A HEALTH warning has been issued before kids go back to school next week, and boys could be most at risk.
Parents have been warned children with asthma could be four times more likely to be hospitalised with life-threatening asthma attacks.
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Official figures have shown a 348 per cent rise in the number of 5-14 year olds admitted to hospital with an asthma attack in September, when most children return to school, compared to August.
The biggest increase is among five to nine year olds, with a 370 per cent rise in the number of hospital admissions in September compared to the previous month. Among 10-14 year olds, the increase is 307 per cent.
The figures also revealed a disparity between the number of boys affected compared to girls in the 5-14 year age group, with 825 boys hospitalised in September and 538 girls, a difference of 53 per cent.
The warning comes from Asthma + Lung UK, who said the increased risk is due to the “perfect storm” of factors that occurs when children go back to school.
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Some children fall out of the routine of taking their preventer medicines every day as prescribed during the summer holidays, leading to their asthma being poorly controlled when they go back to school.
Exposure to asthma triggers, such as colds and flu viruses, dust mites, pollen, and strong emotions (like fear and excitement) can also trigger potentially life-threatening asthma attacks or worsen symptoms.
To help, Asthma + Lung UK is urging parents to look out for symptoms their child’s asthma may be worsening.
Symptoms to look out for:
- Wheezing, especially at night or early in the morning
- Complaining about chest or stomach pain
- Needing to use their reliever inhaler (usually blue) three or more times a week
If your child’s experiencing any of these symptoms, make an urgent appointment with their GP or asthma nurse .
Emma Rubach, Head of Health Advice at Asthma + Lung UK, said: “For parents of children with asthma, September can be a very worrying time because the return to school means they may be exposed to more triggers that can bring on an asthma attack or make their asthma symptoms worse.
“Colds and flu viruses are two of the biggest culprits as these viruses circulate more from September because children are mixing once again after the summer break.
“Other reasons could be that pollen levels are often higher than usual in the first half of September which can worsen asthma symptoms too, as can the cleaning products used to clean schools over the holidays.
“The best thing parents can do is to ensure their children take their preventer inhaler (usually brown) every day as prescribed and maintain their care and treatment plans during the holidays.
“Some children may fall out of their usual preventer inhaler routines over the summer break which can leave them much more vulnerable to an asthma attack.
“But preventer medication is vital as it helps calm the inflammation in their airways and reduces the risk of an asthma attack.
“They should also ensure their child always has their reliever inhaler with them when they return to school and have an up-to-date asthma action plan they share with the school.
“This ensures that school staff will also know what to do if the child’s asthma symptoms worsen or in the event of an asthma attack.
“You can find more advice on managing your child’s asthma at asthma.org.uk/advice/child/back-to-school/”
A spike in asthma attacks when the school holidays end is a trend that happens year-on-year.
A previous study funded by the asthma charity found 2.8 million school days are lost every year because of asthma symptoms.
What to do if your child is having an asthma attack
If you are a parent or teacher and believe a child in your care is having an asthma attack, call 999 immediately, as this is a medical emergency.
While you wait for the ambulance, help them sit up and give them a puff of their reliever inhaler every 30 to 60 seconds – you can give them up to 10 puffs.
Repeat this every 15 minutes until an ambulance arrives.
For further information on how to protect your child when they go back to school, visit Asthma at school and nursery | Asthma + Lung UK.
If you are concerned about your child’s asthma you can call Asthma + Lung UK’s helpline on 0300 222 5800.
What you can do for your child with asthma returning to school
Asthma + Lung UK advises parents to do the following:
- Arrange for your child to have an asthma review, as this will help to pick up any early symptoms.
- Make sure your child’s written asthma action plan is up to date and that it has been shared with your child’s school.
- If your child is old enough, you can support them by making sure they can take their inhaler properly by themselves. Watch a video on how to correctly use an inhaler.
- Check the school’s policy for needing to tell parents when an inhaler is used. If your child is in primary school, make sure they know to tell an adult if they have had to use their inhaler and it hasn’t helped, or if they’ve used it and their symptoms have come back. If they are in secondary school, ask them to tell you when they use their inhaler.
