Each year, the curves panic. During the two weeks following the start of the school year, there is a “peak in the use of emergency care for asthma, among children under 15”, declared Public Health France in an epidemiological point dating from September 2022. Last year, the agency noted a 169% increase in emergency room visits for asthma attacks and more than 33% in hospitalizations compared to the last week of August 2022. To this was added a peak the number of calls to SOS Médecins (+82%). Data similar to that of the last three years.
As a reminder, asthma is an inflammatory disease of the bronchi which affects approximately 10% of school children. It results in episodes of respiratory discomfort. Several factors can be the cause of these attacks: allergens (mites, moulds, animal dander, pollen, etc.), respiratory infections, or respiratory irritants (air pollution, tobacco smoke). “Each year, we observe during the two weeks following the start of the school year, a rise, then a peak of asthma attacks in France. However, this phenomenon is not inevitable”, assures L’Express Dr Françoise Pariente Ichou, responsible for the Gregory Pariente Foundationwhich works to prevent asthma in adolescents.
So how do you explain the rise in asthma attacks at the start of the school year? First, it may be related to returning to the community. In September, the child must sit down on the school benches and mix again with his classmates. He is therefore more exposed to viruses which can lead to respiratory infections favoring the onset of new crises. Back to school is often synonymous with strong emotions that can exacerbate respiratory crises. “Asthma attacks appear when the autumn period returns, wetter, and the symptoms are accentuated with the stress of daily life”, affirms the association Asthma & Allergies on his site.
“Among the three causes identified, there is exposure to allergens at school and college. This is a less known factor. The apartments contain allergenic particles (mites, molds) which stick to the clothes of the If children or adolescents rub their clothes, such as sharing the same coat rack or jostling on the stairs, there is a transfer of allergens which can be done on his asthmatic friend, he is then automatically exposed”, continues Françoise Pariente Ichou. To avoid this situation, it is recommended not to leave your clothes in contact with other clothes in schools. Concretely, it is a question of not sharing the same coat rack. Vigilance is also required for those who take the school bus.
Discontinuation of background treatment
In addition, Public Health France mentions the role played by the discontinuation of background treatment. Indeed, going on vacation is often synonymous with breaking with everyday life, hence the temptation to break with good habits. “Some teenagers tend to be less observant. They want to be more independent and frequently forget to take their background treatment on a regular basis, sometimes even during the holidays”, analyzes Françoise Pariente Ichou. Adolescence is also for some a period of “honeymoon”: having fewer symptoms than during early childhood, the teenager no longer sees the point of taking his background treatment every day.
At the beginning of June, the Health Insurance underlined, at a dedicated information point, the importance of continuing treatment during the summer period. She noticed that her temporary cessation was not desirable, because it could have consequences on the control of asthma. “If the treatment of the asthma attack quickly relieves the symptoms (dilates the bronchial tubes and improves breathing) it has a short-term effect, which is why the basic treatment prevents the onset of attacks: it treats the inflammation bronchial tubes,” she recalled. Even without symptoms of the disease, it is strongly advised not to interrupt your anti-asthmatic treatment or that of your child during the summer without medical advice.
The disease-modifying treatment keeps the disease under control. “It is part of a global approach combining therapeutic education of the child and his entourage”, insisted formally Public Health France. In September 2022, the organization added that the recommendations concerning the management of asthma remained insufficiently followed.
“We never warn enough in advance”
“In children, in 80% of cases, asthma is linked to an allergy”, continues Françoise Pariente Ichou, and therefore “they have a basic treatment and a treatment against their (s) allergies and in the event of stopping , they must be resumed immediately”. Each year, the Gregory Pariente Foundation relies on education and prevention to avoid these asthma peaks in September: “If parents and children were informed before each start of the school year, they would be more vigilant in spotting the slightest sign that a asthma attack is coming. We never warn enough in advance, we should probably carry out large-scale information campaigns, eight days before the start of the school year, like TV spots, repeated for a week.
Parents are advised to be extra vigilant when faced with the breathing difficulties of their asthmatic child: wheezing in the chest, even chest tightness, nocturnal awakening, more frequent use of an inhaler… The objective being to recognize as early as possible the symptoms that would indicate worsening of his asthma. A few days before the start of the school year, the Gregory Pariente Foundation (GPFD) shared on its site its list of recommendations in this high-risk period for young asthmatics. Among the good reflexes to remember during this new school year: ventilate regularly inside to limit allergens and teach your child the habit of washing their hands regularly to avoid the transmission of viruses. Finally, it is also possible to make an appointment with your doctor to obtain a complete respiratory assessment.