma, food and bee sting allergy can be a life threatening medical disorder and that any signs or symptoms of asthma or an allergic reaction in a student requires  immediate attention, with treatment and course of action based on the student's established "action plan".