WSchmitt_Annotation5_HeadingOfftoCollegeEducationinAsthmaManagement

This article was written by Gretchen Cook. Cook is a freelance writer specializing in "family and health topics." She is from Jackson, Mississippi, and was diagnosed with Asthma at age 6. This article talks about things to be aware of when children go off to college with asthma. It mentions specific concerns that come up when an asthmatic goes to college. Most cases where issues arise occur when a student fails to follow his or her asthma management plan. One issue deals with money. College students are already struck with tight monetary funds, and asthma medication can be hard to procure**. //Issues with disparities in coverage by health insurance plans arise and need to be addressed to ensure the student can get his or her proper medication//**. Lack of action upon this front leads to under-medication when necessary. Another important negative factor affecting college students is the lack of a strict schedule as students go off to college. The college life is notable less strict than the home life in terms of schedule. It is more flexible. This leads to improper management of asthma, where it is needed. At college, students lose the parental 'nagging' factor that causes them to drop their routine medications schedule. Students may feel fine without their medication, and combined with the lag of the nagging, students neglect to follow an effective asthma management plan that had been working for possibly years. The article moves on to make specific points that are helpful for asthmatic college students. First of all, the student should try to find a residence hall where they can be on a higher floor away from the basement, where mold is more likely to be. Also, especially in cooler climates, where air conditioning may not be common, the student should request an air-conditioned residence hall to avoid damp air that induces mold as well as mites. The article continues to note information that would be pertinent to intervention and prevention. The student should ensure that the school has all necessary information about the student's asthma. Because of the disparities in health coverage, it take a bit of research to ensure that the student can transfer his or her prescriptions to local pharmacies. Also, ensuring that the student can get medical attention from a doctor on a regular basis locally is important. Another point is to know how to get transportation in case of an emergency. A few additional points to avoid asthma problems, according to the article, is to seek medical attention if peak flow drops to below 80% of personal best. Also, it is frequent that students ignore expiration dates on inhalers, especially if they seem to be full, good inhalers. This leads to common issues.

Gretchen W. Cook, Heading off to college?: First, get an education in asthma management, Asthma Magazine, Volume 10, Issue 3, May-June 2005, Pages 16-19, ISSN 1088-0712, DOI: 10.1016/S1088-0712(05)00041-5. (http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/B75DH-4GCGPJV-7/2/b669e6f285aad0d256ed879cda3e4111)