Asthma Education Programs: Helping Those Involved in Asthma Management Breathe a Little Easier

As an Asthma Educator with the Respiratory Health Association, I serve to empower Chicago youth living with asthma and provide the adults around them with asthma management skills. Through the adult Asthma Management trainings and the Fight Asthma Now student classes, I have the opportunity to educate students, parents, and school staff about asthma warning signs, trigger avoidance, and medication use. Interacting with those affected by asthma has helped me to better understand the importance of comprehensive asthma education for everyone involved in each student's life.
Students, teachers, and parents face different obstacles when it comes to asthma management. Students may feel embarrassed to use their inhaler with a medication spacer, or their families may not be able to afford their asthma medication. Additionally, they might not know how to approach a family member who smokes in the house.
Teachers encounter their own issues. They can become frustrated when parents don't turn in medical forms to the school indicating a student has asthma. They also might worry about their ability to properly handle an asthma emergency, especially if Chicago Public Schools (CPS) cannot afford a full-time nurse each day of the school week.
Asthma can be difficult for families to manage as well. Parents may not have access to a pulmonologist, and their pediatrician may lack enough time in a visit to provide adequate asthma education. Parents also may not understand the importance of prioritizing the purchase of medication, even if their child hasn't experienced symptoms in a while.
A lot of concerns and misunderstandings about asthma can arise during programs, and I believe these issues demonstrate why it is so important community outreach programs like RHA exist. RHA's asthma education programs help fill in the gaps of asthma care. Our programs explain medication techniques that a physician may not have had time to thoroughly explain to the student and parent. We demonstrate ways to eliminate asthma triggers in the school and home setting. More importantly, we provide knowledge, resources and talking points that improves communication between families and staff. Good asthma management requires good teamwork, and I believe our programs help each member of the team breathe a little easier.

This post was written by NHC Chicago member, Nicole Runkle.

Nicole serves as an Asthma Educator at Respiratory Health Association.