Increase in back to school asthma attacks in Scotland

With families preparing for the return to school, Asthma + Lung UK Scotland warns many children could be at risk of having a potentially life-threatening asthma attack after returning to the classroom.¹

Preventer inhaler routines can get disrupted over the holidays, so children's airways can be more sensitive to asthma triggers when they go back to school, with an abundance of sources causing attacks.

Exposure to asthma triggers including colds and flu viruses, dust mites, pollen and strong emotions (such as fear and excitement), can all of trigger potentially life-threatening asthma attacks or worsen symptoms such as breathlessness, coughing and wheezing.

With an estimated 147,000 children with asthma in Scotland, Asthma + Lung UK Scotland are warning that hospital admissions for children aged 5 to 19 in Scotland spike in August and September when children return to school, compared to July.^2,3

Asthma + Lung UK Scotland’s most recent data from 2024 shows there were 63 hospital admissions for school-aged children in July, 111 in August and 168 in September.  In the last five years, there has been 1,107 hospital admissions of children because of their asthma in August and September.³

If you are a parent or carer of a child with asthma and are concerned about their return to school, you can help reduce their risk of an asthma attack by doing the following:

• As a priority, make sure they use their steroid preventer inhaler as prescribed, as this helps stop their airways getting inflamed over time
• Check that your child's reliever inhaler (usually blue) is in their bag before leaving for school every day. If they use a spacer, make sure they take this too. They should be kept somewhere they can get to easily at any time, like during PE or if they are on a school trip
• Ask your doctor's surgery for an extra reliever inhaler and give it to your child's school or college. This should preferably be in its original packaging. Send in a spacer too, if your child uses one. It should always be easily accessible and not stored in a locked cupboard
• Arrange for your child to have an annual asthma review with their GP or asthma nurse. This will help pick up any early symptoms
• Have an asthma action plan and share it with your child’s school or college – this keeps everything staff needs to know in one place, including information about their triggers, symptoms and medicines. It also explains what to do if your child has an asthma attack. You can download one from Asthma + Lung UK’s website here: https://www.asthmaandlung.org.uk/conditions/asthma/your-asthma-action-plan
• Make sure your child knows how to use their inhalers properly. Your GP or asthma nurse can check your child’s inhaler technique at their annual review. You can also ask your pharmacist to check your child’s inhaler technique when you next pick up your child’s asthma medicines. You can also watch our simple and quick inhaler technique videos: Your child’s asthma action plan | Asthma + Lung UK  
• If a child is having an asthma attack and their symptoms are not improving with a reliever inhaler, call 999 and follow our asthma attack advice for children at www.asthmaandlung.org.uk/conditions/asthma/child/asthma-attacks.

For schools, Asthma + Lung UK Scotland would also encourage staff to download the charity’s free Asthma at School poster from the charity’s website, so staff know what the vital five lifesaving steps are if a pupil is having an asthma attack.

Public Health Minister Jenni Minto said:

“Asthma affects many people in Scotland including children, it is vitally important to know what to do if a child is affected and we welcome this campaign in raising awareness. 

“Many people might not recognise the warning signs or know what to do if someone is suffering from an asthma attack. Having an attack, or even witnessing one, can be upsetting and knowing what to do can help save a life.

“Education authorities, health boards and schools have received Scottish Government guidance about the use of reliever inhalers to treat an attack.”

Claire Stirling from Kirknewton has a 12-year-old daughter Emily who has asthma, she was diagnosed at three years old.

“My daughter Emily has asthma which is well controlled now. She takes her preventer inhalers daily and always has her reliever inhaler with her.

“As she gets older and become more independent, she is very aware that she could be hospitalised because of her asthma, but especially at this time of year when she’s back with her classmates in school and there’s an increased chance of picking up a cough, cold or a virus.

“I welcome any messaging to help parents and teachers be aware of triggers such as dust and bugs when they go back to school. It’s always an extra worry, as it is for any parent with a child with asthma, when they go back to after the summer holidays.” 

Joseph Carter, Head of Asthma + Lung UK Scotland said:

“When children go back to school after the summer holidays, we often see an increase in the number of asthma attacks, leading to more hospital visits. Bugs from colds and other viruses or dust mites in schools or gym halls, could be to blame.

“With this in mind, Asthma + Lung UK Scotland is asking parents and teachers to look out for signs that their child or pupil’s asthma may be worsening. This could be breathlessness, wheezing, coughing, chest tightness, and if it is, to take urgent action.

“Usual preventer inhaler routines could have gone awry over the summer holidays, which can leave children much more vulnerable to an asthma attack when they return to school and are around more triggers.

“We would also like to really encourage all schools to download our free Asthma at School poster, so they are prepared for the new term and know what to do if a pupil does have an asthma attack.”

ENDS

To download the Asthma at School campaign poster, to know what the vital five lifesaving steps are, go to: Asthma at School campaign poster – Asthma + Lung UK (asthmaandlung.org.uk)

For further information on how to prepare your child for their return to school so their asthma is well managed, visit: https://www.asthmaandlung.org.uk/conditions/asthma/child/back-to-school or call the Asthma + Lung UK helpline on 0300 222 5800 Mon-Fri 9am-5pm.     

References:

1. 73.2% of people in Scotland find their asthma is triggered by colds and flu (379 out of 518) Asthma + Lung UK Life with a Lung Condition Survey 2025.
2. Estimated number of children with asthma in Scotland: Scottish Health Survey.
3. Hospital admissions for asthma in children aged 5-19 years. From Public Health Scotland (data 2016-2024 inclusive).