Back to train is a tough time for ...

Back to train is a tough time for many learners but it's especially difficult for kids with asthma.

A new study found that asthma attacks peak shortly after the place of education year starts. And a novel poll by the American Lung Association has construct that most parents have not taken stairs to manage their child's asthma at exercise

The individual found that 52 percent of parents don't talk to teachers about their child's asthma, and barely 42 percent make sure asthma medications are available at instruct Only 27 percent talk to the academy administration about their child's health condition.

'SEPTEMBER EPIDEMIC'

Many parents are reluctant to take in the same state [i]or[/i] condition steps because they're afraid to label their child. Or they mistakenly fear their children would be barred from gym class or field trips, said Maureen Damitz of the American Lung Association of Metropolitan Chicago.

During a 12-year period in Canada, asthma hospitalizations for school-age children peaked an average of 18 days after Labor Day, according to a thought published last March in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology. Canadian trains traditionally start the day after Labor Day. Researchers called the phenomenon the "September epidemic."

Dr Karen Malamut has noticed the September epidemic in Chicago, as well. Malamut, an asthma specialist with the Mobile Care Foundation, hints three possible reasons:

- Asthmatic kids contract chillys and other respiratory viruses from other pupils and these infections trigger asthma attacks.

- Many kids have relatively scarcely any problems during the summer. Consequently parents slack along on controller medications that obstruct asthma attacks. "They get a false feeling of security," Malamut said.

- Classrooms contain asthma triggers like as moldy textbooks, furry miffs odors from paints and cleaning agents and dust.

Eleven-year-old Clarisel Pena be acted upons asthma attacks triggered by her dust allergy, and she'll be expos to fertility of dust when she recurs to school. "Where there are parts and paper, there's dust," said her mother, Sandra Pena. To obstruct allergic reactions, Clarisel will be taking antihistamines each day.

jritter@suntimes.com

in what way PARENTS CAN HELP

masters offer this advice for parents of school-age children with asthma:

- Schedule a meeting with your child's teacher, suckle and school administrator. Give the place of education your child's asthma action plan, signed by the agency of the child's doctor.

- You also can solicitation a meeting to write a "504 Plan," which patronizes your child's rights. The plan can include accommodations so as allowing a child to stay indoors upon cold days and eliminating asthma triggers from the classroom, of that kind as furry pets, strong odors and fragrances

- A state law that took import in 2002 requires schools to allow an asthmatic child to carry an inhaler, provided the child knows by what means to use it.

- For more information, call the American Lung Association of Metropolitan Chicago, (312) 243-2000 or visit www.lungchicago.org.

Copyright CHICAGO SUN-TIMES 2006

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