An asthma attack is a frightening experience for a child that can come on suddenly. When an attack occurs, a child’s body works extra hard to get air into their lungs, but because their airways are swollen and inflamed, they just can’t.
Asthma is the most common chronic disease among children, and when a child has an asthma attack, it can take days or even weeks to fully recover.
I can recall the first time I had to take my oldest daughter to the emergency room for an asthma attack. She was just five and helping her stay calm was difficult when I was so concerned and had trouble staying calm myself.
Her experience is hardly unique, though.
Asthma causes more than 10 million missed days of school every year. These frequent school absences for students with asthma are associated with lower test scores, higher dropout rates, and social difficulties. But it doesn’t have to be this way.
We have seen that when children learn how to better manage their asthma and their asthma triggers, they are able to reduce the number and severity of their attacks.
