Nearly 9% of children younger than 18 have asthma. Asthma is the
most common chronic illness of school-aged children. It also is
the most common reason for school absences. Asthma can limit
participation in school athletic programs. However, when
properly managed, children with asthma can participate fully in
both academic and athletic aspects of student life. Children
with asthma can't just leave their illness at home, and they
must pay attention to their symptoms whenever or wherever they
occur. Because children are in school many hours a day, asthma
usually affects life there. For example, children may need to
take medications during school or take special preventive
measures to avoid attacks. In addition, drug side effects may
influence school performance, and the stress of living with a
chronic disease may cause psychological problems that play out
at school. Exercise-induced asthma presents its own set of
problems for gym class and other physical activity. Therefore,
it is important that the child, fami