Help your child beat the September asthma spike

As part of our monthly feature in Somerset County Gazette, this week (Thursday 9 September), Dawn has advice for parents about asthma. 

My name is Dawn Bradley, I am the lead paediatric respiratory clinical nurse specialist working with children and families across Somerset.

Asthma is the most common long-term medical condition affecting 1 in 11 children living in the UK. As children return to school this September, I would like to raise awareness of what healthcare professionals call the “September Spike”. Each year, we see a significant increase in asthma attacks and hospital admissions when children return to school after the summer holidays.

During the first few weeks of term, children mix with classmates and seasonal viruses begin to circulate. For children with asthma, these viruses can trigger worsening symptoms such as coughing, wheezing and breathlessness.

The good news is that many asthma attacks can be prevented.

One of the most important things parents can do is make sure their child has attended their annual asthma review with their GP practice. If you cannot remember when the last review took place, now is a good time to book one.

Every child with asthma should have an asthma action plan. This personalised plan explains what to do if symptoms start to increase and when to seek medical advice. It is also important that schools have a copy and ask whether the school is an Asthma Friendly School, with staff trained to recognise worsening symptoms and respond safely during an asthma attack. NHS England’s e-Learning for Healthcare platform offers free asthma training for schools involved in caring for children with asthma.

Children should continue taking their preventer inhaler exactly as prescribed, even when they are feeling well. It is also important to check inhaler technique regularly. In clinic, we often find that small changes to technique can make a big difference to how much medicine reaches the lungs.

If your child begins needing their reliever inhaler more frequently, develops a cough or wheeze, or symptoms continue for more than a couple of days, seek advice from your GP or asthma practice nurse.

As part of the national Ask About Asthma campaign, families are encouraged to:

• Get an asthma action plan
• Understand how to use inhalers correctly
• Attend an annual asthma review

By taking these simple steps now, we can help children stay well, stay in school and avoid a preventable hospital admission this autumn.

We will be producing a monthly column 'Hear from your NHS' on actions you can take to prevent ill health and keep well, with different clinicians penning articles with advice for patients in Somerset, look out for our next edition in October.