Are You Asthma Aware?
One in 12 Americans are estimated to have asthma – that’s 25 million people in the U.S. And these troubling asthma rates are even higher for Black, Latino and impoverished children. For kids and teens ages 5 to 17, asthma is the leading cause of school absences from a chronic illness. It accounts for an annual loss of more than 14 million school days per year – and it makes it awfully hard for students to stay on top of their learning.
When it comes to managing asthma, four key elements are essential to keeping an asthma attack at bay:
- Creating and following a personal asthma action plan
- Taking medicine properly
- Avoiding or minimizing exposure to asthma triggers
- Recognizing the early symptoms of asthma and taking the appropriate action
Resources for School Staff
School staff can play an equally important role when it comes to helping students (and even adult colleagues) manage their symptoms. Check out these online resources to help you be asthma aware:
- Enroll in NEA Academy’s online course, “Managing Asthma in a School Enviornment.” This online course was developed by NEA HIN and the Merck Childhood Asthma Network (MCAN) and covers the symptoms of an asthma attack and ways to make your school more asthma-friendly. A total of 2.5 certificate hours can be earned by taking the course and up to 65 additional certificate hours can be earned by completing one or more of the extra-credit projects offered.
- Did you know poor indoor environmental quality can trigger asthma symptoms? Our online course on indoor environmental air quality will help you identify, prevent, and resolve issues like mold, moisture, chemical exposure and more.
- Find out how asthma-friendly your school is! Use this checklist to assess how asthma-friendly your school is.
During National Asthma & Allergy Awareness Month, take a few minutes today to brush up on your asthma awareness!
Posted by Jenn Kauffman
on May 20, 2014
Topics: Allergies in School, Asthma
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