According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), in 2018 7.5% of children under age 18 years of age had asthma. As you know, asthma is a lung disease that causes the airways to constrict and can make breathing difficult as the body fights for oxygen. People with asthma typically use treatments to aid them in breathing. These treatments supply medication through the lungs using a nebulizer or an inhaler.

A nebulizer uses an air compressor to turn medication into a fine mist that is inhaled through a face mask. Some nebulizers need to be plugged in and others are portable and run on batteries.

An inhaler is a handheld device that stores medication in a pressurized canister. It releases the medication in aerosol form into the mouth. There are also nasal inhalers that release medication into the nose.

Spacers are used in conjunction with an inhaler and hold the medicine until the person starts to breathe in. This allows the medication in at a slower, more even rate. If using a spacer with mask, gently cover the mouth and nose with the mask, making sure to have a complete seal.

The CDC advises using medicine as prescribed to prevent asthma attacks. Unfortunately, only about half of children who are prescribed asthma control medicines use them regularly. As a school nurse, we recommend reminding your asthmatic students to take their medicine as prescribed.

Asthma and COVID-19: While there is widespread concern for asthmatics during the COVID-19 pandemic, it’s important to know that there is currently no evidence of increased infection rates among those with asthma. Although the CDC states that persons with moderate to severe asthma could be at greater risk for a more severe case of COVID-19, there is no published data to support this determination at this time. The best thing a person with asthma can do is to keep their asthma under control.

To shop MacGill’s selection of asthma products click here.