What Teachers Should Know Asthma is a lung disease that makes it hard to breathe. Airways get irritated and swollen, and may fill with mucus. Muscles around the airways may tighten, causing narrowing. Asthma is one of the main reasons that students miss school. There's no cure for asthma, but it can be managed so that kids and teens can live otherwise normal and healthy lives. When asthma symptoms happen (called asthma flare-ups), students may need to make urgent visits to doctors' offices or the emergency room. During a flare-up, someone might have: wheezing coughing tightness of the chest shortness of breath Students with asthma may: need to take oral or inhaled medicine, usually in the school nurse's office feel jittery, anxious, or hyper after using their inhalers (also called bronchodilators) miss field trips to places that could make their asthma worse request the removal of allergens in classrooms that can trigger flare-ups need to be excused from phys-ed or other activities when they have flare-ups Bullies often target students who seem "different," so having a health condition like asthma can put kids and teens at higher risk of being bullied. What Teachers Can Do Students with asthma may need special consideration regarding missed instruction, assignments, and testing when they miss class time due to flare-ups, going to the school nurse's office to take medicine, and visiting their doctors. Keep in mind that students with asthma can participate in school sports, phys-ed, and other activities. Students who have exercise-induced asthma (EIA) may need to use their inhalers before participating in physical activities. They might have to take other precautions to avoid flare-ups — check with your students' parents. Make sure your students with asthma have written instructions from their doctor (called an asthma action plan), which tells them how to prevent and manage flare-ups. You should know your students' asthma triggers and let them use their medicine when needed. If a student's symptoms get worse after taking medicine, call the school nurse or 911. Back to Articles Related Articles Asthma Diary Use this weekly diary to record your child's asthma symptoms, peak flows, the amount of medicine taken. Read More Asthma Diary Use this weekly diary to record your child's asthma symptoms, peak flows, the amount of medicine taken. 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Read More First Aid: Asthma Flare-Ups During a flare-up or attack, it's hard to breathe. While some flare-ups are mild, others can be life threatening, so it's important to deal with them right away. Read More Asthma Action Plan When things are confusing, a plan really helps. Check out this asthma action plan, which you can print out and use to manage breathing trouble. Read More Can the Weather Affect My Asthma? Weather can affect a person's asthma. Find out how in this article for kids. Read More Dealing With Asthma Triggers If you have asthma, certain things may cause you to cough and have trouble breathing. Find out more about asthma triggers in this article for kids. Read More Handling an Asthma Flare-Up How can you prepare for an asthma flare-up? Find out in this article for kids. Read More How Do Asthma Medicines Work? Kids who have asthma need to take medicine. But what kind of medicine do they take and what does it do? Let's find out. 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Read More Asthma Center Asthma keeps more kids home from school than any other chronic illness. Learn how to help your child manage the condition, stay healthy, and stay in school. Read More Asthma Action Plan Use this printable sheet to help manage your asthma. Read More Asthma Triggers Triggers — things in the air, weather conditions, or activities — can cause asthma flare-ups. By knowing and avoiding triggers, you'll help lessen your child's asthma symptoms. Read More Asthma Action Plan Use this printable sheet to help reduce or prevent flare-ups and emergency department visits through day-to-day management of your child's asthma. Read More Note: All information is for educational purposes only. For specific medical advice, diagnoses, and treatment, consult your doctor. © 1995-2021 KidsHealth®. All rights reserved. Images provided by The Nemours Foundation, iStock, Getty Images, Veer, Shutterstock, and Clipart.com.