It may seem early to be thinking about this, but I was looking at the calendar today – and tomorrow is August 1st. That means it’s just over 1 month, and all the kids head back to the classroom. In other words, it’s time to get ready for school.
Some doctors actually consider the humble school to be a war zone for children with allergies of all kinds, including environmental allergies and asthma. Schools are required to keep their facilities clean, and this often means cleansers that can irritate respiratory passages or even directly cause contact dermatitis. Then there is the dust – a prime culprit for asthma attacks.
Of course, who can forget the local school “no nut” policy?
Wherever we bring groups of people together, we are bound to have a growing minority with allergies. This means two things:
- A request for the non-allergic to make concessions to protect the allergic
- A need for the allergic to take steps to ensure their own health and safety.
Clearly, asking the non-allergic to make some concessions is a bit like asking the smoker to refrain from smoking. We are asking one group to give up certain “rights” to protect the health of others. However, this approach can only go so far. While the vast majority of people will happily (and willingly) follow rules forbidding perfume or certain foods, it’s also true that sometimes a well-meaning person can forget.
This is where the allergic person needs to be prepared themselves. Children with allergies should be well-informed on their allergy. Their medications should be up-to-date. If a child has a severe allergy, they should have an Epi-pen or auto-injector on the school premises.
Any immunotherapy should be continued and finished: allergy shots can often provide a significant reduction in allergy symptoms. However, a course of 3 to 5 years treatment with shots is often required to get full benefit.
Children also need to know how to properly take their medication: depending on the school or teacher to monitor 20 or more students and also remember medications is unreasonable.
Here’s to another happy and safe school year.
Sources: WRCB-TV; SlowDeathByRubberDuck.com
