My son has asthma and recently he's been asking for his inhaler lots in school when we think maybe it's not needed. He has been having several puffs with school reception and sometimes being sent home but his asthma seems fine. He is quite emotional about school generally. He reports needing his inhKer Nd feeling like it was when he had 'an asthma attack ' previously related to the feeling in his tummy.
I don't wish to dismiss his asthma concerns but feel this needs looking into. Does anyone have any suggestions for how to navigate this?
For info - he did have an exacerbation a few months back and has a habit cough since then which is also confusing matters.
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You could perhaps discuss with his teacher if there might be something causing him extra stress at the moment? Perhaps something happening in class, playground or just generally in school? Tummy feelings can be caused by excitement or worry so you will know your child best and be able to find out if there is something worrying him, it can be helpful to make his teacher aware so that they can keep a look out and catch anything before it becomes out of proportion..?
agree with clematisa that it might be worth discussing with his teacher to see if you can identify a trigger.
You are right not to dismiss his asthma, there is nothing worse for a child who is struggling with asthma control to have an adult dismiss them. It is hard as a child to understand your asthma and having had an exacerbation it will be on his mind that it can happen again. Communication is very important. Speak to him and if possible try to explore what he is feeling before and during.
Have you tried doing any calming breathing techniques with him? Anxiety is a big part of asthma especially after an exacerbation and can trigger similar symptoms especially in children who may not understand as well as an adult. Doing some breathing exercises can sometimes help identify the difference between asthma and anxiety and even if it is asthma getting a bit of control over your breathing can help (speaking from experience of having had panic induced exacerbations).
My mum sat me down when I was younger and was having troubled with my asthma and asked me about my symptoms. She reminded me that she believed me when I said I needed my inhaler and that she just wanted to understand what I was feeling as my asthma was different from hers and she wanted to help. We talked often during and after when I felt I was needing my inhaler to see what was causing it and were able to identify areas where I was simply panicking and didn’t need my inhaler, I just needed help to calm down and breath (easier said then done). One thing she used to do if I was quite panicky was to sit behind me or have me on her lap with my back to her chest and she would put one hand on my chest and one on my stomach and we would breathe together and I would have to try to push her hand on my stomach out with each breath and not so much the one of my chest focusing on taking deeper breathes. Having her arms around me was reassuring and comforting. Eventually I could do the breathing on my own and calm myself or realise it was an inhaler situation. It’s something I have had to relearn as an adult as I went symptom free for so long but it definitely works and help.
I wish I had been taught coping strategies when I was a kid. It's difficult to ask for help when you haven't got the right words to describe your experiences, feelings etc., so we end up finding less than effective ways to cope.
There are several resources available in the UK, including youngminds.org.uk, barnados.org.uk, worthit.org.uk. They have some great ideas and resources.
One of my relatives is a primary school teacher and they were talking the other day about the 3-3-3 "game". It's a mindfulness technique for children to play in order to re-focus away from whatever is making them feel anxious. From memory, the child names 3 things they can see, names 3 things they can hear, move 3 different parts of your body. So there's definitely awareness that children will need coping strategies and that they're not over complicated and can easily be used by the child whenever they feel the need.
However, I can understand if the school is allowing access to your son's rescue inhaler upon request as they may not have the requisite knowledge to identify whether he needs the inhaler or not. Denying access would be fraught with potential issues, especially as asthmatics don't all present with the same symptoms.
I'm sure that the Asthma UK nurses on the helpline will be able to help with your concerns regarding your sons level of inhaler use while at school. They have lots of information to help parents.
There's also a clench and release of fingers with breathing in and out / or using different fingers to touch your thumb with breathing in and out - I think they are mindfulness exercises which may or may not help. Here's a link youtube.com/watch?v=EhZdehp...
Hi, I dont envy you, it must be really tricky getting it right. At least the teachers are allowing him the inhaler. My granddaughter has had some tricky situations with getting access to her inhaler including one teacher when she was 6 telling her that there's no such thing as asthma 😳 so she didn't need it. Often she'd get very breathless at playtime & sports classes then unable to get to her reliever because it was in a cupboard in her locked classroom with her teacher nowhere to be found. She's a child who always gets an infection following breathless sessions - some brought on by exercise, excitement, stress and fear apart from catching a bug & coughing and lot closing her airways. Once she moved to juniors I made sure she had a spare ventolin hidden in her sports bag so she could have a surreptitious puff before hockey in the freezing cold. It's hard enough being granny from afar let alone on the cliff face of being parents to asthmatics.
If not please do call the helpline, they're absolutely excellent 0300 222 5800 uk office hours. I'm sure they'd be pleased to offer support.
Regarding the breathing technique Beth_19 describes a lot of adults do it to, Deep Diaphragm Breathing. It's marvellous for calming anxiety and stress as well calming breathlessness. Another grandchild was taught it by a therapist after a traumatic event (she was just 5 at the time) and it was called Bubble Breathing.
Wishing you and your child all the best and hope you get the bottom of it. P
I don't know how long ago your granddaughter experienced this, but that is disgusting. Personally even with admittedly only limited knowledge of the Duty of Care act, I would say that potentially constitutes a prosecutable form of abuse, or neglect. And any teacher denying the existence of Asthma in this day and age is seriously out of step with their profession and certainly way out of the scope of her professional knowledge.
Oh your Grand daughters teachers would have an understanding of Asthma by the time I'd spoke to the school about and how dangerous it can get if not controlled.It's so infuriating how the world looks at Asthma believing its in our heads.
They removed the children from the school. Thanks, it was approximately 7 years ago. I do hope that teacher has left the little village school by now. It was quite high, a wind trap and freezing in the garden, I think my daughter insisted that she not play outside on very cold windy days.
It must be very hard for you.it does sound like he's developed some anxiety - perhaps fearing having an " attack" at school.Do you attend an asthma clinic with him? Perhaps they can help and give advice? My grandsons asthma clinic are v much on the ball. Whn he starts coughing,we always tell him to have a drink first.obviously it doesn't settle asthma,but we know his coughs not a dry throat.hes the opposite,can cough+ wheeze,but carries on with what he's doing.but he happily uses peak flow meter& takes inhalers whn we say he needs to.i really feel for you & son in yr situation .is he on montelukast? It was a game changer for my grandson.also is he on a steroid inhaler - have they checked his weight to adjust dose if need to x
Peak flow meter! I forgot to mention that. My daughter was told it was a very good indicator if it went down from regular pattern that something was really up and get checked. .
LysistrataAdministratorCommunity Ambassador• in reply topeege
Would just add a note of caution - I don't know if it's the same in children but not everyone does drop their peak flow that much, even when they're struggling with asthma.
It can be useful but in context - if there are other signs that something is up, an ok peak flow reading shouldn't override symptoms. Of course, this can vary between people and is something that it's useful for everyone to work out for themselves or their child, re how it works for them and what their best is.
Ah yes, I should have specifically mentioned it was from gp or respiratory nurse to my adult daughter to use as a guide regarding her small-ish child. So difficult with children
Thanks so much everyone. I had a super helpful conversation with one of the asthma UK helpline nurses who helped me to work through a plan of what to do from here. I agree with all the comments that supporting my son with coping strategies is really important and listening/believing his needs around his asthma.
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HELP School not taking Asthma seriously!
the school get worse
