Millions of children have asthma. A great percentage of these children have exercise-induced asthma. As the name suggests, in this type of asthma, the symptoms worsen during exercise.

In school, children often participate in high-intensity sports, such as running, basketball and soccer. This worsens asthma symptoms, such as coughing, wheezing and shortness of breath. The greater the intensity, the greater the risk of having an asthma attack.

Any asthma attack – no matter how mild it is – should be treated as soon as possible. So, who can detect early signs of an attack at school, when parents are not present? The best people would be the children themselves. That’s why parents must help their children know about the symptoms of an asthma attack so that they can take appropriate measures. In addition, parents should also warn their kids against asthma triggers, such as dust mite and smoking. This will make the kids minimize their exposure to these triggers.

Parents should also equip their children with peak flow meters (to measure condition of the attack) and with rescue inhalers (to provide relief during an attack). A copy of the children’s asthma action plan should also be given to the teachers. This will help the teachers know when an asthma attack is occurring.