Component 1: Awareness

Asthma is the number one reason why students miss school days nationwide accounting for 14 million days annually. In NEISD this common health issue affects close to 8,000 of students (12% of population) and generates over 70,000 visits to the school nurse for use of asthma medications occurs each year.

Executive summary of report from ‘Children and Asthma in America' stated:

• Many children with asthma experience frequent and/or severe symptoms that indicate their asthma is not well controlled; additionally, parents tend to underestimate the frequency of their child’s symptoms, contributing to inaccurate perceptions of control.
• Poorly controlled asthma causes missed school days for children, lost workdays for parents, activity avoidance, limitations, and emotional burdens that interfere with the everyday lives of children and their families and often force them to accept a much lower quality of life.
• Finally, a widespread lack of understanding about asthma causes, treatment and symptom prevention remains a major obstacle to improved management of this condition.

Program goals for all students are to decrease class time interruptions due to symptoms (increase student performance), fully participate in desired physical activities (promote healthy lifestyle) and improve attendance (increase state funding) to reach their full academic potential and graduate on time.

Although there are several genotypes of asthma, the allergy genotype is predominate in children.  (genetically predisposed and environmentally induced).  Indoor air quality is a significant concern, because when you combine the hours spent sleeping, working in offices or at school, people, on average, spend the vast majority of their time indoors and therefore exposed, repeatedly, to indoor air pollutants. Poor Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) can affect the comfort and health of all students and staff, which, in turn, can affect concentration, attendance, and student performance. By providing an environment that is healthy for our most sensitive individuals, we can achieve an environment that is healthy for everyone.

Due to the variablity of asthma, flareups can occur with changes in the indoor and outdoor environemt.  Please let your child's campus nurse any history or current form of the disease so we can be pro-active and address the needs of your child.  Asthma can be controlled; expect nothing less.