A new study suggests that September is the worst month for children with asthma.
According to a new study, there is a time of year for children when their asthma symptoms will be worse. Like allergies, asthma can actually be affected by the seasons, making it more difficult for children to breathe properly during certain times of the year. Researchers have found that, for kids, the worst time of year to suffer from asthma is September, when they are returning for a new school year.
Those who conducted the study found that the rate of asthma flare-ups in September were twice as high as in August, with a two-fold higher rate of asthma medication prescriptions – such as inhalers – in September. The results of the study were published online on Monday, March 10 and will be released in the April print issue of the medical journal Pediatrics.
The journal found many different factors for worsening asthma during the fall, beginning with children becoming more lax with taking their asthma medication during the summer. Their weakened immune systems cannot combat the environmental triggers – mold, air pollution, exposure to classmates – found in classrooms.
“People get lax about taking asthma medications in the summer, and then children are exposed to viral infections when they go back to school. It’s a high viral time. And, it’s a high allergy time, too,” said Dr. Jennifer Appleyard, chief of allergy and immunology at St. John Hospital and Medical Center in Detroit.
Dr. Appleyard went on to stress that, just because your child is doing well controlling their asthma during the summer, does not mean you should take them off the medication without first consulting a trained medical professional.
If your child suffers from asthma, a great way to ease their symptoms is by investing in a home air purifier from US Air Purifiers Direct 2U.