Uploaded October 2025 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
The following information is based on the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s publication Managing Asthma in the School Environment.
Asthma is a chronic inflammatory disease that causes the airways in the lungs to tighten and swell. This can lead to wheezing, shortness of breath, chest tightness, and coughing. People with asthma have extra-sensitive airways that react to a wide range of triggers — and those triggers, along with the severity of symptoms, can vary from person to person.
Each day, one in five Americans enters a school building — and most of them are children. Since Americans spend up to 90% of their time indoors, the indoor environment plays a major role in asthma management.
Common environmental asthma triggers found in schools include:
• Cockroaches and other pests, such as rodents.
• Mold caused by excess moisture
• Animal dander — from classroom pets or brought in on clothing from home
Other well-known triggers include secondhand smoke and dust mites. Some indoor pollutants from everyday school items can also affect children with asthma — like:
• Unvented stoves or heaters
• Cleaning agents, perfumes, pesticides, and chemical sprays
Even outdoor pollutants, such as ozone, particulate matter (PM), and bus exhaust, can impact students with asthma.
The effects of uncontrolled asthma can be serious. Students with poorly managed asthma often miss more school and may struggle academically. But with effective asthma management programs, students can thrive and attend school regularly. When asthma is under control, students are ready to learn.
Managing a child’s asthma takes more than just medicine. It requires a full plan that includes both proper medical care and reducing exposure to environmental triggers. Because children spend so much time at school, at daycare, and at home, it’s crucial to make each of these environments as asthma-friendly as possible.
This is just a brief overview of indoor air quality and asthma management in schools. To learn more about this topic — or about other air quality, environmental, health, or safety issues — please visit the websites shown below.
Clark Seif Clark csceng.com
EMSL Analytical, Inc. emsl.com
LA Testing latesting.com
Zimmetry Environmental zimmetry.com
Healthy Indoors Magazine healthyindoors.com
The following information is based on the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s publication Managing Asthma in the School Environment.
Asthma is a chronic inflammatory disease that causes the airways in the lungs to tighten and swell. This can lead to wheezing, shortness of breath, chest tightness, and coughing. People with asthma have extra-sensitive airways that react to a wide range of triggers — and those triggers, along with the severity of symptoms, can vary from person to person.
Each day, one in five Americans enters a school building — and most of them are children. Since Americans spend up to 90% of their time indoors, the indoor environment plays a major role in asthma management.
Common environmental asthma triggers found in schools include:
• Cockroaches and other pests, such as rodents.
• Mold caused by excess moisture
• Animal dander — from classroom pets or brought in on clothing from home
Other well-known triggers include secondhand smoke and dust mites. Some indoor pollutants from everyday school items can also affect children with asthma — like:
• Unvented stoves or heaters
• Cleaning agents, perfumes, pesticides, and chemical sprays
Even outdoor pollutants, such as ozone, particulate matter (PM), and bus exhaust, can impact students with asthma.
The effects of uncontrolled asthma can be serious. Students with poorly managed asthma often miss more school and may struggle academically. But with effective asthma management programs, students can thrive and attend school regularly. When asthma is under control, students are ready to learn.
Managing a child’s asthma takes more than just medicine. It requires a full plan that includes both proper medical care and reducing exposure to environmental triggers. Because children spend so much time at school, at daycare, and at home, it’s crucial to make each of these environments as asthma-friendly as possible.
This is just a brief overview of indoor air quality and asthma management in schools. To learn more about this topic — or about other air quality, environmental, health, or safety issues — please visit the websites shown below.
Clark Seif Clark csceng.com
EMSL Analytical, Inc. emsl.com
LA Testing latesting.com
Zimmetry Environmental zimmetry.com
Healthy Indoors Magazine healthyindoors.com
